Many businesses are built on the idea that the “product” is so powerful that people will flock to it. People will get in line to buy it or even worse…want to sell it.
Reseller Networks
Technology companies are usually the best and worst at building reseller networks. Their innovative products are valuable to other companies. But, there are some challenges that come with teaching resellers how to sell their product. During training, the sales department does not emphasize to the resellers that their focus is on “selling.”
If you opt-in to create a reseller program, you must be in it for the long haul. When building a straight comp reseller network understand where your people are in your engagement process. Otherwise, you will not get deals through the channel and your resellers will fail. If this happens – hold on because it will be devastating to your business.
The sales system in today’s marketplace gets stuck at qualifying. Let’s share a common dialogue and talk objectively about our process.
Reseller Sales Engagement Process:
- Identify — Profile and select targets resellers and build a profile on the most successful
- Initiate — Make first touch. Get them on e-mail, phone or video conferencing
- Connect — Exchange information and basic understanding of value propositions
- Qualify — Help them find and see the project and pain that fits the solution in order to pitch to clients (hand holding if need be)
- Enroll — Empower resellers to identify, initiate, connect and qualify prospects
- Engagement — True partner status. Resellers and company are mutually accountable for sales goals and targets
Scenario:
- You have 15 integrators; 20 sales people at varying degrees of your sales process past being identified, initiated and connected.
- You have about 3 mfg representatives and 9 representatives through connection.
Measure Three Key KPI:
- Universe — Objective measurement of how many individual sales people you have through identify and initiate
- Frequency — Objective measurement of how many times and ways you are connecting with
- Engagement — Subjective assessment with next steps to design strategies and tactics to move
Drive all of these simultaneously to build a healthy pipeline and reseller network. Do not get caught on Engagement. It is important to not tie yourself to just one reseller or you will live and die by their performance alone. If you get held up on Universe and Frequency, you will never get them to Enrollment and Engagement.
Weekly Measurements:
- Universe — Amount of individual sales people identified and connected with
- Frequency — How many ways touching the universe to move them toward engagement
- Engagement — Analysis of the tactics presented to the universe to move their engagement
It is a numbers game. But, it is about smart numbers. Let’s take our Universe to 100 sales people with 25 enrolled and pushing towards engagement.
Final Goals:
- Drive your Universe to connect w/ more possible deals.
- Drive your Frequency to train your people in what we do.
- Create the IP that help your sales people at the Qualifying stage.
