4 Questions to Answer to Accelerate Channel Partner Performance

A guest blog from Jeff Mattan:

You’re busy and feeling a little defeated. You want to want to see more revenue from Partners, but you don’t have time to reinvent your Partner Program. Worse, you’re starting to wonder if you even have the right Partners – are they doing all they can for you?

While frustrating, keep in mind it’s not actually about finding “better Partners.” It’s about boosting Channel Partner performance and this challenge doesn’t lie with Partners. It lies with you, the Vendor.

To hurdle this roadblock, think deeply about how Partners make money. In other words, do you understand the economics of your Partners? If not, it may be time to reassess your relationship.

Accelerate Channel Partner performance and get the results you both need to be successful by asking the following questions:

1. Are your promotions mutually beneficial?

It’s not enough if promotions help you. They need to actively impact your Partners’ bottom line and the value (to them) must be evident at a glance.

2. Do you have the right products?

Sure, your Partners sell them, but are they easy to integrate into their own offerings? Do they result in the upselling of services partners need to drive revenue?

3. Are you properly planning with your Partners?

If your plan shows Partners how to sell more of their solutions, you’re off to a good start. Next, try adding some profitable practices that include your solutions, too. For example, help Partners build a Network Forensics practice where they analyze network data using a BI tool and create chargeable services that make networks more secure.

4. How are you helping Partners transform with the cloud?

True, not all Partners will make the shift, which makes it easy to generalize that your Channel “isn’t ready.” However, if cloud is disrupting your business, it’s disrupting your Partners’ businesses as well. How can you help them understand and hurdle the economic challenges – cash flow, sales compensation systems, etc. – that come with moving to the cloud?

If you knew what drove the most profit for your Partners, how would that change your Partner relationship, and your bottom-line? When in doubt, just ask. Tell your main Partner contact you want to discuss their business in more depth before the next QBR. Start with a simple question: “What accounts for most of your profit?” When recruiting a new Partner, have the same conversation.

Knowledge is power and Vendors who don’t know how their Partners make money will never know their full strength. Those who do will see better results, higher revenue, and stronger Channel Partner performance.

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Jeff Mattan develops and implements Channel sales strategy and Channel programs. His main role is to help Partners, and those who support Partners, do their jobs better. Jeff has over 25-years experience in sales, marketing, business development and The Channel. He enjoys collaborating across all aspects of an organization from Partners to Channel sales, to finance, legal, and sales operations, with a goal of helping formalize Partner Programs and moving Vendors and Partners to the cloud.