Maintaining Transparency, Continuity & Sustainability!

Som Gangopadhyay
Sr. VP - Bank Security, Cash Handling and Secure Storage
Gunnebo India Private Ltd. 

All the customers demand high-quality security solutions and professional, reliable service at every stage and Gunnebo is busy delivering it. This not only means creating awareness about the product and maintaining our service standards, but the attitude of each and every employee, and role of our feet on streets (channel partners) also becomes critical for success. Channel partners are normal individuals like anybody. Hence, they are also emotional people. They only resent wrong intentions. However, if the question is meant to identify the different expressive nature of the channel partners in different parts of the country, the answer is that they represent different cultural biases and social norms. “Hence, when we find a team of Channel Partners from North being very expressive, the southern counterparts are more restrained in expressing their emotions,” Som claims.

Why motivate and develop Channel?

In today's competitive environment, most of the companies operate on a strong channel network. Globally, companies follow a well-defined operating process to effectively manage its channel partners. The very concept of motivating and engaging a Channel Partner lies in the simple fact that we call them our Channel Partner. Very few people actually feel that way. Channel Partners are mostly referred as “Dealers” and here lies the disconnect. “A dealer is supposed to deal in products and/or services if the transaction is profitable to him. However, a partner, as the name suggests, will share the joy and sorrow together,” Som brings to light. 

“They are one of the stakeholders of the company. Through their reach, depth and strong business acumen, they provide foundations for companies to operate in better width and depth,” he maintains. The focus on managing customer relations and providing customer service is the need of the hour and in majority of the cases the partners turn out to be better managers for their respective areas. They strive to offer better services to their demanding and knowledgeable customers. Thus, an effective channel plan aims at not only appointing right partners on board, but at the same time helps in effectively managing a resource pool directed at spearheading company's growth policy through its channel partners.

Channel Relationship Programme Strategies:

Since “No one shoe fits for all”, it depends on the products and services one needs to market. The channel strategy largely depends on the product positioning and the market they are eyeing. The factors, which I normally follow to grow my indirect channel, includes Transparency, Continuity and Sustainability.

*  Transparency, is vital and if any one side tries to outrun other to earn more profit, the relationship does not last.

*  Continuity, of ideology and ethos binds the channel partners with the organization in a strong bond.

*  Sustainability, in nature, i.e., the same programme can be continued for a few quarters/months/years with no or minimum modifications. 

The programme should be easy to comprehend for all Channel Partners, Sales Team, Marketing Team if it has to become successful. Many hyped programmes have failed because they could not retain the hype. Thus, one should make the programmes realistically convincing. The programme, in its true nature, has to be open-ended and scalable, so that during its journey it should be able to engulf new partners and become bigger and bigger. “Imagine a tiny ball of snow becoming large as it rolls downhill,” he quips.

Nothing Succeeds like Progress...

Taking a cue from the very popular adage and modified slightly fits the bill till date to taste long- term success with Channel operations. Empathy and transparency helps you build long-term relationship based on understanding and mutual trust. Last but not the least, Equality, that all the partners you have are on the same page gives you the “edge” in the market. 

Channel Relationship Programme should aim at:

*  Growth: The programme normally ensures growth of each and every channel partner the programme is meant for.

*  Width: Each consecutive programme normally has a strategic push to widen the relationship interface, i.e., in terms of products handled, services offered and solutions pitched. This way, a channel partner becomes more committed to the programme and participates wholeheartedly.

*  Win-Win: Any programme should be developed based on a win-win formula and never try to make quick bucks during supply shortage periods by tweaking the programme to suit the purpose.

For more contact:
Syeda Beenish
beenish@varindia.com