Channel Partner Strategy—Motivate, Motivate, Motivate

I own a small startup company, and I can confidently say that a channel distribution network is an effective way to sell products and services and at the same time generate significant amount of revenue. It involves the committed and dedicated efforts of my channel partners, who play vital roles in the transportation of my company’s products down the pipeline to the end consumers. From my experience, I realized just how important it is to have a channel partner strategy to ensure the proper management of my affiliates so that they will willingly perform at their very best for the benefit all the members of the channel.

Partners are not employees of a parent company. They are individual businesses that have their own objectives and philosophy. This is important to take note of because this means that they will not sell some random product if there’s nothing in it for them. Manufacturers are therefore faced with the challenge of providing these affiliates with the support, incentives and information they need to become motivated to work for the channel optimally, and develop a certain degree of loyalty to the parent company.

And so, my greatest advice to all other companies out there who intend to utilize channel management as part of their business process is to motivate, motivate, motivate! Motivation can make all the difference in the world when it comes to channel productivity and profitability. It is also an essential part of channel partner strategy that will serve both your goals in the long run.

There are a lot of ways to motivate channel members. In fact, the internet provides countless of sources that offer tips and guidelines in proper and effective partner management. One of the most important tips you can follow is to understand the business relationship. As I’ve mentioned, these companies are separate from your own business. This is why it is important to clarify where everyone stands and then build and establish a partnership that makes sense for everyone involved.