Author: Cam Wayland
Vendors often measure, profile and segment their partners and distributors based on revenue performance, but rarely do they dig deeper to look beyond the numbers to the driving forces behind the strategy.

This article looks at tips to ensure your business is aligned to the right match of distribution partners, and therefore the right reseller partners, and ultimately their customer base.   Read More

Author: Dean Vaughan
Choosing the right distributor can add tremendous strategic value to your organisation, yet so many integrators often fail to recognise this. The choice, when left to sales, is often based on relationships, and when left to buying, is based on price.

Yet far more value is attained from your distribution relationship with planning. Distributors, from my experience, were willing enthusiasts in this process as they strived to add value and differentiate themselves from their competitors.   Read More

Author: Nick Verykios
Beyond the question of “which distributor should a vendor partner with?”, a more relevant question in many cases is – “do I even bother contracting a distributor?”

There is an old Buddhist philosophy that suggests in order to cut through the root of all phenomena and our attachment to its false representations, we need to first cut the root of the mind and its ignorance. This philosophy could not be more relevant to the selection of an ideal distributor. Answering the difficult question of “why bother contracting distribution?” with a contemporary business mind set will assist any vendor in cutting through the plethora of irrelevant (dare I say ignorant) Tender Response documents that focus on whether a distributor will be a good credit provider, or whether they can move boxes around efficiently.   Read More

Author: Moheb Moses
If you are a vendor, you probably already use a channel to go to market. But have you ever stopped to ask "why?"

For most companies, the channel has been in place for so long, it's just part of the furniture. However, an unclear vision of the role of the channel (and inconsistency within your company as to why you use an indirect go-to-market model) is in many cases the primary reason for a non-performing channel. In other words, the reason your channel isn't working may be due to the fact that you (and hence they) don't really understand what you expect of them.

This article examines the reasons why vendors use a channel, the different benefits that channels provide, and what you can do to build a foundation for a high performance channel   Read More