10 Channel Behaviors To Encourage Among Channel Partners

A channel program is created to boost channel sales. Since this is the primary concern and measurement of the success of a company, this is a great idea. However, with today’s highly competitive channel market, manufacturers and channel partners must also consider other aspects of the business that will ensure steady sales increase. This points to the people in charge of these sales – channel vendors and resellers.

In line with this, a partner must now consider driving ideal partner behavior by providing effective incentives and rewards to resellers. Remember that a highly engaged partner will not only ensure a steady inflow of revenue but also contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of executing your set marketing strategies.

What channel behaviors should you encourage by providing proper incentives?

Here are the top 10 behaviors that you would do well to encourage you to achieve channel sales success.

1.     Business Planning: Vendors now see the importance and benefits of “cooperative business planning”. With this approach, you can devise a partner reward system for their help with your business planning endeavors. Tasks such as defining measurable objectives and developing marketing plans merit rewards. In fact, your more experienced partners can even help you come up with strategic decisions to employ for each milestone success attained. Other aspects that you would want to drive motivation to include proper execution of your business plans and others that boost your sales directly or indirectly. Note that those who are loyal to your brand and the most active sellers will likely have the most rewards or highest awardees.

2.     Training: Training plays a vital role in your channel sales success. You would want to provide proper motivation for this behavior since it inspires them to participate in training that results in them being experts. Rewarding managers and the whole team who join training can enhance overall reseller involvement.  

3.     Certification: Design your program to offer different levels of certification. This generates long-term and constant interaction with your brand or company.  

4.     Bundling: Motivate your partners to promote and sell a bundle of related products. Bundle sell involves grouping different products together and selling this set at a price that is often lower than the price of each product individually.

5.     Demand Generation: Make sure to reward channel partners who promote and use your branded assets as well as marketing tools. Design appropriate incentives per level of use, frequency plus velocity.

6.     Deal Registration: Give rewards to your channel resellers to register whatever deals they are following upon. This allows you to have a more concrete forecasting pipeline including the chance to connect with private or individual VARs.

7.     Recurring Revenue Sales: The channel and its channel vendors are realizing the benefits of recurring revenue over the legacy enterprise. To motivate this behavior, you can increase incentives based on the total value of recurring revenue. When resellers have accustomed themselves to selling your product or services, you can put it back to normal levels.

8.     Market Development Fund Use: MDFs can provide a great incentive to your resellers. Allot an overlay incentive for those who use this funding effectively and efficiently.

9.     Continual Lead Generation: Create reseller metrics that reward sales activity and dollar value. Despite having existing sales volume, you must also reward your channel partners who continuously find new businesses or markets. Give higher rewards for active participation in this behavior.

10.  Broad Team Member Participation: Recognize your non-sales experts as well. Remember that they ensure the smooth flow of your reseller program. Provide proper incentives to influencers as well.

All in all, you can have a successful channel program if you focus on two things: channel sales and providing proper motivation to your channel partners and resellers. Acknowledge their participation in creating the best planning, strategies and sales of your product or service and providing the rewards for these will result in actively engaged partners, who will bring in regular revenues to your company.

Want to belong to a channel program that motivates active participation from its members? Join the ForzaDash community and be one of those highly engaged partners. Call here today.

ForzaDash posts a blog every Monday. This week’s feature is the continuation of last week’s topic about Partner Channel Management. Click here to about Channel Partnerships.