Vendors that are successful working with a channel have a concerted approach throghout the organization as it relates to supporting the channel.  That means that the marketing teams are conducting market research and producing marketing materials that are needed to identify and support effective partners.  Sales teams are enabling and measuring partners.  Accounting teams are measuring and analyzing channel and partner performance and opportunities.  Each part of the organization is doing its part to support the channel success.

That is not always the case with vendors.  Some vendors simply empower a channel team or channel account managers to take care of all things channel.  More often than not, those channel efforts fail because a thorough channel approach is usually most effective.

But for all parts of the organization to work together on a channel strategy an appropriate channel framework is needed.  All parts of the organization must speak the same language and each part must contribute its appropriate piece to the channel puzzle.  The vendor teams must work hand in hand to develop and grow their channel.

In summary, executives at vendors that want to have a thriving channel operation need to start by identifying and propogating an effective channel framework.  Staff in all departments need to be introduced to and trained on that framework so each party understands the role it plays in developing and supporting the channel.  If this very important step is missed, the vendor's channel strategy is likely to take much longer to be realized, if it is ever realized.

William Vanderbilt

+1 630 343 6261

WVanderbilt@InnovativeLearningChannels.com