Defining The Channel Operating Model

• To keep up with the channel strategies, current trends and best practices in today’s IT industry, the channel operating model is evolving as well.
• This new operating model represents the important procedures and activities to be able to support channel partners and boost channel excellence.
• Maintain proper alignment among channel marketing, channel sales and channel operations as these are still the key elements of a successful channel.

The Channel Operating Model

This model outlines the critical processes and activities needed to launch, manage and grow an effective indirect business. It provides a holistic approach to support channel partners and set channel excellence. What’s more, it gives a cross-functional charting for channel marketing, channel sales and channel operations. It affords better handling of things under these five components namely: plan, recruit, involve, grow and measure.

Five Expanded Procedures That Channel Marketers Can Use

In response to the growing and more frequent demand for these critical activities and procedures throughout the channel marketing, channel sales, and channel operations functions, a channel must then evolve accordingly.

Here are five expanded procedures and activities for channel marketers (including channel partners and resellers) to do and how these can do their best to attain.

1.    Partner Loyalty

Design programs to warrant partner commitment and loyalty. Gear towards boosting continuous partner advocacy by way of a partner advocacy program, partner reference program, etc.

2.    Channel Awareness

Find a way to establish awareness of your organization’s channel strategy, commitments as well as partner opportunities in various related communities. To achieve this, align with analyst relations and public relations functions and make sure that channel analysts, media, press and influencers will be added in the yearly plans. Launching channel-related success stories and press releases will be good as well. Finally, make sure to align with marketing functions internally so that awareness campaigns and advertising gear towards supporting channel goals.

3.    Indirect Buyer or Market Insights

Set and make sure to document insights referring to targeted markets and indirect buyers. This may involve cooperating with product teams to record and document the journeys or indirect buyers. In addition, you may identify special indirect buyer and market needs and give formal chances for product managers to have insight that comes directly from channel partners regarding their needs or wants. Lastly, you can conduct a channel-specific competitive analysis to gain other useful insights.

4.    Persona-Based Partner Enablement

A channel marketing must begin persona-based enablement programs such as certification programs, training curriculum, tools and resources. This should be done for each relevant partner persona such as executive management, sales, technical, marketing, support and professional service.

5.    Indirect Customer Satisfaction

Build procedures and programs to measure indirect customer satisfaction by way of partners or directly. This said measurement includes an assessment of customer satisfaction when working with a partner and when working with the supplier. Another assessment will be done and this time it will be with the suppliers’ offers.

On the whole, suppliers can use this channel operating model in the following ways to enhance their channel:

a.    As a plan to outline the essential areas that ought to be designed, created and managed for channel success.

b.    As an assessment tool that also examines the improvement and inter-functional alignment of the organization.

c.     As a springboard for the success of a channel.

d.    To set a standard language that will be used by the whole organization and its channel functions.

Want to be in a channel program that has a defined channel operating model? Join the ForzaDash community and be an engaged partner yourself. Call here today.

ForzaDash posts a blog every Monday so you are most welcome to visit regularly. This week’s feature is the continuation of last week’s topic about Partner Channel Management. Click here to read about Channel Partnerships.