IT Channel Development
The IT Channel is the most scalable way to extend your brand presence, grow your sales pipeline and then win and retain a solid customer base. However, for many new software and hardware vendors dealing with the distribution giants can be both a frustrating and expensive experience with poor return on investments. Through our in-depth knowledge of the EMEA IT Channel we can help you to reach your end user target buyers with impactful campaigns, announce your solutions effectively through regional channel press and analysts, and ultimately make the channel come to you due to demand for your solutions. As we grow your channel base with you we can also assist with channel strategy including partner enablement, on boarding, incentives, technology alliances and closely measured MDF campaigns. For many technology start-ups we recommend an initial direct to end user strategy to gain brand recognition, reference wins and to build a database of prospects for re-marketing. When you reach the position where you can start to provide warm leads to channel partners then you will undoubtedly garner more attention.
Understand your user audience
The essential first step for any new IT vendor is to ensure you fully understand your target customers in order to develop messaging that clearly positions your brand as a compelling new way for them to address their challenges.
Create demand for your product
Our approach would evaluate multiple angles that may include: customer data acquisition from trusted industry specific sources, smart and cost effective use of digital channels and techniques, regional PR with effective pre-pitching of press releases (PRNewswire is not effective in EMEA), promotion of impactful content across multiple channels and in each case with a specific call-to-action.
Build your IT Channel base
Once you have achieved a level of brand awareness and end user demand we would look to engage with resellers that address the industry sectors you are targeting, or better still, carry solutions that are complimentary that may provide some market pull through. It might even be worth look at setting a Master Agent in place to deal with distribution requirements before looking to orchestrate a full 2-tier channel model.
Why choose us
With our founders having over 25 years each working the IT channel from vendor, reseller and distributor perspectives we know how to most effectively get your products known and in demand.
Got questions?
We know the market place very well and been heavily involved with all aspects of the channel across both sales, marketing and technical functions. Unlike the distribution giants we do not ask for a small fortune upfront to allow you to work with us, we are here to build you a successful strategy that works on a pay as you go basis; if we do not deliver you do not pay.
Distributors are not just out to make money from selling your products. In fact, they will not even put your product on their books without you having to part with a lot of money, vendor marketing is a big source of revenue and a P&L centre in its own right. You will undoubtedly be presented with a big shopping list of hard to measure marketing options and perhaps offered a funded head to call on resellers. It is a bit like social media advertising today, if you are not paying then you are not visible. Our role is to work directly for you, bringing a cohesive strategy together keeping you in control of marketing spend and campaigns where you can measure the return on investment and have full control over all the data acquired.
Most of the information that leaves a distributor destined for a reseller does not ultimately reach a buying audience, your messaging will simply get lost amongst the other giants in this game, the tier 1 IT vendors, especially if your brand is relatively unknown. We also have to realise that distribution sales are also very unlikely to actively promote your product as it is unknown and many distribution sales staff are non-technical, so they work within their comfort zone. In the vast majority of cases the solution is already designed and the products are already chosen, so most distribution sales will simply sell what the end user has asked their reseller to provide.
