I'm just wondering, is it a must to have technical knowledge for a reseller?

I'm thinking along this line... you are a reseller and have no technical knowledge, thus all technical support are actually coming from the hosting provider.

Now what happens when a potential customer come up to you and ask you two questions. (1) Are you a reseller? (2) Are customer supports 'better' from you or the hosting provider.

Personally, I think the reseller would be stuck if they are not outsourcing - which means they have higher prices. Translation, at a disadvantage.

I may be totally wrong though, but would like to hear everyone's opinion. Please post your thoughts.

I wouldn't bother reselling if you don't have the technical knowledge. Do something you know more about.

Obviously to be a reseller you do not need as much technical knowledge as if you own your own server, however its not a good idea to start a company if you have no technical knowledge at all.
In answer to your questions i would say i am a reseller, i do not belive in lieing to my clients . As for the second question well the two tech supports are different, your clients cannot get their tech support from your provider, only you so you should try to be as good as possible at this as it is a major issue.

Point taken - and yes I'm still learning :)

I don't quite get the "being a reseller" concept however. For someone that does tell the potential clients that you are a reseller and that you are getting help from the hosting provider to provide support, wouldn't the potential clients just go to the hosting provider straight away?

The bit I don't understand is the statement "Obviously to be a reseller you do not need as much technical knowledge as if you own your own server". As in if you were to tell clients that you are a reseller, AND that you are not as fluent in the technical side, wouldn't the client just go elsewhere (given the price is also higher with the reseller)?

So would it be right to conclude that, everyone looking into providing webhosting, resellers or hosting providers MUST know enough knowledge to support their clients - resellers must know as much as the hosting provider.

Originally posted by Omni
resellers must know as much as the hosting provider.

Not really as they don't have to manage the server, "only" to support their clients.

I dont see any need to have technical knowledge, If you are a reseller i just see you as an end user but with multple accounts. Reseller accounts are often used by web designers to host their clients adn they are just like end users.

If your strength is marketing and customer service and that's all you want to do, then being a reseller is a perfect choice. And yes, resellers do add value to the overall hosting product by providing an extra layer of support and presence, at minimum. You don't need to learn everything, but over time you'll become proficient. Many, many support issues are routine and repetitive.

Like selling anything, you have to be able to meet the objections of potential customers by giving them good solid reasons why what you offer is the best choice.

I think your best shot is to resell for a company who's control panel you're fluent in already. Most support requests are control panel or mail related. Anything beyond that, you'll probably need the host to do the work anyway if it requires configuration or root access.

So, no you don't really *need* much technical knowledge, but reading up on how things work will go a long way to a better understanding of it all which will show in your future responses to your own customers.

Greg Moore

Excellent post and points, akashik!

Although your main concern aint looking after the server your sites are hosted on, you still need to know your ****.

Say a customer asks you a techie question, how you going to answer them if you dont know?!? You cant really say, "oh ill get back to you", run ask your host, then relay the answer back.

So In my opinion yeah you do need to know at least basic stuff, not basic as in how to ftp files, basic as in knowledge of how the networks, routers, packets and knowledge of the os (linux/windows/unix/bsd, etc..) for questions regarding scripts etc...

Basic knowledge is a must. Things like DNS change propagation, a basic fluency in the control panel you'll be using, a brief introduction to basic linux commands, how to FTP or retrieve email from the servers, and the knowledge that your clients will expect you to be available just as you expect your upstream to be available will go a long way in growing your business. This doesn't mean you suddenly need to be a php guru or understand everything there is to know about mail routing. Think of the questions that you asked as a beginner. Those are the type of questions you should be prepared to answer for your clients.

Originally posted by Omni
Point taken - and yes I'm still learning :)

I don't quite get the "being a reseller" concept however. For someone that does tell the potential clients that you are a reseller and that you are getting help from the hosting provider to provide support, wouldn't the potential clients just go to the hosting provider straight away?

The bit I don't understand is the statement "Obviously to be a reseller you do not need as much technical knowledge as if you own your own server". As in if you were to tell clients that you are a reseller, AND that you are not as fluent in the technical side, wouldn't the client just go elsewhere (given the price is also higher with the reseller)?

So would it be right to conclude that, everyone looking into providing webhosting, resellers or hosting providers MUST know enough knowledge to support their clients - resellers must know as much as the hosting provider.

Hi Omni,

It does help if the reseller has some basic knowledge - they should know how to use an FTP program to upload websites and change permisions, how to configure pop accounts in an email client, and they should know how to use the control panel their service provider gives them. But beyond this, as long as they are enthusiatic and know how to offer good customer service, then they can learn the other things as they go along. As previously mentioned by alchiba, you don't need to know everything from the get go. If you are a reseller and your customer has a support request you can't answer, then you ask that question to your service provider. You service providers answers the question and you inturn answer your customer. This is a very normal occurance. But it does depend on how much technical support your service provider is willing to give you as the reseller.

The prices resellers offer do not have to be higher than those of their service provider. Many reseller programs offer large percentages off regular plan pricing, so you could sell the plans at the same regular price offered by your service provider and still make good profits. And if a customer outright asks you if you are a reseller, then it is always good to be honest - but you are not obligated to say who you resell for. Plus, if you are offering them good service I don't see why they would want to move. My company was orginally a reseller, and many of our clients knew this, but becuase we offered good service they were happy to stay with us.

I hope this is helpful.