Is it Time to Get Smarter With Channel Investment?
“My budget is limited”
I’ve never come across a Channel Executive who told me he had sufficient budget to do what he felt was required to meet his targets. Everyone is under pressure to save money. Considering how much it costs to recruit and enable partners, our experience suggests that firms do not really maximise their full potential. It is a real challenge to understand how best to invest limited resource such as Channel Managers, support and marketing spend but it is vital to understand how allocating this resource to partners will deliver maximum sales. Investing time in training can save costs in support, knowing which partners to invest in and what level of support to offer: these and many more such decisions need to be made. Quite often it is not lack of budget but how it is spent efficiently that is the key to success.
A Great Investment
An assessment of the sales channel by independent experts is usually the best investment companies ever make. It brings together the demands of stakeholders in the business and offers a clear, objective view. It shows what the channel think about the company and highlights areas for consideration. It can show which partners have the most potential to grow sales, not just the ones who are performing well. At the conclusion of a good assessment, a report will be generated which offers results, conclusions and recommendations. Companies will have a clear view of where their channel can be improved, how it compares with industry standards and where to concentrate effort to increase sales.
I have never been involved in an assessment which, when the advice was acted on, did not pay for itself through increased sales within three months and then go on delivering.
Perhaps now, with smaller budgets yet ever more aggressive targets, is exactly the right time to think carefully about where and how to invest in the channel. Vendors that make their money work harder for them are sure to turn adverse trading conditions into a market opportunity.