Channel Marketing ??????

The most Partner Managers and salespeople I meet, actually have something against marketing……..and while I don’t really want to discuss why this is or how that could be changed. I would like to focus on how marketing could bring partners to your business (into your parter portfolio). Once they are there, then you can carry out your partner manager/selling activities. What the most Partner Managers and sales representatives that I meet don’t know is that marketing is the process of attracting. So anything the Partner Managers and salesperson does to get partners through the door is marketing, whether it is cold calling, a referral, direct mail or the offer of a free seminar. So a sales person does marketing as well, just another type of marketing then the company does (corporate marketing).

A Channel Marketing Manager is typically responsible for the sell-through function. There are cases where a Channel Marketing Manager handles all sell-in and sell through via the channel, and the internal sales people concentrate on selling direct--this may vary according to your organization.

The Channel Marketing Manager works in partnership with the head of Channel Sales and his Partner Managers to:
1. Establish a competitive partners program (authorization, margins, levels, etc.)
2. Help recruit partners
3. Prepare the proper partners collateral
4. Create partners kits (sell sheets, product slicks, catalogs, partners pricing, NFR product, distribution part numbers, contact information, reviews, etc.),
5. Manage partners database and Partner Relationship Management (PRM) software
6. Jointly invest the market development (MDF) and Co-op funds to increase channel sell-through.
7. This sell-through is accomplished through managing store, VAR and distributor promotions (spiffs, contest, rebates, specials, training, promotions, etc.),
8. Ensuring proper merchandising (retail only)
9. Ensuring adequate stocking levels
10. Running partners education
11. Setting up motivational contest to reward sales
12. Manage seeding programs.
This person is also part of the marketing team and participates with Product Marketing, PR, the Webmaster (for the partners portal) and Advertising to ensure that the specific partners needs are met.


So let’s just face it that a partner manager and a sales person as well as the company does partner marketing, both just have different parts to play!

I know this was a controversial note ………and hope that it gave something to think about!

Regards your Moderator – Mark