Selecting a Channel Partner December 31, 2008
Posted by Gary in : Uncategorized , add a commentOne of the challenges I face this year is selecting and managing channel partners. Although this is not entirely a new experience it is the first time that I have determined to actively manage the relationships. In the past, partnership arrangements have been created solely by expertise in a certain technology. For example we became experienced with a specific microprocessor family and toolset and developed a solution partner relationship with the vendor. The relationship was casual with few interactions. And as one might expect we had had mixed results; some referrals, some proposals, and minimal actual work.
I began to think whether having channel partner relationships are really helpful towards meeting our business development goals. I believe they can be. But I need to figure out how to make the partnership work.
So I began asking questions.
- How can I know which company is the right one to establish a relationship?
- What type of company should I be evaluating (i.e. service or product)?
- How much time and money should I invest in the partnership?
- How does our company add value?
- How can I project a business return?
- Are our business interests aligned?
I have many more questions with few answers so far. But it is a beginning. I will have more to say about channel partnerships as the year progresses.
