If the Shoe Fits

True confession: wearing shoes inside our house is taboo (unless you're company). We remove them dutifully upon entering the house through our mudroom and family members have their own baskets for personal storage. I haven't counted, but we're probably only a few shy of the typical shoe store's inventory. We select and put on our shoes before leaving the house, and return them to the appropriate basket upon entering. It's one of those quirky yet effective family systems that have evolved over time. It generally works well - until, well, it doesn't.

Inevitably, what throws the system off is when someone in a hurry leaves shoes on the floor, instead of placing them in the basket. This sets off a chain reaction for the rest of the family, and within a couple of days, the "shoe pile" resembles the floor of a Nordstrom's shoe sale. This issue is resolved finally when someone trips on the shoes and, resolvedly, tosses them back into the proper basket. With that done, the system is back in business because, at the end of the day, finding shoes in this way is a lot easier and faster than digging through the heap for the right shoe.

And alas, isn't that the way it is with partners and customers -- finding a repeatable approach or system that matches the shoe to the foot, so to speak, particularly as it relates to the ever-elusive SMB market?

Cracking the code on reaching SMB has been the nemesis of sales and marketing executives for time eternal. If ever there was a market ripe for indirect channels and one-to-many marketing strategies, SMB is it. The number and variety of companies in this segment is vast and varied; it's no wonder marketing leaders struggle with executing a prescribed approach. It's difficult enough to reach this market directly, and going through partners, one-step-removed, can be daunting.

Conquering the SMB market is challenging, but not impossible. So, here are three important questions to ask to avoid false starts and "do-overs," especially through partners:

      1) Are your products and services really packaged for SMB?
          This is one of the most often overlooked requirements. Many companies
          conceptualize for and sell into large enterprises initially, then try to
          shoehorn their product and services into SMB. Large enterprises are
          much more complex than SMB. The problem with selling a large
          enterprise product or service into SMB is that it is frequently overkill,
          and unlikely to solve SMB-specific problems.

          The best way to ensure your products and services are right-sized for
          SMB is to become intimate with SMB business challenges, to walk in
          their shoes, if you will. Make the necessary changes, then test your
          refined offering and commensurate pricing model on the market. That's
          also a surefire way to confidently build a solid value proposition.

       2) Do you have the right partners to reach this gynormous market?
           Many companies are afraid to bring on new partners that specialize in
           SMB for fear they will compromise pricing models with existing partners,
           drive commodization, and create conflict. Further, some of the big SMB
           specialists (i.e., CDW, Insight) also sell into large enterprises, and this
           can be uncomfortable for existing partners focused there.

           It's essential that you understand how SMB prefers to buy and from whom,
           and that you leverage their preferred sources. If this creates
           consternation for your existing partners, it may be time to reconcile your
           channel and margin models with what you need from partners to grow
           your overall business.

        3) Will your existing processes, resources, and infrastructure
            adequately support your SMB channel strategy?
            Just about everything about selling into SMB requires different thinking.
            The one-to-many sales model mandates efficiencies that a one-to-one
            selling model simply can't justify. Margins are slimmer, but volumes
            (ideally) run high. So, an efficient infrastructure and commensurate
            processes are key.

            Understanding the SMB sales cycle is a critical step in identifying
            the resources, infrastructure, and processes required to be a credible
            player. Identify the lead generation hand-off points to SMB partners,
            and roles and responsibilities throughout the sales cycle, to ensure a
            more efficient model.

While certainly not simple, selling into SMB can be formulaic, not to mention lucrative. May your quest to find the glass slipper of SMB revenue help you to stay ahead of the curve in all your business pursuits!