Channel Management Solution: Increasing Sales Strategies

Nov 15
08:34

2010

Joe Owens

Joe Owens

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A company’s channel network is a vital aspect of their sales and overall growth and development. It’s the vendor, particularly, the channel manager’s ...

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A company’s channel network is a vital aspect of their sales and overall growth and development. It’s the vendor,Channel Management Solution: Increasing Sales Strategies Articles particularly, the channel manager’s job to see that this network that consists of partners and relationships move smoothly with revenues and profits driving the network to greater heights.

Lead generation is an important aspect of channel distribution and channel management solution. It’s when a company like the vendor or channel partner generates interest on a product. Partners or resellers can capture leads through email, phones, or through website submissions.

Website forms for leads are the most relevant and important in this day where every company is expected to have official sites. For improving lead generation through the Internet, you must at least:

Optimize websites
Identify vital keywords related to products and optimize the site to reflect those keywords. Optimizing websites involves studying competitive keywords often used by searchers. Use Google Analytics to do your research. Employ white hat SEO techniques to avoid getting suspended or barred from the search results.

Mind Share
Build the brand up through the network of channels by sharing leads with other resellers. While individual channel partners are technically competitors, in the long run, the whole network benefits from the success of a vendor’s brand.

Targeted Email Campaigns
With vertical products, it is understood that there will be only a handful of potential clients barring international customers. Research the potential customers and develop a standard email content that can be customized to particular targets. Do background checks and see whether the company has issues or problems where the product can come in handy.

Free downloads and samples
Offer trial subscriptions or free services to let customers know how the product can help them perform better in whatever business they are in. Make these free downloads available in each channel partner’s website so customers know where they can avail of the full version of the product.

Match leads with resellers
Do background checks of both potential customers and channel partners. Before handing out leads, make sure the channel partner is properly prepped and knowledgeable about the product. This is especially crucial when dealing with high value, vertical products.

Conduct regular sales training
Once in a while, professional sales teams need guidance and coaching from experts to refresh their knowledge of sales techniques. Also, these lessons are helpful to teach new techniques that they may not be aware of because of the fast changing technology.

Social Network
Don’t hesitate to use social networking sites to communicate with channel partners and customers. Getting feedback directly from customers or partners is the best way to improve upon the next products or address issues that may come up. The immediacy of response is crucial especially in this Internet driver world.

Utilize Partner Portals
Leads have to be distributed as soon as possible and automating lead distribution with the help of a partner portal could be the key. Partner portals are websites that consolidate different aspects of channel sales activity. With a partner portal, channel partners can immediately submit leads and approval or reply is immediate so channel sales activity can go smoothly. Partner portals are essential to effective channel management solution.

For more information about channel sales strategy, visit us at www.channeltivity.com