Saturday, March 27, 2004
Channel Zone Column: Branding versus Product Positioning
Branding can be a big mistake for many channel partners.
Incentives and budgets targeted toward product positioning have a much better chance of delivering an ROI. What the channel really needs is a way to link onto the branding and market moving activities of its key vendors. Check the whole article out at Ziff Davis's ChannelZone. The column is titled Branding versus Product Positioning and explores how partners can be more effective with their scarce marketing dollars.
Although written for the channel provider, the points in my previous ChannelZone columns are just as applicable to the channel executive looking to increase channel sell through.
Managing Sales Force Productivity: Sales team performance and productivity obviously are critical to a channel’s success. However we find that different executives think about different metrics when the term is mentioned. Corporate officers think of ROI, sales per head and sales growth as synonymous with performance. Sales VPs and Channel VPs, on the other hand think of the close rate, deal size, margin, competitive wins, account penetration and the sales funnel.
The Top Ten Issues Facing Today's Reseller: Business performance, not products are what are important to your partners. Vendors that can link programs to these issues will get loyalty and committment form their channels.
How to Get More Out of Your Strategic Vendors: Channel programs fail to establish the kind of business relationships needed to move markets. Five steps that change the nature of how your account reps engage covered accounts.
Fueling the .NET Migration: Why are ISVs procrastinating the move to .NET. The answer can be summed up in one word: Money. Without capital, ISVs will not be eager to embrace new technologies. Where does the channel get its capital and how can vendors impact it.
Scott Karren, The Channel Pro
Branding can be a big mistake for many channel partners.
Incentives and budgets targeted toward product positioning have a much better chance of delivering an ROI. What the channel really needs is a way to link onto the branding and market moving activities of its key vendors. Check the whole article out at Ziff Davis's ChannelZone. The column is titled Branding versus Product Positioning and explores how partners can be more effective with their scarce marketing dollars.
Although written for the channel provider, the points in my previous ChannelZone columns are just as applicable to the channel executive looking to increase channel sell through.
Managing Sales Force Productivity: Sales team performance and productivity obviously are critical to a channel’s success. However we find that different executives think about different metrics when the term is mentioned. Corporate officers think of ROI, sales per head and sales growth as synonymous with performance. Sales VPs and Channel VPs, on the other hand think of the close rate, deal size, margin, competitive wins, account penetration and the sales funnel.
The Top Ten Issues Facing Today's Reseller: Business performance, not products are what are important to your partners. Vendors that can link programs to these issues will get loyalty and committment form their channels.
How to Get More Out of Your Strategic Vendors: Channel programs fail to establish the kind of business relationships needed to move markets. Five steps that change the nature of how your account reps engage covered accounts.
Fueling the .NET Migration: Why are ISVs procrastinating the move to .NET. The answer can be summed up in one word: Money. Without capital, ISVs will not be eager to embrace new technologies. Where does the channel get its capital and how can vendors impact it.
Scott Karren, The Channel Pro
