The Channel Sales Manager - A Breed Apart

I work with many startup companies that see the benefit of channel sales in taking their product to market. However, many of them do not really understand what makes a good channel sales manager. They think that any sales manager can be a channel sales manager: the only difference is that now there is an arms-length relationship with the end customer. In Over the years I have come up with a channel sales manager job description that encapsulates what a good channel manager should do throughout the lifetime of the channel partner relationship. Follow this job description, and you just might find that your channel manager drives early and ongoing success.

The channel manager:

·         develops the business plan with the channel partners

·         ensures partner enablement – both training and campaigns

·         engages in joint selling activities with the partner

·         conducts post-sales analysis for mid-course correction.

·         retains responsibility for the success of the channel partner.

The good channel manager works with the channel partner to develop a business plan. No, this doesn’t mean asking the partner for a business plan, and then listening to the many obstacles that get in the way. Instead, it means that the channel manager will sit side-by-side with the channel partner to set objectives, determine which markets and accounts will be targeted, and define the goals and metrics, ensuring that the business plan is in line with the company’s goals, make sure there is no territory or channel conflict, ensure that the business plan leverages the assets and strengths of the VAR, and is complementary to your company’s coverage plan.

A good channel manager ensures that the partner is capable of achieving the goals set out in the business plan. That means making sure both sales and support staff have been trained adequately, and that sufficient marketing campaigns have been put in place to generate opportunities or, in the absence of marketing campaigns, that a list of top target accounts has been developed and an approach to win them has been determined. Since mindshare is crucial, the good channel sales manager will ensure that incentives for reaching the target are put in place, whether MDF funds or specific discounts.

The good channel manager is not just a bystander, watching the partner go out to do sales. Rather, this person is an active member of the channel sales team, helping to find and nurture leads. S/he develops scripts for cold calling to ensure that the partner positions the products properly in the context of their own solutions, the messaging is on point, etc – and will do joint sales calls with the partner in the early days, to develop mindshare and  make sure the message is being delivered correctly. This also serves to give confidence to the customer that they will receive not only the support of the channel partner, but also of the original product developer as well.

The good channel manager carries through by participating in every phase of the sales process, up to and including the post-sales analysis. Since the channel manager is responsible for the channel partner’s forecast, and for the channel partner achieving the forecast, this person needs to be on top of every lead, every opportunity and every win – or loss. If the channel partner complains that they are getting no leads from corporate marketing, warning bells should sound. It’s not about raw leads – it’s about building a partnership and a relationship of trust and mutual dependency between the channel sales manager and the channel partner.