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What is the purpose of a partner channel?

To many it's a quick way to market, others it is additional skills or resource that would otherwise be too costly to develop, to others a customer interfacing arm and dare I say it, to some a place where you dump stock to keep finite manufacturing processes economically viable!

Taking a generic approach?

So why is it with so many options that we then seem to take a generic approach to our partners and simply force the partner business model to fit whatever business circumstances exist.

Channel needs a strategy, which should be looking to take some of the burden of corporate goals. This strategy needs a business plan that drives the channel to create the objects and goals. Above all the strategy should be two-way demonstrating benefit to both channel owner and partner as well as exploring the benefits of consistency in goals and communications.

Without guidance a channel exists but fails to perform

At Anderson Baillie we think this is only possible with channel business plans - burdens negotiated and agreed, with action plans and engagement strategies, which enable targets to come into fruition.

Nothing new there! The difference is, the channel strategy should be based upon your overall business plan. This brings the channel in from the cold, no longer autominous with its own targets.

This means for marketing strategy, it becomes an element in the marketing mix, has to be considered when making any form of corporate decisions and in turn is expected to deliver measured effort in success.

Isolate key offerings within your channel

That's why we created our partner and channel development programme. From initial channel audit and segmentation we then help you isolate key offerings within your channel. This helps cut down channel conflict and also maintain profits.

Introduce channel innovation

We then help you introduce channel innovation - where your partners come to you with ideas, and always managed from within the channel business planning approach that we encourage all your channel partners to buy into.

Your IssuesBusiness ValueComponent WorkshopsDatasheet

Do you relate to any of these business issues?

Only 50% of our channel performs how we want them to – we’re at the mercy of their fads
We only get partners working with us, when they have a deal – no proactive effort just reactive
They will not consistently promote our products and services inline with corporate messages to market
We simply can not see the value of our co-op or MDF funding
There’s no loyalty – we’re just a basket of packages sold
We can not see the revenue pipeline
There’s little marketing effort to make the revenue targets
They are only training people in our products and services if we provide it free – no positive investment
Our alliance seems to hinge on the favour of one individual – not the company
Case Studies
Xinetica Case Study - Business Growth and Branding Programme - Click here to read this case study
Anderson Baillie successfully completed its Business Growth and rebranding exercise for IT professional services and security consultants, Xinetica Ltd.
Strategic Dataworks Case Study - Strategic Dataworks new product road map - Click here to read this case study
Anderson Baillie Business growth deliver a new product strategy