So in addition to your own demand creation marketing efforts, you’ll probably want your channel marketers to create materials and programs that the channel can use to market to their own customers. They’ll then need to drive commitments from resellers to host events, webinars, etc. using those materials.
Check to make sure there is a channel that sells similar products to similar buyers. For example, there is a great existing channel that sells VMWare products to IT, and that channel can be used to sell australia mobile database a variety of add-on products. However, if there is no such channel, you will have a great deal of trouble creating one that suits your own needs. Few startups have the time or money to make this happen.
If you decide to use a channel sales model, be prepared to be fully committed and not take orders directly unless there are some very clear rules. If the channel sees you competing with them, it will turn them off and reduce their commitment to your product. This will also cause conflict with your own sales organization who want the short-term gain of more commissions by taking deals directly. While this may earn you more revenue in the short term, it will not help you build the influence of the channel, and once they figure out how to make money from one deal, they will replicate it to their other customers.
Don’t expect sales executives who are used to direct sales to easily transition to channel sales. Committing to the long-term effort of building a channel involves a different mindset. Salespeople who are used to direct sales prefer the more control and faster results that come from doing things directly with customers. Channel salespeople know that through patience, they can gain greater influence than they could by doing things themselves.