A love for helping others understand and optimize business software led Boyer’s newest employee to managed services for Microsoft. Travis Hockert is Boyer’s new Director of Client Care. He replaces Mike Virnig, who was recently promoted to Vice President of Professional Services.
Hockert started his career in marketing in 2006. As marketing director for a Minnesota-based pizza restaurant, one of his achievements included designing a web page that offered online ordering.
Throughout his career, he has focused on solving business challenges by using the right technology.
“Theres a million and one different pieces of technology out there that you can use to stay connected to your customers and create efficiencies,” he said. “Every can benefit from something like that.”
While starting to work full-time in the Microsoft business applications space, Hockert maintained a side business on nights and weekends to “scratch the itch” for his love of marketing technology. In that role he helped several SMBs with website design, SEO, landing pages, lead generation through Facebook ad optimization and similar projects.
“(My customers) had access to me as a technology-minded marketing person for a pretty fractional cost,” he said. Eventually, he shifted his entire focus soley to the actual deployment of technology solutions, specifically Microsoft CRM.
Hockert has spent the last decade in the Microsoft partner space, helping clients deploy and enhance their business applications software. He’s passionate about helping clients optimize their investment in the Microsoft ecosystem.
“At the end of the day we’re trying to do what’s best for them more than anything,” he said.
He knows that a trusted partner can help a customer assess their needs and what the software can do to proactively help that customer get the most out of their software. Each department has different needs, but Hockert believes there is a technological solution for most business challenges.
“(Technology) helps to solve so many of the common roadblocks that halted companies in the past,” he said. From productivity tools to CRM and ERP to payroll systems, Hockert said the right technology can help businesses of all sizes achieve their objectives.
“As a technology consultant I think that’s kind of what ‘wakes me up’ is knowing there’s a solution for almost any problem if you use the right technology,” he said.
Hockert said his background in marketing has helped him better understand the customer’s perspective. That knowledge helps him tailor the software to best fit a customer’s needs.
“The technology is malleable to whatever you need it to be, and when you understand your customer so deeply and you understand your business model so deeply, then you can build the tech correctly so that it fits whatever narrative you’re trying to achieve,” he said.
Knowing what a customer needs the software to do — not only for their team but also for their own customers — provides the framework to create the best possible solution.
“When you frame it correctly for everyone, that’s when it works the best,” Hockert said.
Hockert knew some of Boyer’s employees from a previous job. When Virnig reached out to him with an open position, Hockert already had a good idea of what type of team and work he was agreeing to join.
Moving from consulting to manager to Director of Client Care felt like the next logical step for his career.
“Combining all those elements and shaping a comprehensive support offering for the future was the most fascinating aspect for me,” he said.
As Boyer continues to increase its presence in the Microsoft stack, the client care team is tasked with creating new managed services for Microsoft offerings to better serve our growing customer base.
Hockert is excited to add his fingerprint to the mix of creativity and ensure that Boyer’s clients get the best possible support options that he and his new team can develop.
“(At Boyer) it’s a perfect blend of preparedness and capability where those new ideas can hit the ground running fairly quickly,” he said. “It’s a pretty unique opportunity.”
Two weeks into the position, Hockert focused on getting to know his new team — a crucial first step — as well as Boyer’s customers. The better he understands his team’s skillset and their customers’ unique support needs, the better equipped he will be to suggest ideas that customers will actually want and use.
He added that Boyer’s managed services and support for Microsoft program is already successful and stable. He doesn’t expect to make foundational changes but rather enhance the program so it can better scale.
At home, Hockert and his fiancée, Kelsey, live on a cabin next to a lake in northern Minnesota. They have two dogs, one cat and a love for the outdoors. On the day of his interview, temps dipped to 40 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit, but the cold rarely stops Hockert from fishing. In fact, he said the cold has made for the best ice fishing conditions he’s seen in a decade.
“I try to go fishing as much as I can,” he added. Hockert especially enjoys the challenge of fishing for walleye, though bass or sunfish are much easier to catch.
He also enjoys yardwork, DIY projects, golfing and exploring nearby trails on his side-by-side four wheeler.
