1) Eliminate the Middle Seat. Online channel education programs are not only a terrific way to excite, inspire, educate and entertain key partners, they are also an ideal way to cut down on flights and travel time. This can help manufacturers save time and money as they work to educate the channel, qualified partners and others reselling their products.
2) Gain Visibility. Vendor channel managers gain better visibility into whether the channel is absorbing and retaining the correct messages which is essential for successful go-to-market strategies. Furthermore, vendors can see which messages are easy for its partners to digest and where the channel may run into problems. For instance, imagine if Microsoft is rolling out a host of new products all with their own unique selling propositions. With online programs, channel managers can see which products are easier for their partners to understand and how accurately they are absorbing key messages.
3) Stop Guessing. Online channel programs allow a vendor to remove the variables when things are not going well. For instance, when a channel partner is having trouble moving a product, it can be difficult to diagnose the problem. There an array of reasons the product might not be selling. Maybe the product is wrong, maybe the channel is targeting the wrong decision maker, or maybe they’re positioning the product incorrectly. With online quizzes a vendor can quickly and easily determine if channel partners are targeting the right person and verify they are communicating the right messages about key features and benefits.
4) Predict the Future. Online channel programs can also provide managers with an early indication of success around the channel’s ability to grasp key messages and engagement. This is important to ensure a lot of money and time is not focused on education around messages that ultimately will not resonate with resellers and their customers.
5) Capture Mindshare. Online channel programs let you capture mindshare more quickly than your competitors – especially, if the competition is relying on traditional methods for reaching the channel. Also, it is important to recognize that nearly one in five vendors merged or acquired another company in 2003. With this consolidation taking place, it’s critical to capture the mindshare of new partners.
6) Speak Another Language. Online channel programs and training let channel managers obtain a global reach much more effectively than traditional methods. Translation and localization of material can be done much more quickly and easily when an e-learning system is in place.
7) Avoid Misfires. With e-learning you can avoid costly problems of rolling out a product before the channel has been briefed and is up to speed on the new product. It can be disastrous to get consumers all hyped up about a product only to have forgotten to brief your channel. With online training managers can ensure they put their leading distribution partners first when it comes to generating interest and demand for product.
8) Get Senior Management off Your Back. Many channel managers face a tremendous amount of pressure. Senior management is frequently following up to ask about qualified partners sales. E-learning and online channel programs provide another measurement tool for the channel manager. He or she can report back and inform senior management the channel is engaged and help management understand how this engagement will correlate to successful sales of the product. The channel manager can also share hard data around the number of channel partners who have participated in training and are grounded in the particulars of the product.
9) Give Them the Carrot. Reward and rebate programs are more equitable with online channel programs and e-learning solutions. Channel managers find it is important to reward the partners who go the extra mile. With online programs, subjectivity is eliminated. Channel managers have a mechanism to determine which partners are dedicated enough to learn about the product and can dole out rewards as appropriate.
10) Use a Bigger Stick. Online channel programs also provide the channel manager with another point of leverage with his or her partners. It is not uncommon for a channel manager to receive complaints from resellers about product price and how it is impacting their ability to sell product. Before entering into negotiations or making concessions about price, e-learning and online channel programs give the manufacturer another point of leverage. For instance, the channel manager can let the reseller know before having any discussions about price, they expect them to participate in online channel training. After all, if the channel partner isn’t well versed in the features and benefits of a product, the lowest price in the world might not allow them to move product. Education is essential.
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