A few years ago, a past Regional Vice President of Sales and Founder/Chief Writer of Move the Channel, Travis Smith, wrote an article called Thinking about building a partner channel… Don’t bother. This article was posted to a LinkedIn group called Move the Channel. This is a closed group created to be a source of insights and thought leading discussions around channel marketing, sales, planning, and enablement.
Free Download: Guide to Effective Channel Incentive Programs
And here is HMI’s main takeaway from this article, as it pertains to our audiences.
Do What Works for You
A favorite quote at HMI is Peter Drucker’s “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
I like this quote because it embodies the first step mentality necessary when setting up any new reward program. If you’re crushing a direct to consumer go-market, that’s your “culture” and you’ve done a great job solidifying it.
A new reward program can be a great way to open up new channel partners, get them on-boarded, and earning, but the best reward programs consider the whole channel. Don’t make the mistake of leaving your current performers behind.
Travis speaks to this point in his article. He uses the “grass is always greener” metaphor to explain it, stressing that it’s often better to stay in your lane. As a direct channel business, a partner channel may seem like a great avenue for you. However, there are not very many examples of businesses that do both strategies effectively.
If you want to learn more about what makes a channel incentive program successful, download out guide: The Definitive Guide to an Effective Channel Incentive Program.
