Partner Portal: A Tool for Startup Issues with Channel Management

One of the biggest trends in business nowadays is to employ the use of a partnership strategy. A lot of organizations commend its implementation because of its many benefits, especially in the area of productivity and revenue generation.  This strategy is most effective if a partner portal is used because it acts as the point where all involved in the joint business venture converge, communicate and collaborate with one another.

According to searchitchannel.techtarget.com, a partner portal is defined as an application that’s based on the internet which allows a manufacturing company’s pipeline to gain access directly into resources for marketing, pricing, sales information and support. It is usually accessed via the manufacturer’s main web site and requires logon credentials that are assigned per partner. These portals are considered to be critical components of a successful strategy especially for small businesses that are just starting. They need all the help that they can get.

Based on the research and studies of some experts, it has been identified that this strategy is not beneficial for start up businesses. Most people would think that it is a fairly simple task to accomplish, especially for startups because the principle is ideal for their situation where they do not have a real sales force just yet.

In the instigatorblog.com, the writer discussed some issues that are evident of how disadvantageous strategy is to startups:

First, there is lack of control. Responsibilities are handed over to other people. Despite the fact that the manufacturing company receives reports on sales, activities, prospective pipelines and so on, it doesn’t get to close any of the actual deals. Ideally, the manufacturer still gets to do the sales, but with this strategy, significant control is given up to partners. If ever a client expresses a concern or asks specific questions about sales forecasts, it is most unlikely that an accurate answer will be provided. If there is no knowledge of what’s really going on within the channels, then there is less probability of being able to improve on a direct sales strategy or come up with changes for the network.

Second, the investment is substantially great.  A company cannot expect its channel to take products and just sell them. There are a lot of tasks involved in making it work such as training, provision of materials, motivation and many other responsibilities. Clouds are hard to motivate because they make less selling those products, know little about the details of the said products and consider them as extra, taxing work. Additionally, setting up a channel takes a lot longer than one would normally assume. After it gets set up, there’s maintenance to think about. It is therefore a lengthy, costly process, which can cause major setbacks for smaller companies that are just starting out.

However, if these issues are successfully resolved, maintaining good partnership is truly rewarding. There are a lot of resources available on the internet that provides tips and specific processes on how to implement channel management successfully into businesses. But basic tools that can help smaller businesses deal with the challenges of its implementation are partner portals because they help manufacturers manage their pipelines effectively.