Channel IQ Lessons from 2112
Quick – what’s an SLA? RMM? Can you name three vendor strategies for mitigating channel conflict? So much to learn. So little time. With 2112, the classroom’s just a mouse click away.
By Michele P. Warren
What does it take to succeed in the channel? Technical acumen? Of course. Business savvy? Yes, it certainly helps, though too few solution providers invest in this area or commit to business plans. What about knowledge? It is power, after all, as the saying goes.
[ctt tweet=”What does it take to succeed in the #ITchannel? Technical acumen? Business savvy? Knowledge?” coverup=”558ks”]Perhaps it’s assumed that technology vendors and VARs have it all down pat in the “knowledge” arena, but The 2112 Group’s Channel IQ quiz proves otherwise. Analysis of our quiz results shows that respondents have a thing or two to learn about the channel. While roughly 9 out of 10 quiz-takers could define channel conflict and identify the features of partner portals, the accuracy of responses to more “nitty-gritty” questions was less than stellar. Only 30 percent of respondents, for example, were familiar with the full gamut of indirect-sales models.
While it may not be necessary to be well-versed on every channel detail, the more vendors and their partners know, the better. And given the dramatic evolution of technology and business models, understanding key concepts around emerging trends, such as recurring revenue, CapEx vs. OpEx, experience-based value propositions, and the role of influencers, is absolutely imperative.
Whether you’re a vendor or a partner, gauging your knowledge is a first step toward enablement. Finding strengths and weaknesses, or data “blind spots,” if you will, allows you to sharpen your intellectual edge. Perhaps you’re a vendor looking for ways to increase partner engagement and performance. What could you do, especially during an economic downturn? (Sage advice from 2112’s Larry Walsh is built into our Channel IQ quiz.) Or maybe you’re a partner that would benefit from knowing why vendors implement “hard decks.” (Look no further than Channel IQ.)
Channel IQ is just one complimentary tool provided by 2112, whose business is to empower and enable technology vendors and their partner ecosystems. We leverage our collective knowledge base and cutting-edge research to help vendors assess, fine-tune, and reinvent their channel programs and go-to-market strategies; define and measure channel performance; and embrace evolving channel models. To find out how we can help you, send e-mail to info@the2112group.com.
[ctt tweet=”Continue your education with 2112 – We don’t assign detention or write notes home.” coverup=”wTL4r”]Meanwhile, why not take a few minutes to find out how you stack up to peers – and competitors – when it comes to channel savvy?
It’s that time of year again – back to school – when the notebooks come out and the pencils get sharpened. Continue your education with 2112. We don’t assign detention or write notes home. We simply post an updated quiz every few months, infusing new questions into a rotating pool, so you always learn something new. Well, are you a channel smarty pants or an underachiever? Click here to take the Channel IQ challenge today.
Michele P. Warren is the managing editor at The 2112 Group.
You can connect with her on LinkedIn.