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Because distribution plays a key role in a vendor’s channel model, every vendor who is serious about it will have implemented an annual business planning and QBR process with their distributors. But how often do they review their overall distribution model and current distributor capability against route to market requirements?
A common complaint we hear from our clients is that their channel isn’t selling enough for them to meet their ever increasing targets. When resellers don’t sell, the first question I would ask is “Did they ever sell?” Typically the answer we hear is “NO”. If the answer is “YES”, the next obvious question should be “What’s changed?”
New research from the Miller Heiman sales best practices study sheds new light on the importance of indirect channels and indirect channel sales skills
For many companies, channels are the new competitive battleground as they compete for partner investment and focus. Greg Nutter discusses how channels best practice consultants can help to rapidly create or improve channel performance.
The most successful Channel Managers are those who act as virtual sales managers to lead and manage partnerships teams and drive revenue growth. Channel sales revenue growth is about leveraging partner resources, knowledge and skill; it's not about doing all the work for them.Channel Manager coaches need to develop their own personal improvement plans and keep this up to date this as their coaching skills develop. This do's and dont's list may help you focus on some partner coaching best practices.
As we enter a new year, many channel managers and sales people are thinking about the new quota that they have received. Regardless of how last year went, 2012 is probably going to require some hard work and new ways of doing things to achieve a new level of sales success. How in the world will you achieve that number? One thing is for certain, some new tactics and approaches are going to be necessary for 2012 to be a success!
A key success factor for channel managers is knowing how, and with whom, to spend precious time and resources. As with all sales jobs, there is rarely a shortage of opportunities. Most of the time the issue is identifying which opportunities are worth investing more of the limited resources we have available to us. Good selling is very much about prioritizing. The problem is that some partners are experts at sharing a wealth of seemingly great ideas. Beware of the partner that shares too many great ideas! They may be a deceiver!
Are channel marketing events still effective? With so little time available and so many alternatives like webinars available, running any kind of event can be a major resource drain. What makes a good channel marketing event and how do you get a positive return on your investment?
It's a common complaint, "Partners don't help execute the partner plan." It's a source of frustration for many reasons. Someone spent a fair amount of time documenting a plan and when the plan isn't executed, that effort seems wasted. There seem to be opportunities to grow business for both parties, but those opportunities are being missed. And frankly, when the plan doesn't get executed, some trust is lost because the partner doesn't believe such plans can work and the vendor doesn't believe that the partner will do anything that is put in a plan anyway.
Should you coach partners or sell to them? Can you do both at once? If not, when should you sell and when should you coach? When you are coaching you are also selling, but when you need to sell don’t get this confused with coaching.