If you're like most of us, you've already got enough on your plate without second-guessing your choice of distributor partners.

After all, who needs the headaches -- and the angry clients -- that often come from shopping different products from different sources, waiting anxiously for the FedEx guy to deliver the last component while everything else collects dust, or endlessly arguing with a phone rep (or, more likely, trading angry voice mails) over a nonworking piece of equipment?

So, while you most likely put price and availability at the top of your distributor must-have list -- after all, a too-costly SKU or the sheer inability to get a piece of equipment when and where you need it are lethal to your business -- there are several other factors that can really help you boost business, improve margins and continue to wow the clients who turn to you as their IT maven. After all, broadline distributors such as Ingram Micro have a whole menu of services and value-adds in place to remove some of the pain and increase the gain of partners like you.

Nearly 41 percent of solution providers polled in the CMP Channel 2007 Sourcing Study selected price and availability as the most important reason for selecting a broadline distributor, followed by 12.6 percent who chose ease of doing business. These elements no doubt led to Ingram Micro's being named the "most strategic" broadline distributor partner in the September 2007 CMP study.

Such an honor is, most likely, based on Ingram Micro's continuing emphasis on cutting much of the cost and complexity from IT sales through configuration and integration services, superior distribution programs and vendor relationship management -- all categories in which Ingram Micro took top place in the Sourcing Study. And the company excels at offering a broad product line, pre-sales support and strategic cross-selling, according to the survey of solution providers.

Ultimately, picking the right distribution partner requires more than just searching for someone who delivers product at a fair price. Making a smart choice -- one that gives you access to services, features and sales tools that will help separate you from your competitors -- can make the difference between merely getting by and being a success.