Do you really know if your partner program is effective? Find out the five critical questions every channel manager needs to know.

1. CHANNEL
MANAGEMENT
It is not luck. It is method.

2. What You’ll Learn:
• What is the best channel strategy for your
1
objectives?
• How to find and develop the right partners?
2
• Are your investments driving the right partner
3
behaviors?
• Are you compelling verses your competition?
4
• How well is your team driving results?
5

3. READY?

4. LET’S START BY DISPELLING SOME MYTHS.

5. FIRST
Channel partners survive through
relationships.

6. SECOND
Channel partners seek more than
technology from their vendors.

7. FINALLY
Channel partners respond to
vendor programs.

8. So why exactly
should you care?

9. Channel partners are how you
get your products and services to
market..

10. You can influence the customer and
You can shape the offering presented.
But it’s the Channel Partner’s drive,
capabilities and skills that will determine whether
customers buy and how they will feel about you.

11. In other words…

12. YOU NEED THEM.

13. MORE THAN THEY NEED YOU.

14. AND THAT CAN BE VERY SCARY.

15. VERY, VERY SCARY!

16. DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT CHANNEL PROGRAM?

17. WOULD YOU KNOW IF YOU DID?

18. OR WORSE,
DID NOT?

19. YOU REALLY SHOULD KNOW.

20. SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?
• Get clear on your strategy.
1
• Know who delivers value.
2
• Leverage your competitive assets.
3
• Invest to drive the right behaviors.
4
• Strengthen your team’s results.
5

21. FIRST
Know your goals.

22. SECOND
Know the capabilities of your
channel partners.

23. FINALLY
Understand if you’re driving the
right behavior.

24. YOU NEED TO KNOW.

25. EVEN IF IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD.

26. DON’T WORRY,
IT USUALLY DOESN’T
LOOK GOOD.

27. LET’S GET TO KNOW
WHETHER YOU KNOW!

28. READY?

29. DO YOU KNOW THE BEST CHANNEL
strategy FOR YOUR OBJECTIVES?

30. HAVE YOU MADE THE RIGHT CHOICES?
Objectives Strategies
Value Business
Chain Model

31. GIVEN YOUR STRATEGIC INTENTIONS
Customers served Market expansion
Solutions offered Product extension
Objectives Strategies
Core Competencies Customer acquisition
Competitive strengths Convergence & consolidation
Market economics Managed relationships
Customer preferences Value Business Alliances
Scale and complexity Chain Model Margin structure
Transaction control Programmatic capabilities

32. Do you have the right plan?

33. and it is working?

34. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO FIND AND DEVELOP
THE right partners?

35. Know who delivers value.

36. And who does not.

37. Only then can you manage your investment.

38. HAVING THE RIGHT ECOSYSTEM IS ESSENTIAL.

39. Coverage

40. Capability

41. Commitment

42. Capacity

43. DO YOU KNOW YOUR CHANNEL IMPACT INDEX?
Coverage
x Capability
x Commitment
x Capacity
= Total Impact Index

44. YOU
SHOULD!

45. DO YOU KNOW WHETHER YOUR investment
DRIVE THE RIGHT PARTNER BEHAVIORS?

46. HOW DO YOU currently DECIDE HOW TO INVEST?

47. Your gut instinct?

48. Your competitors?

49. Your pocketbook?

50. In other words…

51. You guess!

52. What’s even worse…

53. THE RESULTS YOU ARE SEEKING MAY NOT BE THERE.

54. INVEST TO DRIVE THE
RIGHT BEHAVIORS.
Customers
Outcomes Scale
3.71"
Benefits PARTNERS
3.71" Solutions
Structure Measures
Attainments

55. DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE compelling
VERSES YOUR COMPETITON?

56. YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO OFFER.

57. TO BE more compelling
THAN YOUR COMPETIOTION.

58. YOU CAN CONTROL THE VARIABLES.

59. YOU CAN CONTROL THE VARIABLES.
Market Momentum
DEMAND STRENGTH
Partner Economics
MARGIN COSTS BENEFITS
Joint Alignment
FIT RELATIONSHIP

60. BUT YOU NEED
CLARITY.

61. TO GENERATE VALUE..

62. DO YOU HAVE THAT CLARITY?

63. DO YOU KNOW WHETHER
YOUR TEAM IS DRIVING results?

64. IS YOUR TEAM WELL ALIGNED?

65. MAYBE NOT.

66. and
that’s OK
.

67. REMEMBER: YOU’RE BUILDING A TEAM

68. A STRONG TEAM.

69. WORK ON THEIR WEAKNESSES.

70. ENCOURAGE THEIR STRENGTHS.

71. AND MAKE THEM BETTER.

72. MYTH:
GOOD PEOPLE
ARE ENOUGH.

73. FACT:
APPROACH IS
OFTEN AS IMPORTANT
AS YOUR PEOPLE .

74. DISCONNECT
DECISIONS DON’T STICK.

75. DISCONNECT
PEOPLE DON’T COMMUNICATE WELL WITH EACH OTHER

76. DISCONNECT
THE INCENTIVES DON’T MATCH THEIR GOALS.

77. DISCONNECT
THE TOOLS & PROCESSES DON’T FIT THE NEEDS

78. DISCONNECT
THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT ARE UNCLEAR

79. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TEAM’S PERFORMANCE?

80. Unstructured

81. Basic

82. Functional

83. Robust

84. .
BE FLEXIBLE

85. BE DISCIPLINED.

86. BE RESULTS DRIVEN.

87. DO YOUR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

88. MAKE THEM BETTER INDIVIDUALS?

89. MAKE THEM A BETTER TEAM?

90. SO WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW?
• What is the best channel strategy for your
1
objectives?
• How to find and develop the right partners?
2
• Are your investments driving the right partner
3
behaviors?
• Are you compelling verses your competition?
4
• How well is your team driving results?
5

91. can help you know.

92. ABOUT TOUCH BUSINESS CONSULTING
Touch Business Consulting provides strategy, operations and executive
communications consulting services for companies in the technology,
manufacturing, financial services, and healthcare industries. We are
recognized leaders in partner strategies and operations. Touch Business
Consulting is part of Touch Worldwide that provides brand experiences.
Together we provide clients with powerful business solutions.
Visit us at www.touchbc.com
Contact us at: info@touchbc.com
or (888) 732-6777

93. © 2009 Touch Business Consulting. All Rights Reserved. www.touchbc.com