Reseller Channel

If you want to talk about growth strategies, it’s hard to find a better source than Tiffani Bova. Tiffani is the growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce and one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world.

Every software vendor or provider has three common goals: increase product adoption, grow your customer base, and bolster revenue. One of the best ways to achieve every one of these goals is through a channel partner program, where you have a network of partners that sell, distribute, and support your product among clients with whom they have relationships—thereby far extending your market reach. Notably, in 2019, Microsoft attributed 95 percent of its commercial revenue flow to its partner ecosystem.

Building a successful channel marketing program that drives a strong return on investment is no easy feat. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of partner marketing skills and resources in the channel. Many partners don’t have the time or the know-how to execute even the best campaigns.

The sale of software products often happens through a channel of resellers. Selling through a channel of resellers, especially resellers that may be larger than you or associated with a major brand, can give your company the scale and your products the credibility that you otherwise could not. Furthermore, it can provide resellers with expertise in certain vertical markets and local expertise outside of your home market.

As a technology vendor using the Channel for productivity and market reach, have you ever asked, “How do I know if my channel partners are the right ones for my company, the absolute best partners? What should I be doing to strengthen loyalty with my channel partners, loyalty that results in better revenue growth and improvements in end-customer satisfaction? How do I improve technical resource sharing with my channel partners so that we are in close alignment and leverage our critical human assets?”

In this age of exponential growth and innovation, there will always be the disruptor or the disrupted. The difference between the two is those who anticipated the change will disrupt, and those who watched it pass by will be disrupted. Looking to the future has become more important than ever. Using an anticipatory mindset will help you determine which trends and changes you can capitalize on.

A boatload of partners have made the switch to the Managed Service Provider (MSP) model. They have transformed their one-off break-fix sales model to a full-blown recurring-revenue contract-based services business. Now the MSP is the one that is selling the product. They want to white labeling it and maintain control of the actual end user for the entire relationship. That means getting comfortable with the fact that you may never know who your end customer is.

Before you invest time, money and team resources in recruiting partner contacts, make sure they work for the right partner companies that align with your products.

Vendor user conferences are typically designed to celebrate customers and further educate attendees on a solution or suite of products. But, with a designated time to exchange stories and ideas in person, these events also can generate massive value for channel partners.

In years past, companies would sell their products to customers through word-of-mouth or paid advertisements. As organizations are now able to communicate with their clients more easily, they have the potential to sell to customers outside of their base regions. To ensure they are reaching all potential customers across the United States, companies must commit to making their presence known in new territories. One way to accomplish this goal? Expanding their channel program.

Vlocity is a leading provider of industry-specific cloud and mobile software built in partnership with Salesforce. It is the fastest growing company ever built on the Salesforce AppExchange platform and grew from inception to $100 million in revenue in less than five years. Vlocity’s founder and CEO, David Schmaier sat down with Software Business Growth to talk about scaling a software company, what he learned from his previous ventures, and attracting/retaining top talent.

Summer sales slumps don’t have to be a ritual. Here are the keys to summer success in B2B sales.

If you’re struggling with effectiveness in your channel, the root of the problem can often be pointed to customer segmentation, customer engagement, customer messaging, and/or partner experience.

Customer success is more important than ever with the transition to the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. SaaS vendors are learning to use partners to drive new sales. But most have not yet realized the important role partners can play in customer success. 

Companies focus on what their VPs know, not what prospects need.