Making The Channel Relationship Work

Channel partnerships, like many relationships, begin with a great deal of enthusiasm.

Press releases tout the symbiotic nature of the new ties between vendor and solution provider. Promises are made regarding joint marketing activities, cooperation on business plans and partner training. But the early ardor often fades once the partnership becomes subject to the fiery test of reality. Disillusionment sets in and the parties become more distant.

The 2112 Group’s September 2013 report, Channel Perceptions: Vendors vs. Partners, demonstrates just how far the two sides can drift apart. Vendors, for example, think quite highly of solution provider partner leadership, but the feeling isn’t necessarily mutual. According to the report, 96 percent of vendors gave their solution providers’ leadership a vote of confidence. On the other hand, only 55 percent of the solutions providers surveyed described the quality of vendor leadership as effective or very effective.

The story is similar when it comes to the perceptions surrounding channel investment. Seventy-five percent of vendors said they believe solution providers make average to high investments in channel relationships, The 2112 Group reported. But just 49 percent of the solutions providers rated vendors’ channel program as adequate.

In short, a large chunk of the solution provider community — a group that includes MSPs — view vendors’ leadership and investment in channel programs with a considerable amount of skepticism. That sentiment has implications for partner loyalty. More than half of the solutions providers The 2112 Group polled said they were likely to very likely to change vendors.

With those findings in mind, The 2112 Group makes a case for putting sustained effort into a channel partnership.

“Channels are not ‘set and forget’ organizations,” the report noted. “They require structure, development and continuous nurturing.”

Building The Relationship

At Webroot, we’re stepping up to the challenge of maintaining solid channel relations. Webroot’s Channel Edge Partner Program aims to build partner loyalty, addressing an MSP’s most pressing needs in the field of endpoint security. The company offers more than a press release and a handshake: Webroot’s channel approach offers features that cut to the partner’s bottom line.

Here are a few examples:

* Webroot SecureAnywhere Business solutions let MSPs leverage extended remote monitoring and management (RMM) service capabilities from providers including LabTech Software. As a result, MSPs can readily deploy and manage endpoint security across mobile devices, multiple domains and geographically dispersed customers from a single console. Simplified management means MSPs can reduce costs, boost productivity and increase recurring revenue.

* Webroot’s technology lets MSPs expand their managed services offerings to include cloud-based endpoint and mobile protection. The company also helps MSPs differentiate and grow those services, providing marketing, sales enablement and sales resources.

* MSPs seek to keep their expenses in line with their recurring revenue models. Webroot offers flexible billing options to help MSPs drive predictable, recurring revenue streams and lower upfront costs.

Overall, the Channel Edge Partner Program includes a dedicated channel account manager, onsite sales and technical training and pre-sales engineering support. Other features include an opportunity registration program for deal protection  and  joint sales calls

Webroot’s objective: keep the channel program and channel partners on the same page. Shared objectives and goals will go a long way toward keeping a vendor and its solutions providers together.

Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of MSPmentor’s annual platinum sponsorship.