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And here it is! Your software product is a success! Its up and running, tested and is selling well at home. Now what? Is it time to expand to new markets and territories? Yes, now comes the phase of building a sales network through channel partners! But how to obtain them, keep them and motivate them? How do you achieve the greatest marketability at the lowest cost? It seems a simple task at first glance. But in reality, the process of obtaining sales partners for your software is much more complicated. We bring you an overview of the 13 most common mistakes made in creating and building a sales network through channel partners
competition is most likely one step ahead of you. This gives you a great opportunity to watch their behavior and learn from their mistakes. Start by analyzing their software product, their web sites and their partner program. Put yourself in the role of their customer as well as their distribution channel partner. What do you think are their strongest points? What makes their software stand out? What makes their marketing stand out? How do they obtain partners? What are their territories? Can you compete with them? Is there room on the market for you? Incorporate all of the competitions advantages into your offer and add your own benefit to differentiate yourself.
recommend engaging a channel manager or distributor who comes directly from the given country. When analyzing the potential interest in your product on a foreign market, you can use a method similar to analysis on your domestic market. But we also recommend increased attention to other unexpected details, such as the compatibility of your software with the given market. Also be prepared to address matters associated with language localization, diacritical marks or the legal compatibility of your software
account are the benefits and amount of work the partner must do to make one dollar if they decide to work with you. The less work and more profit involved, the more interesting your partner program is for your partner. So make their work as easy as possible, for example by providing:
more attractive commissions and end prices as compared with the competition several sources of income presales, aftersales, maintenance services and training for your software quality brochures and promotional materials for your software product modern and quality corporate design (web site, photos, advertisement specimens) apt software packaging boxes leads contacts for end customers partner section on your web site (brochures, price lists, manuals, samples of offers)
12. Poor marketing and technical support, lack of training for software channel partners
Dont forget that no one knows more about your software product than you. If you want your channel partners to do a large share of your work, you must be prepared to share a large part of your knowledge. So inform them of all aspects associated with the sale, marketing and service of your software by drawing up a detailed reseller manual, where your channel partners can find answers to all practical questions. Also organize regular training, ending in certification of your partners. As a rule, the less your channel partner knows about your product, the lesser the chances that they will have success in selling it. Likewise, as knowledge of your product grows the inner ties between your partner, your product and you will grow as well.
Conclusion
This article was meant to point out the complexities and elaboration involved in obtaining and managing software channel partners. It is not a detailed instruction manual for success, but more of a basis to go on when you are thinking of creating your own plan for success in indirect sales of your software. If you decide to engage in
indirect sales, patience is truly a virtue. You wont see the first results until you have put in many months of hard work. But when you do see results, youll know that you have made an important step toward financial prosperity and toward establishing your software on new markets.