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How to Manage the Four Types of Channel Sales Partners
richardson.com
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If you’re working with a « Selling through » partner, then they probably also sell other companies’ products, so you are competing for their attention. You need to capture their hearts and minds so that they feel more comfortable and better equipped to sell your offerings. They need to understand how selling your capabilities enables them to make money. It also helps if they see you as easier to do business with. Recognize that you are in a competitive situation and emphasize your relative advantages to other solution providers. “If you’re working with a « Selling with » partner, then you need to work with them to help identify the optimum situations for you to collaborate and define the rules of engagement.” If your partner uses a hybrid model, then you need to define the different types of sales situations that your partner encounters, and come to an agreement about how and when you can best be of help. Our Channel Partner Alignment Worksheet (described in a previous blog post) can help set clear expectations and establish alignment between a CPM and a channel partner.
For organizations that use indirect channels sales partners for all or part of their revenues, Channel Partner Managers (CPMs) play an essential part of those companies’ success. “Unfortunately, in working with our clients, we find that the role of the CPM is often defined too vaguely.” Aligning the CPM's Role to Channel Partner Type
For organizations that use indirect channels sales partners for all or part of their revenues, Channel Partner Managers (CPMs) play an essential part of those companies’ success. “Without clear guidance, a CPM will spend too much of their time simply reacting to partner requests, instead of working proactively to develop and maximize channel partner sales results.” Aligning the CPM's Role to Channel Partner Type
Aligning the CPM's Role to Channel Partner Type “A CPM’s role should reflect the kinds of channel partner types with whom that manager is working.” “Sell to” partners –these typically embed your product inside theirs and resell it. In essence, these partners are your customers, and you generally have very little to no visibility to their end customers.
A CPM’s success criteria will differ, based on the type(s) of partners with whom they work. “If you’re working with a « Selling to » partner, then you want to provide expertise and help that partner to build the best possible solution that would be most appealing to their end customers, while being equipped to go out and sell it.” If you’re working with a « Selling through » partner, then they probably also sell other companies’ products, so you are competing for their attention. You need to capture their hearts and minds so that they feel more comfortable and better equipped to sell your offerings. They need to understand how selling your capabilities enables them to make money. It also helps if they see you as easier to do business with. Recognize that you are in a competitive situation and emphasize your relative advantages to other solution providers.
If you’re working with a « Selling with » partner, then you need to work with them to help identify the optimum situations for you to collaborate and define the rules of engagement. Understanding your channel partner’s selling process – or if they don’t have one, suggesting a buyer-aligned sales process to them – will help you to know when to engage most effectively in support of winning their opportunities. “If your partner uses a hybrid model, then you need to define the different types of sales situations that your partner encounters, and come to an agreement about how and when you can best be of help.” CPMs can work with one or more types of partners, depending on the channel strategy and partner programs. Understanding what kinds of partners your organization works with is fundamental to knowing how best to support them, and is critical to the success of CPMs.
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