The Perfect Partner

In football, it's known as "gelling." It's that moment when two impact players get so in synch that they perform as one--with almost subliminal communication--in pursuit of a common goal.

Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison gel. The Indianapolis Colts duo has recorded more completions, yards and touchdowns than any other QB-wideout

combo in history. So what makes the pair's partnership so successful, and how can vendors apply the gelling concept to their VAR interactions?

Related Research Significant Others: Vendors with the highest partnership scores. Partnership Plateau: Aggregate partnership scores

Clearly, things work best when both performers bring value of their own, but there have been equally talented athletes on the field who together haven't achieved the same level of success as a Manning-Harrison battery. Hard work deserves some of the credit, as does communication.

But if Manning and Harrison do one thing better than any other pair--one thing that businesses should take note of--it's their demonstration time and time again that they're team players, consistently putting their personal motivations aside to ensure a victory for the entire team.

While there may be no such thing as the perfect partner, it's that selfless behavior that results in some partnerships standing out above the rest.

The 2006 VARBusiness Annual Report Card (ARC) takes an in-depth look inside the IT vendors that come closest to being the perfect channel partners.

First and foremost, a vendor must possess the talent to produce quality products, but also essential are good communication, hard work and investment in improving all facets of channel sales, and a commitment to viewing the channel as an essential part of the team in the long run, not just when it serves the vendor's immediate interests.

NEXT: So, which vendor comes closest to being the IT channel's Peyton Manning?