Archives for April 2015

Trading Places with your Alliance Partner

AAEAAQAAAAAAAAKiAAAAJGJlMzA4NThmLWU4NjktNDFkYi1iMWY4LTVlN2UxYzNhODVhYgIf empathy is a key to good partnerships and sales, then try trading places.  As channel marketing & sales pros, it’s important that we are always trying to put ourselves in our alliance partner’s shoes.  This helps us get out of the vendor vacuum and design channel programs that help our partners become more successful.

Let’s take that concept and flip it on its head for a moment: Why not have your partner stand in your shoes ?   Go ahead… role play over lunch.  Too often we ask, “What else can we be doing to help you grow your business?” Don’t get me wrong, we should be asking this question–and often!  But we might be amazed if we also asked:

 “If you were me…”

  •        …Which opportunities in the market would you attack?
  •          …What would you use your channel program to be a differentiator and get the mindshare of the channel? 
  •          …What gap in the market would you be well positioned to bridge? 

They will be honored you asked and have a better understanding of your market perspective. But more importantly, you will also learn unexpected valuable lessons. 

 

As always, send me a note with your thoughts, ideas, and personal experiences.

 

Move the Channel,

Travis

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