No company would hire an employee without first checking credentials, background, and capabilities, yet so many vendors allow just any solution provider to join their channel program....
For guidance on what to do when change comes a-calling, look no further than Chuck Robbins, Satya Nadella, Ginni Rometty, and Mark Hurd...
Spending on channels isn’t a guarantee of success, but starving programs almost always guarantees disappointment....
Experience is a tremendous guide to go-to-market strategy development, but it’s no substitute for data....
The beginning of a new year draws two kinds of people: those seeking better-performing channels and those promising faster results. Rather than falling for the hype of acceleration, consider these six tried-and-true resolutions for getting better channel results. ...
Changes are coming, due in large part to the impact of technology evolution delivered by vendors and channel partners. We can and should look forward to the future with optimism....
When Microsoft surpassed Apple to become the most valuable company in the world, the business press made no mention of partners’ contributions to the company’s success. This slight isn’t uncommon, and it’s something channel chiefs need to counteract....
Vendor mergers and acquisitions are disruptive to partners for a variety of reasons. Vendors need greater transparency when bringing two companies together. Here are a few tips for what to share with partners during such deals....
Partners are obsessed with exit strategies, with as many as three out of four MSPs wanting to participate in a merger or acquisition in the next five years. Vendors see channel consolidation as a threat when it’s more likely a benefit....
Vendors and distributors need to seek out partners that are willing to take risks and break from conventional trends to address emerging and future market opportunities. ...
Many people openly question the viability of distribution in a future market dominated by services and recurring-revenue models. Services will dominate, but we’ll always have product to move, and distribution is already evolving to avoid the death so frequently predicted. ...
Many channel executives believe partner tiers are a thing of the past and replaceable by new systems. Nevertheless, tiers are essential and will persist even as the channel evolves....