4 Rules Of Engagement to Avoid Channel Chaos

Recently I’ve been working on several channel program design projects, and I am surprised to see vendors invest so much effort into their program offering (tiers, benefits, etc), but not put much thought into the actual engagement model. The end result is usually some form of channel conflict, or gaps between partner’s expectations and vendor … Continued

Matching Partner Value and Engagement Strategies

Traditional partner value or vendor engagement strategies have typically been dictated by program requirements. Under this model, partners are assessed according to the level of revenue generated and the level of certification achieved. Based on this assessment, partners are then assigned a rank, within the program hierarchy, of Gold, Silver, or Bronze. In recent years, … Continued

Transitioning To Cloud With Clarity

The commercial advantages offered by Cloud computing are so well known it would be superfluous to list them here, and so attractive they continue to generate a buzz across the commercial landscape. But if you are currently a traditional reseller, is your businesses genuinely ready to transition to reselling Cloud offerings, or to being a … Continued

Enable Your Partners Till They’re Unconscious

In a previous article, I wrote about the parallels between recruiting people and recruiting partners, and how the principles we apply to recruiting staff are equally applicable to recruiting partners. Today, we look at the parallels between developing staff and enabling partners. Over the years, the “Conscious Competence” Model has become a popular and insightful … Continued

Conducting Effective Channel Partner Reviews

As the year draws to a close we are often asked about our tips or ideas for the coming year. This year our number one tip to improve channel performance is easy to do, costs very little, but will deliver huge gains in productivity, relationship alignment as well as revenue. Simply conduct regular structured business … Continued

Forecasting Recurring Revenue (the Rule of 78)

Lately we have seen many VARs looking to move a portion of their clients to either a Managed Service or some type of XaaS Cloud based service. However it is not just the technology the reseller has to consider as part of this strategy. Any move to transition business to this type of recurring revenue … Continued

Innovate, Partner or Perish

I’m not normally an early adopter, but I was one of the first people to buy a Windows mobile phone. And I loved it. It let me receive email, synced with my diary and contained all my contact details. Then Apple released the iPhone. And it took me a few years (like I said, I’m … Continued

What Really Drives Channel Growth

Recently we were engaged by vendor client to help them work through how they would achieve the growth targets they were given, and of course willingly and gratefully accepted. Therefore I thought it was worth taking a broader channel wide view of what drives growth, not only in resellers but across the entire channel ecosystem … Continued

Challenge Your MDF Program Design

Recently we were asked to review the MDF program for a vendor who was concerned that they were not getting the best return for their marketing dollars. Part of the brief was to look at ideas that were “outside the box”, but could still be implemented rapidly across multiple regions. In addition, any solution had … Continued

Does The Perfect Vendor Really Exist?

I recently had the privilege to attend the ARN roundtable discussion where Dell and Intel were the key sponsors, and so much was discussed about the development Dell’s channel engagement and program. While there was robust discussion amongst the participants about Dell’s (and other vendors’) engagement, the conversation actually began with the changes in customer … Continued