Blog - Channel Management

Our articles in the channel management category cover best practices, how-to guides, and expert advice on how to manage a successful channel. Whether you’re just starting out in partnerships or are a long-time channel veteran, we’re sure you’ll find helpful information to further your career.

Make sure to also check out our standalone guide on channel management software.

Jan 14, 2015
No Silver Bullets for Channel Management in 2015?

Year after year there always seems to be some buzz about the Next Big Thing (NBT) in the channel that will be the silver bullet for engaging partners and keeping top of mind. Content syndication, social media strategy and most recently mobile applications all came with great buzz and promise and every year we had […]

Channel Management, Channel Marketing
Dec 2, 2014
Preparing for a Channel Management Solution

We often encounter emerging channel programs that want to set up a channel management solution without preparation and without clear goals about what they specifically hope to gain from it. When this happens, we first take a step back and help them identify what their areas of struggle are in growing their channel, and how […]

Channel Management, Channel Marketing, PRM (Partner Relationship Management)
Nov 13, 2014
How to Successfully On-Board new Channel Partners

We are often asked by new customers if we had any documentation or training materials for partners that would get them more engaged and keep their new Partner Portal top of mind. Although we do, we don’t believe partners are engaged by documentation and training materials, and we tell our customers that. What does create […]

Channel Management, Channel Marketing
Oct 30, 2014
Supercharge your Channel Manager Visibility

When it comes to increasing your visibility in your organization, it all boils down to setting and meeting realistic expectations. We’re not talking about the HPs of the world, the top 100 channel chiefs who manage huge, well-established channels. We’re looking at best practices for up-and-coming channel leaders who are in the trenches for a […]

Channel Management, Channel Marketing
Oct 8, 2014
Best Practices for Business Planning in the Channel

No one likes planning, right? But we might as well face facts: joint planning with partners as part of your channel management strategy is a critical best practice, and vendors that make the effort are much better positioned to have a successful channel. Here are three key practices for doing the planning in a way […]

Channel Management, Channel Marketing, Deal Registration
Sep 23, 2014
Channel Management ROI

Everyone wants to maximize the channel management ROI. Channel management software, increasingly known as partner relationship management (PRM) software, is tightly intertwined with CRM, but delivers the specific requirements needed to run a successful channel program. Listen to Jason Jacobs, CEO of Channeltivity, discuss Channel Management ROI and how “the only thing that creates value […]

Channel Management, PRM (Partner Relationship Management)
Sep 4, 2014
PRM Best Practices: Increasing Partner Engagement with a Partner Portal

Increasing partner engagement is an ongoing effort theme in many channel programs. In this article, we’ll explore key strategies to increase engagement across your partner base. This is the first in our series of blog posts that will dive into best practices around specific aspects of partner relationship management.  Next will be Deal Registration. Keys […]

Channel Management, Deal Registration, Partner Engagement, Partner Portal Management
Aug 4, 2014
Gamification? How About Generating Channel Sales Instead

In the channel management world, it’s a shame how much energy goes into gamification. All that energy does is focus attention away from the whole point of having a channel: generating sales.

Channel Management, Channel Marketing, Partner Engagement
Jul 21, 2014
The Real Secret to Scaling: Meaningful Metrics, Pt. 2

Setting up partner key performance indicators (KPIs), vendors can get bogged down in measuring things that are subjective, hard to quantify and even a little beside the point – engagement, for example. The most effective KPIs focus on the ultimate outcome you want, which is sales. What Are the Characteristics of the Ideal Partner? To […]

Channel Management
Jul 10, 2014
The Real Secret to Scaling: Meaningful Metrics, Pt. 1

Companies that effectively log data around meaningful metrics from the start begin to detect trends that can inform better partner selection. But what are those metrics? Well, that depends on your company, your product and the channel partners you’re hiring. Errors come into the equation when vendors just let a relationship evolve without any forethought […]

Channel Management, Channel Marketing