Several
lives ago (Southern California, chapter 242), I accompanied
my spouse to a Sunday brunch meeting with her colleague
and spouse. We met at The
Inn of the Seventh Ray, located in Topanga Canyon.
Topanga Canyon is best known for its bohemian artists,
a nudist colony (closed in 2002), the infamous Charles
Manson, and as a Hollywood retreat. The restaurant
sits along a creek surrounded by lush vegetation, butterflies,
and hummingbirds. Birds sing, frogs chirp: it's a veritable
meditation tape. So, likely it won't surprise you
to learn that the menu is filled with such healthy adjectives
as free-range, organic, fresh, whole grain, and paprika-dusted.
You get the picture.
Our
table was nestled comfortably aside a rock, where we
peacefully and professionally made small talk. It was
shortly after the waiter poured our osmosis-infused
water that I spotted the perky little lizard on the
branch near my wife's shoulder. When I made eye contact
with the pint-sized reptile, it sprung with unusual
force across the table directly onto my head. Within
a second, my mind registered the news that the reptile's
tiny little feet had made contact with my skin, at which
point an alarmed yelp emanated from within the depths
of my soul. And, just as quickly as it had vaulted
across the table, the lizard sprang back onto the rock
and scurried away, undoubtedly, to report its exploits
to its friends.
Aside
from the lizard making its way to and from my head,
what remains most intriguing to me is the reaction of
those around me. While clearly there wasn't an employee
or patron that didn't hear me yell, it happened so quickly
that not everyone understood what had transpired. While
most people abruptly looked our way, they just as
quickly got back to their food and conversation once
they determined that there was not, in fact, a chain-saw
killer on the loose. Even my tablemates were nonplussed
after the initial shock was over. It was back to business.
And,
while everyone else moved on readily, I am still telling
the story and remember it like was yesterday. Now, drum
roll please for the point of this reptilian reminiscence.
Not
a day goes by that a channel executive doesn't get an
uncomfortable, sometimes extremely charged, call from
a partner. Typically when the phone call ends, the executive
picks up the phone or emails someone else within the
company to get the ball rolling on the issue. The
lizard, if you will, begins to jump around terrorizing
people who had many other things on their list that
day.
Some
issues, like my outdoor brunch incident, can be diffused
quickly, and become nothing more than an entertaining
story. But if the issue is a recurring one, trust
that the lizard will grow in size and aggression, and
may get downright venomous. Before you know it,
the issue has found its way to your partner blog and
your next partner meeting is steaming with emotion.
So,
consider the following partner issue resolution strategies
to minimize the disruption and keep focused on building
strong relationships and selling productively:
1) If it's not someone's job, it's no one's job. No one ever argues
against customer
support, but for some reason, partner
support often takes a back seat. Have a
place for partners to call, with
a clear escalation process. The VP of Channels
shouldn't learn about an issue
for the first time when a partner dials the number
as a last resort. And, while channel
managers are fine as a starting point,
saddling them with start-to-finish
issue resolution is distracting and keeps them
from building strong relationships
and growing customer revenue.
2) Don't expect what you're
not willing to inspect. Just because you don't
hear
about it doesn't mean that trouble
isn't brewing, or a particular issue has
been resolved. Ensuring that
there is a process for capturing and reporting on
key partner issues up and across
the food chain is critical, including a clear
path for prioritization and resolution.
Make it your business to stay on top of
what's keeping your partners up
at night as well as what's standing in the
way of their success.
3)
It's not the "what" but the "how."
If resolving an issue will take some time,
make sure your partners understand
that. Share your timetable and ensure
that your partners are in the loop
on progress, or the lack thereof. While
partners don't want to hear
bad news, it beats not knowing, and they'll surely
appreciate your transparency and
integrity.
Partner
support and, particularly, issue resolution can be
a thankless job. When done well, a solid relationship
will thrive through the good times and bad. And,
if you're lucky, the lizard will be long gone before
anyone knows what hit 'em, allowing you to stay, at
least, a step ahead of the curve.
email:
jwilkinson@thoughtwav.com