Saved by the Partner Portal

My friend and I were talking about how channel cooperation worked for us. And as the discussion went on, I noticed that most of our collaborations were only possible because the company we worked for had a partner portal. Somehow having partner portal allows us to do our job in a harmonious and strategic way as compared to how we did our work before.

I remember having trouble over the same prospects and arguing about who would take the target and who would find another prey although basically we were from the same company. When I was still a direct seller for our company, my friend who was somehow part of the managing team of the indirect selling force usually reported to me on our free time that we had the same target. Meaning to say, there was a channel conflict occurring outside of the original arrangement. This also meant that the boss had to change the channel management solution service he just ordered. He was quite furious, more or less.


channel partner strategy

Still, with the company growing by the end of last year’s third quadrant, all of a sudden the company had three additional partners. It was good news the company was growing and having more partners but I would have really like the company to be smaller than it is now. Why? This only means one thing to me: bigger competition with the same tactical performance.

While the number of people who I had to share my work with grew, meaning an easier sell sometimes but not all the time, the number of people who I had to avoid bumping into also grew. Needless to say, we were not managed carefully and precisely. I had several troubles of the same kind I mentioned before until the management thought that if they also shared their processes of management with their partner, perhaps selling different products in the same location would not have been a bother.

In the end, creating a portal which shared management and allocation data and not only sales information proved to be more than effective for our company and its partners. I should really be more appreciative of what technology brings.

Partner Profile and Developing a Distribution Channel

Partner Portal

A lot of people have looked to distribution channels to improve the performance of their businesses, especially in the IT world. Channel management strategies are spreading like wildfire and it is mainly because of the relevant advantages it offers to those who use it. However, it is easier said than done for despite the simplicity of the idea, the development of a channel requires careful planning and execution.

It is no longer a mystery that a distribution channel is a way for a parent company or a product manufacturer to reach out to potential end consumers. It consists of distributors, dealers, sub-dealers, brokers—basically the entities that help reach customers. It can be just one organization relating to an end consumer, or many middle entities that increase the value of a network. It involves a variety of important processes such as channel recruitment which depends on a partner profile, and other programs.

Once everything falls into place and the network is ready to go, the next phase of qualifying the network begins. What some do not understand is that qualification is a vital part of the process because it is necessary for demonstrating the products and services offered to the market. In order to qualify, the following qualities must be present: (1) Ability to understand the customer; (2) In-depth, working knowledge of the goods and services being offered to the market; (3) Effective communication; (4) If applicable, adequate resources to perform Electronic Products Distribution, as well as a division that concentrates on the development of the channel and qualifying it.

However, before taking the plunge and developing a channel, one must understand a very important underlying principle which is maintaining a good working relationship with partners. That’s why experts constantly emphasize the importance of selecting the right ones with the help of a partner profile and a good channel recruitment process. Remember that it is critical to work for the partner, and in turn, parent companies will be rewarded with a continuous profitable enterprise.