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Full Speed Ahead!
 As
our twins transitioned from the shelter of a cozy neighborhood
elementary school to a much larger middle school this
year, the number of teachers increased exponentially
along with the complexity of their schedule. So, when
we received the invitation to a parent-teachers
conference, we couldn't imagine how the school would
accommodate parents of some 240 adolescents in each
grade. We signed up, more out of curiosity than
anything else. (We already knew our girls were "chatty.")
Upon
arrival, we checked in with the guidance counselor,
who consulted the command and control spreadsheet. She
directed us to wait in a vacant classroom, where we
milled around for a couple of minutes with other intrigued
parents. At precisely our appointed time, we paraded
to the library where individual teachers sat with their
files at separate tables. Another counselor announced
our names and directed us to our starting table. We
were allotted five minutes with each teacher. At the
five-minute mark, a timer sounded and we rotated to
the next teacher. If someone dragged his feet, the parent
next in the queue would hover, effectively moving things
along. The entire process worked like a charm and
we were done with each child in 35 minutes -- an
ample amount of time, as it turns out, to learn what
you need to know and share about your kids.
I
left the conference impressed and thinking about ways
in which such efficiency could be applied to the business
world and, as is often the case, this led me to partner
development. One of the biggest concerns expressed
by our clients is how to get partners productive and
selling on their behalf more quickly. So, in the
spirit of "netting it out," here are some
quick fixes for speeding up the process:
1)
Trim down
the size of your partner application. When was the last time you revisited
the application that you ask prospective
partners to complete? How long does it take to
fill it out? Do you prepare the
applicant with sufficient directions so that the form
can be
completed in one online session?
And, are you asking only the essential questions to
enable a fair evaluation? Your
application is an indicator of what you might be like
to
work with as a partner. Keep it
short and sweet.
2) Hasten the approval process.
Who really needs to look over the application
before it's
approved? Generally, the process
requires four areas of review:
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Channel
Operations, to take a first pass for completion
and fit
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Finance,
to check for credit worthiness
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Sales,
which can attest to fit and credibility
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Legal,
to consider contract revisions
After
that, it's pretty much fat and bureaucracy. Unless
you have hundreds of applications
coming in each week, ask yourself
why you can't approve a partner's application
in a couple of days. Better yet,
automate as much of the process as possible. If it's
a thumbs-down, let them know and
move on. If it's a thumbs-up, get them moving to your
on-boarding process ASAP.
3) Get partners
ready to sell quickly. What resources
are needed to get the partner's
solution in sync with yours?
Why can't you draft a joint business plan right
away?
What's preventing a new partner
from beginning to train on your products and services
next week? Consider assigning
an inside sales resource to guide partners through
the
process. Better yet, why not
build the on-boarding schedule into your partnering
agreement? Supporting new
partners with resources from day one keeps
enthusiasm high and parties engaged.
4) Sell together soon and often. When's the last time you
invited a partner to join
you on a sales call? Or, exposed
them to existing customers, to hear directly what
business problems your joint solution
could solve? You don't turn your direct sales
teams loose without a fair amount
of hand-holding, and the same holds true
for partners. The more partners
see and hear how it's done, the faster they'll sell
independently on your behalf.
In this era of downsizing, streamlining partner application and on-boarding
processes can have an immediate impact on partner
productivity. Proactively driving efficiencies like
these across your partnering infrastructure can help
you differentiate and keep you ahead of the curve.
Opportunity
Knocking
Clients Seeking Candidates
One of our clients is looking for
candidates to fill the following position:
Candidates Seeking Job Opportunities
The following individuals are looking
for opportunities to add value to a company seeking
channels and business partner expertise:
-
VP, Marketing and/or Channels
-
Director, Business Partner Ecosystem
Development (ISV Specialty)
-
Business Development Executive -
New Jersey
If you are seeking an opportunity
or candidates with such skills, please contact
us for more information.
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Thoughtwav
helps companies build and execute profitable go-to-market strategies
through direct, partner and alliance channels.
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 email:
jwilkinson@thoughtwav.com
phone: 781-652-8727
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