Building A Successful Partner Channel Requires A Program Of TRUST
Vendors that have been longtime channel players can follow those steps and be more successful than suppliers that are moving from a direct to an indirect model or have traditionally competed with solution providers and are now looking to do business with the channel.
In the latter cases, the 12 steps need to be used in conjunction with a program of TRUST.
What do I mean by a program of TRUST?
Given that these suppliers have competed with solution providers in the past, and could choose to do so again in the future, the bar is set much higher. Who is in this category? It can be anyone from a manufacturer that traditionally was a direct sales company but is now wooing the channel, to direct marketing resellers like CDW, which has been piloting an agent program in which it is looking to partner with solution providers to service the same customers.
Here&'s how it breaks down.
T stands for tell me (the solution provider) honestly what your real long-term goals are in the channel. Meaning, is the supplier attempting to ultimately shift from 100 percent direct sales to 100 percent indirect selling? Or does it see itself in a 50/50 model? Whatever the objective is, it needs to be stated up front so potential channel partners know what to expect. That includes telling the solution provider if you expect to get its customer list and, if so, why.
R stands for respect. That means a lot of things, but most importantly it means respect for the solution provider&'s business. Realize that solution providers only sell products and services that make sense for their business and their customer&'s. The objective has to be to build a win-win scenario in the market. If the supplier isn&'t fully engaged and cognizant of what is in it for the VAR, then it is going to fail and most likely will blame the channel for its failure.
U stands for understanding a lot about solution providers and their needs in servicing the market. First and foremost, the supplier has to understand that ultimately the solution provider is the customer and is in control of the account. In order to grow the business through channel partners and get them to sell more, a vendor has to build a joint plan and put an offer in place that meets solution providers&' needs.
S stands for a single point of contact that can cut the red tape and speed the time to successfully service the solution providers&' customers. This means the supplier has to have the logistics capability to service its channel partners. A channel program that makes sense for the channel but that can&'t be executed because the supplier is unable to process the paperwork, turn around special pricing requests or answer technical questions is going to fail. It will fail not because it isn&'t viable, but because the supplier is too hard to do business with.
T stands for together we will get the business. But to do this, the roles of supplier and solution provider must be defined. If a solution provider is clear on what the supplier will do and what is expected of the partner, the relationship has a better chance for success. But if the solution provider is surprised when the supplier calls on the customer directly, for instance, then the entire TRUST program will break down very quickly, and the effort will not only be a waste of time but costly as well.
A program of TRUST incorporated with my 12 steps to a successful channel can go a long way toward increasing market share for supplier and solution provider alike.
Make something happen. I can be reached at (781) 839-1202 or via e-mail at [email protected].