Focus a Global Reseller Channel on Your Product

You can turn an indirect channel into a remarkably productive sales team. Make your products easier to sell to become a high sales priority for your channel.

When I first engage with existing international sales channels, I find most are suffering from lack of information, support, and not spending enough time selling my client’s products. I have had repeated success by installing these four initiatives that you can implement yourself.

Share good information with the reseller

Keep the indirect channel up to date with product and competitive information. Prepare them to sell in the same way as your direct sales team. Include them in sales training, product training and product roll out events. Give them access to the same technical and marketing support as your own sales employees.

Many of my clients invite their resellers to company-wide meetings and include them in corporate conference calls and events. These events enhance communications with headquarters and form relationships with the people who will support them.

Local salespeople usually have the most up to date competitive information and regional trends. I ask the resellers attending sales meetings to present local trends, one win, one loss, and what they learned from their experience. This information illuminates what is working and what changes need to be made to help them.

Reduce meeting time

One good way to increase selling time is by reducing meeting time. I recommend a documented monthly forecast from each reseller and individual weekly telephone updates on the most important opportunities. I stay away from weekly group sales meetings.

In about 15 minutes, the Channel Manager can discuss the important deals and update the sales forecast. To reduce meeting time, focus these calls on what they need to close specific business and share your expected actions for the next week.

Provide excellent field sales support

Assign a support person or team to answer questions and help with presentations and demonstrations. A Channel Manager may fill this role, but with complex products, I have found that expert technical or functional support can make a great deal of difference. The added support resource will pay for itself in additional sales.

Assign a support contact to each reseller. This person needs to be knowledgeable and available in the local time zone. In most cases, field salespeople form a strong bond with the support contact who also becomes a lifeline for training and an inside connection to headquarters.

Avoid surprises

I like to give the earliest possible warning on changes that affect the reseller’s business. Be prepared with all the pertinent information, details, and FAQs. The more difficult the news, the more important it is to share it with them quickly. It helps to openly discuss the expected changes, consequences, and next steps. Leave enough time for the local team to ask questions and digest the information.

Sharing good information, reducing meeting time, providing excellent sales support, and avoiding surprises, help the global channel to sell more of your products, serve your customers, and represent your company well.

Tags: sales

Categories: business, global

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