Thursday, February 24, 2005
Channel Management: Partner Assessment
I just finished Alan Deutschman's 'Second Coming of Steve Jobs. Interesting read for people in our industry.
Near the end of the book, Deutschman quote Susan Barns research about characteristics that help entrepreneurial companies survive. The are just a relevant for channel partners as for Apple.
1. Pure Staying Power
2. Persistence
3. Continuing Belief in Something
4. Stubbornness to Get Things Done
5. Optimism
Developing metrics to track these characteristics in your partners will deliver a stronger portfolio of partners.
The Channel Pro
Sent wirelessly via Blackberry from T-Mobile from Singapore.
2 comments
I just finished Alan Deutschman's 'Second Coming of Steve Jobs. Interesting read for people in our industry.
Near the end of the book, Deutschman quote Susan Barns research about characteristics that help entrepreneurial companies survive. The are just a relevant for channel partners as for Apple.
1. Pure Staying Power
2. Persistence
3. Continuing Belief in Something
4. Stubbornness to Get Things Done
5. Optimism
Developing metrics to track these characteristics in your partners will deliver a stronger portfolio of partners.
The Channel Pro
Sent wirelessly via Blackberry from T-Mobile from Singapore.
2 comments
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Channel Marcom: Hitachi Gets Message Right for VARs
Hitachi's ads for storage partners show a wallet stuffed with cash. “Soon you will need more storage.”. It then touts its program as a profitable relationship.
Well done to the team at Hitachi.
The Channel Pro
Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.
0 comments
Hitachi's ads for storage partners show a wallet stuffed with cash. “Soon you will need more storage.”. It then touts its program as a profitable relationship.
Well done to the team at Hitachi.
The Channel Pro
Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.
0 comments
Monday, February 21, 2005
Channel Trend: Biometrics Opening Opportunity for Value-added Revenue
CRN quotes the VAR AC Technology about biometrics: “Customers are buying this like crazy.”
Smart channel partners recognize the trend and offer products early to differentiate. Brilliant partners will change their business model to accelerate the trend.
Like LANs, WANs and the internet, biometrics is another big trend.
The Channel Pro
Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.
1 comments
CRN quotes the VAR AC Technology about biometrics: “Customers are buying this like crazy.”
Smart channel partners recognize the trend and offer products early to differentiate. Brilliant partners will change their business model to accelerate the trend.
Like LANs, WANs and the internet, biometrics is another big trend.
The Channel Pro
Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.
1 comments
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Channel Strategy: Channel Performance
0 comments
All the talk in CRN about whether the next HP CEO is 'channel friendly' misses the mark.
Most important for HP partners is channel performance. Instead of 'channel friendly' how about channel savvy or channel capable.
The Channel Pro
Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.
0 comments
Channel Strategy: Demonstrating a Committment to Value
According to CRN, 3Com is migrating back to value and eliminating volume-based Gold and Silver categories.
That's good, if they really mean it. Our advice to 3Com is to get its channel objectives straight and back them up with action.
MDF and rebates make the program overhead rise, and they often do not deliver the market impact desired. If 3Com really wants to reward value partners, discount is the biggest lever.
The Channel Pro
Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.
0 comments
According to CRN, 3Com is migrating back to value and eliminating volume-based Gold and Silver categories.
That's good, if they really mean it. Our advice to 3Com is to get its channel objectives straight and back them up with action.
MDF and rebates make the program overhead rise, and they often do not deliver the market impact desired. If 3Com really wants to reward value partners, discount is the biggest lever.
The Channel Pro
Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.
0 comments
Friday, February 18, 2005
Channel Strategy: Create a Competitive Advantage
Work with clients this year seems to be about refreshing and launching programs.
When I ran The Launch Group, clients always asked “What can we do to launch like the big boys?” It's a mistake to try to mirror a competitor's programs or to focus on a launch event.
Instead, work to find a process for channel management that uses scarce channel resources to create a competitive advantage. Use event money to train field personnel and drive sales in the program through key partners.
PR is great, but successful launches are more about long term business impact then one-time events.
Sent wirelessly from Baltimore via a BlackBerry and T-Mobile.
0 comments
Work with clients this year seems to be about refreshing and launching programs.
When I ran The Launch Group, clients always asked “What can we do to launch like the big boys?” It's a mistake to try to mirror a competitor's programs or to focus on a launch event.
Instead, work to find a process for channel management that uses scarce channel resources to create a competitive advantage. Use event money to train field personnel and drive sales in the program through key partners.
PR is great, but successful launches are more about long term business impact then one-time events.
Sent wirelessly from Baltimore via a BlackBerry and T-Mobile.
0 comments
Friday, February 11, 2005
Announcement: Site Update
The Channel Ventures site has gone through a major redesign, with an increased emphasis on common issues channel professioals are facing, along with solutions.
Check it out here.
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The Channel Ventures site has gone through a major redesign, with an increased emphasis on common issues channel professioals are facing, along with solutions.
Check it out here.
0 comments
