Is a partner portal in fact a bad strategy for businesses in different industries? In the competitive global market, channel management has become a significant way to thrive and increase profits. This strategy has always been linked with the use of partner portals because of their reported benefits to partners through increased communication and collaboration. However, two arguments have been established to dissent the claim that these web-based applications are critical to a successful channel.
The first argument is that parent companies lack the necessary control of their channel partners. Despite the use of these portals as pipelines that allow manufacturers gain access to data regarding their channel’s sales reports, activities, and over all performance, the information they garner remain insufficient. Supposedly, in an ideal set up, the parent company will still be able to close a good percentage of the sales because of the fact that inquiries made by some customers will not be answered in full by partners. When it comes to the products, manufacturers still have the upper hand and can provide the necessary detailed answers customers are looking for.
Portals should be used to share technical information on these types of questions among channel members. There is a need to provide more direct knowledge to the parent company so that real, concrete changes in programs can be made. This means created programs would increase partner and vendor productivity in a measurable way.
The second argument is that the risk in investing in it outweighs the benefits. The investment made on such a web based application is burdensome. The need to create an effective distribution network is challenging enough as it is. With regards to branding identity as well as intimate technical knowledge, critics claim that it is unrealistic to train partners to sell a product or service because they do not possess enough knowledge about what they’re selling.
It would be up to companies to decide whether or not they agree with these arguments. Their job is to conduct thorough research regarding these applications and whether or not they are appropriate for their business.
Partner recruitment is a make-or-break step in a channel partner management strategy. I was once told that a channel is only as productive as its members. If the partner recruitment process is ineffective in a way that it was not able to filter out the “bad eggs” and let the good ones in, then the manufacturer or the parent company will be burdened by unproductive partners who will most likely topple the entire network down as vital resources and leads are wasted on them.
In order for you to better comprehend how channel management and partner recruitment work, think of a channel distribution network as a sports team, the partner recruitment process as the try out, the manufacturer as the coach and the hopeful athletes as the partners.
The coach is starting a new team which he envisions to win a lot of games to come out as the strongest competitor in the league. In order to build a winning team, he needs to recruit the best players he can find and invest valuable training and support in them. Players require constant guidance and encouragement from the coach, so it’s his responsibility to make sure that they are in the best condition to compete.
The coach organizes a try-out for the team, specifying the kind of players he needs by establishing a set criteria. One-by-one, he interviews each athlete and looks at their profiles. He evaluates how well each can play the game, and whether or not they possess the qualities he deems suitable. Once he finds the players he needs, he designs a training program for them so he can help them prepare for upcoming games.
Like in any partner channel, no one wants a useless “player” who will only burden the team and cost them a game. This is why it is very important to organize a well-designed “try-out” or partner recruitment to make sure each member who joins is competent and productive.
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