If Pluto Can Lose Its Planetary Status, We Can Rethink The Channel Universe
Why can't we just pull a group of solution providers together and decide there's something in our view that we deem is not what it claims to be and write it out of the textbooks? Heck, if it takes nothing more than a small group of astronomers to get together and boot an entire planet out of the solar system, how hard could it be for us to make a few changes in the channel universe? With that in mind, I got to thinking. What would be on your list? I'd love to hear your suggestions, so drop me a line at [email protected] with a list of the things in this industry you'd like to see eliminated as easily as Pluto lost its planetary status. I'll post them on the Web site, and I may just run a few of the best suggestions in a future column.
I actually was very fond of Pluto, but sometimes change is healthy. Here are a few things I'd like to see booted out of the channel solar system.
Channel-neutral compensation is on the top of my list. Why is it so hard to make a decision that you either want the channel to sell your product or not? To me, channel-neutral compensation inside a vendor organization is a signal that the vendor is hedging its bet.
The practice of vendors selling direct via the Internet is another thing that should go. I've heard all the arguments about how it's necessary to be where the customer wants to buy. I certainly buy that. By the way, have I told you about that toll bridge I'm selling?
How about PowerPoint presentations? Can we please inject a little bit of life back into meetings by eliminating this crutch?
Another thing that I'd vote out of the channel solar system are vendor partner conferences where the vendor's CEO doesn't show up to speak. If it isn't important enough for the CEO of the company to come and speak to his channel customers, then it isn't important enough for the rest of us to go.
It's also time to stop stuffing the channel. Yes, it still happens. Not as much as it used to, but call any distributor at the end of the quarter and its executives will tell you that they are still bailing vendors out by taking on inventory.
Next on my list is special pricing. Why can't we just have pricing? The thought of being "special" is always nice, but the fact of the matter is that if the pricing was set correctly to begin with, we wouldn't need to add this additional layer of complexity onto the sale.
I'd also eliminate special OEM deals that give products to companies like Dell, a strategy that merely drives margins down. Rebranded printers and storage are just two examples.
Let's get rid of preannouncements that do nothing more than freeze the market and make customers wait for future releases that then take months to materialize.
How about direct sales people going off the reservation and deciding to take the business without the channel—even though the company says it is pushing to be more channel-centric?
Instant messaging also has to go. I used to love it. I still use it. But I hate it just the same. There is nothing worse than being on the phone or banging away at the keyboard working on something important and having instant messages pop up with constant interruptions.
While we are at it, can we eliminate the CC: on e-mails? At the very least, change CC: to IPMA, which—in case you haven't guessed—stands for "I'm protecting my ass" by CC:ing you.
We'll that's my list, feel free to send me yours.
Make something happen. I can be reached at (781) 839-1202 or via e-mail at [email protected].