Wall Ball Rules!

I have the dubious pleasure of watching a pick-up game of Wall Ball some mornings when I drop my daughters at school. In case you haven't heard of Wall Ball, it's also, fittingly, referred to as Slaughter House, Suicide, Fireball, or Firing Squad. For the uninitiated, picture a game of handball with ambiguous rules. When I asked my girls about those rules, they counseled me that it depends on who's playing: "If Rachel's playing, we use her rules; if Jason's playing, we use Jason's rules; sometimes we use our rules."

The penalty side of the equation is much easier to figure out, as there are just two penalties for breaking the rules. The first requires that a player sprint to the wall and touch it before being pelted by the ball. In this scenario, because he or she's a moving target, the chance of being hit is rare. The second, more severe, penalty requires that the player stand facing the wall. The thrower then attempts to hit the "offender" in the backside with the ball. For anyone who's ever been hit in the back with a handball or racquetball, you're likely cringing now. What intrigues me most about this game is that, unlike mandatory Dodge Ball in gym class, the kids voluntarily start their day this way.

And, hence, a perfect metaphor for channel work! Along with your business partners, you confront that wall every day, and dodging the ball is a frequent occurrence. What's more, the rules of the game often depend on who's at the helm at any given time. While it's easy to rationalize that the masochistic nature of the work comes with the territory, it's the ever-changing rules that are hardest on our partners.

This was brought to my attention recently during a partner interview for a client assignment. When asked if the client's strategy was clear and program offerings understood, the partner said, "Oh yes, I've understood all seven of them over the last seven years." She went on to explain that every year ushered in a new regime and, with it, new rules of engagement, new training and certification requirements, and new rebate/incentive programs. "Every time I get to the line, they move it." In other words, this year, it's Rachel's rules.

Before we send this partner to the wall for whining, when we give serious thought to what we ask of partners every time we change the rules, it can be daunting. While every channel strategy and program should evolve to meet the changing needs of the business, the following may help build continuity and maximize your partners' ability to acclimate.

      1) Give Change a Chance. If you do "move the line," remember that it
          can take up to six months for some strategy and program changes to
          stick and gain traction. This may sound preposterous at first, but when
          you add up all the time it takes to educate your own resources, reset
          infrastructure and processes, train your partners and give them time to
          comply, it can easily be a half a year before it's business as usual once
          again.

      2) Resist the Game of Musical Chairs. Every time a new account
          manager or systems engineer enters the partner's scene, it's like hitting
          the restart button. It takes time for the new team to establish credibility
          and trust. Give the account team time to learn about the partner's
          business and value-add, and gain the respect they need to carry them
          through changes.

       3) 1-800-Help. An easy suggestion that's often overlooked is instituting
           a helpline for partners to get immediate answers to their program
           questions and/or issues. Aside from partners feeling valued when
           someone answers the phone, you benefit from understanding the
           critical issues that are slowing partners from embracing new program changes.

So, while channel strategy and program changes are inevitable, there's little reason to stand against the wall for the penalty shot when you stay ahead of the curve.