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Go wide or deep with our channel program

PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 5:27 pm
by LoveGolf
I suppose this is a classic channel question -- do I recruit many partners or only a few to get a channel program going for reselling our software? It seems like our market is growing fast so we want to be able to handle many leads, but I am not sure we can get enough partners who would understand how to follow them properly. What are the pros and cons of each choice?

Re: Go wide or deep with our channel program

PostPosted: Wed May 05, 2010 2:46 am
by Insider
Well - depending on which partners you choose and what kind of software you offer, either way can make sense.

-if it is a standard software that is easy to sell, self-explaining and quiet solid programed and focused on a wide range of endusers from small to medium size, it makes sense to go through a very wide partner-base and potentially through a broad-line distributor.

-if the software is quiet complex, needs a lot of training to work properly with it, can maybe be customized a lot and is focused more on the midrange to high-end customers, your way should be to address that through focused partners that are willing to invest in training, can do the installation, potentially even the support and customization.

-then consider if there are complementary products from other companies. If your product can be an add-on or improves other products, the resellers of the complementary product would be one group to consider

-also consider what your competition does. who are their strongest resellers and do you have enough good arguments to potentially replace them at their homeground?

-next thing is: what market are you planing to sell to? Does it HAVE an existing reseller-channel that makes sense to address? In some markets, direct-sales is more common than in others, in some you will only win through partners (also depending on what software you have and whom you address it to).

-the best model I came across the past years is the direct touch model: have direct touch to large accounts but only sell through the channel. the more they can rely on you, the more they trust on you and the more they will invest, especially if you bring them business. But make sure it is a win-win-situation and you are not only feeding them...

Really depends on how your product is structured and what customers you want to sell it to.

HTH