Giving Up Client Names

At the end of the day, the solution provider&'s decision to give up names centers on just what kind of stand the vendor takes on account control. Many vendors simply refuse to acknowledge that they are only one piece of the solution pie that the partner is bringing to the table. They insist that they own the account, not the solution provider acting as the trusted IT adviser. Ronald Clark, computer division manager at CDS Office Technologies, a Springfield, Ill., solution provider, says most of the vendors he has worked with over the past 20 years simply don&'t get the role he plays. He has seen most of his vendor partners at one time or another try to make an end run around him even in accounts he has brought to the table.

One notable exception, he says, is Panasonic with its ruggedized notebook line. Panasonic, by the way, sells 100 percent of its products through the channel and refuses to strike up a direct relationship with customers. The value the partner provides is simply too great to bend its rule. It&'s a Pandora&'s box that Panasonic won&'t open. “Panasonic has never wavered on account control,” Clark said. “They have been loyal and consistently supported us, allowing us to grow this vertical market of ruggedized notebooks. They&'ve allowed us to take the ball and run with it.”

Panasonic&'s go-to-market strategy with its partners is as tight as it gets. And it&'s paying off handsomely. CDS&' Panasonic sales this year will soar to $20 million from $13 million in 2004.

Clark doesn&'t like to give up the names of his customers to any vendor. Of course, he notes, vendors often have access to the names of the accounts. The ultimate defense in these situations is taking care of customers at such a high level that the account is simply untouchable by a vendor or even another partner.

“At the end of the day, it comes down to good, old-fashioned relationships and providing end users with a solution,” says Clark. Well said.

What do you think of giving up your customers&' names? Let me know at (781) 839-1221 or via e-mail at [email protected].