Synchronization: Snip Tips for B2B Channel Partner Sales

In our channel series Snip Tips for Manufacturing and Industrial Services Sales we offer simple but useful tips that can help you grow top line revenue and keep your channel healthy. Today we will talk about the importance of synchronization between all organization levels. This means that

Everyone involved in the channel should focus on delivering customer value.

Here, the role of the  channel concierge (CC) is incremental for the successful execution of any channel sales strategy, because the sole focus of the CC is to guide and motivate the partners to serve your customers.

Channel concierges inform, guide and engage partners to invest time and effort in selling the vendor portfolio from lead generation to deal closing.

 In other words, partners are managed as a sales team with the difference that the partners are not employees and thus they should be motivated to spend internal resources to reach their objectives. Quite a task!

 The channel concierge works on all levels between the vendor organization and the partner ecosystem, no strategy can be executed as a stand-alone job.  

All vendor departments that work on the program ought to plan carefully how they communicate with the channel.

For example, the marketing team should communicate to the end customers how to find and connect with the partners. The product specialists should make training and support available throughout the channel. Ideally, the sales executive will provide training and support to the outsourced inside sales teams who would then qualify and nurture partner leads. Finally, the customer service team should mentor the partners on how to onboard and support the end-customers.  

Takeaways

• The channel concierge motivates and supports the partners to do marketing and sales on behalf of the vendor.
• The channel concierge is not a sales agent or a sales executive, but the synchronizing link between the vendor and the channel.
• The entire sales organization should mentor and support the channel partners throughout the sales cycle.