Reseller ME talks to industry experts to find out how a good partner programme can best optimise opportunities and build on the value quotient for the channel.
Partner programmes are instrumental in enabling the channel partners leverage the existing market opportunities via tools and resources available through the vendor or distributor alliance. It allows the partner to effectively offer the vendor’s solutions to the market while also taking advantage of opportunities to grow and increase revenues.
Osama AlHaj-Issa, Channel Director, Middle East and Turkey, Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, says, “Partner programmes aim for several objectives. First, it is a structure approach for the vendor relationship with the channel. Second, it makes the benefits and requirements clear for the channel such that expectations are set at the right level from both vendors and partners.
“And the most important objective of any partner programme is business growth. The different components of a partner programme should eventually lead to growing business. These programmes differentiate and reward partners according to their loyalty and performance,” he adds.
Growing the business is definitely an important aspect, says, Manish Bakshi, Managing Director, BenQ. An effective partner programme should be able to build a sustainable and profitable relationship between the vendor and its channel partners.
He adds, “It is not just an enticement towards micro financial gains for the channel partner but an engagement tool, which helps build a relationship where both parties come out as winners. In a nutshell, the key objective of the partner programme is to engage the channel partners and incentivise them to propagate the vendor against its competitors.”
It is also important to ensure that the partner programme is in sync with current market demands and trends. For example, Cisco’s Channel Partner Programme has evolved over time to identify market transitions, enable its partners through these transitions and recognise them for their best practices.
Shadi Salama, Channel Leader, Middle East Theatre, Cisco, says, “The Cisco Channel Partner Programme has always focused on value versus volume – rewarding partners who create value, no matter their size or sales volume. With major market transitions happening today, our channel partners have unique opportunities to once again evolve their business models and offer even more value to their customers, while at the same time, differentiating themselves and growing profitably.”
Revamping partner programmes should essentially be considered to inject fresh initiative and motivation for partners, adds Maya Zakhour, Channel Director, Middle East, Fortinet.
“It is also essential that regular partner feedback is invited to determine which areas of the programme should be revamped. Partner programmes are meant for partners, so it’s important that all areas of concern and challenge are met.
“Market conditions, solutions portfolio, and the size of the partner network could be factors affecting the revamping of the programmes,” she adds.
There are various issues a partner programme attempts to address for the channel partners. Today one of the challenges resellers face is the lack of stability in their business moving forward.
Mohammad Mobasseri, CEO, emt Distribution, says, “These kind of programmes not only enable partners to focus more on what they are doing but also deepens the commitment level of both parties. This results in channel partners having exceptional support on project renewal, which makes their business more stable.”
Although it is possible for partners to potentially procure solutions for their customers without being a part of any particular programme, they could be missing out on sales growth and expansion opportunities, says Jim Daniel, Director of Sales, eSentire.
However, he adds, “It is also important that partners are selective about which vendor relationships they invest in. Partners have limited resources, and need to focus efforts where it best fits their customer base and business goals.”
Sébastien Pavie, Regional Director MENA, Identity and Data Protection, Gemalto, points out that partner programmes can also help to mitigate channel conflict by executing a defined process to determine partner portfolio expansion.
He adds, “A key element of establishing strong relationships within the partner network is communication. We rely on on-going feedback from our partners to ensure the programme and solutions are helping them to meet their goals and delivering the desired results.”
The criticality of a partner programme is well established from the vendors’ perspective, but when it comes down to partners, are they keen on investing in such areas?
Sunil Paul, COO, Finesse, says, “We believe that proper training and vendor certifications enable our staff to be more knowledgeable and perform better, which results in their personal growth as well as to our business.
“In fact, this opportunity to continue to grow and develop through training and development is one of the most important factors in our employee motivation.”
He says, the challenge lies in prioritising among the many vendors a typical reseller might have.
“Other factors that influence employee readiness for training are seeing quick and tangible value along with ease in selling and supporting the vendor product.”
Alexander Foroozandé, Channel Manager, Middle East, Pakistan, Turkey and Africa, Infoblox, says, at the end of the day it’s about what type of value is being delivered to partners.
“The more value partners experience, the keener they are to be an active member. The way we measure this is through the various enablement sessions we conduct on a monthly basis and through the use of our deal registration and demo centre tools.”
There is no doubt that resellers are keen on participating and attaining the value from these programmes. However, it is up to the vendor to ensure how current the programme is and the value it delivers to each partner on different tiers. It also needs to have the scope for a partner to grow and upgrade to the next level.
