3 Key Areas to Strengthen Channel Marketing and Drive Growth
In the fast-paced world of pipeline and revenue generation, channel marketing teams face immense pressure to drive growth. Despite the uncertainty many channel teams are navigating, leaders remain optimistic, and there’s a growing sense of collaboration among vendors, partners, and distributors.
To explore current trends shaping the EMEA channel ecosystem, I spoke with experts Neil Langridge (E92Plus), Vijay Mistry (Cisco’s ThousandEyes), and Simon Quicke (MicroScope). Here’s a summary of the three key insights we discussed on how channel marketers can improve their programs for greater success.
1. Bridge the Digital Marketing Skills Gap
A major challenge identified by the panel is the ongoing digital marketing skills gap within many channel teams. The pandemic revealed that some teams are still struggling to adapt to digital-first marketing approaches. Simon Quicke of MicroScope points out that this is not just an issue for marketers but also an opportunity for account managers and sellers to bridge this gap through knowledge sharing.
As Vijay Mistry from Cisco’s ThousandEyes notes, account managers can support marketers by leveraging their understanding of the customer landscape and translating that knowledge into more meaningful conversations with prospects. This cross-functional learning could be key in driving more successful campaigns.
For vendors, the focus should be on proactive, hands-on support for partners, beyond just providing generic marketing materials. As Simon Quicke mentions, vendors must offer practical guidance to help partners put materials into action. Partners are eager to learn, and the most successful programs will be those where vendors and partners co-invest in digital marketing enablement.
2. Share Insights on the Evolving IT Landscape and Customer Needs
Another critical area for improvement is providing channel partners with deeper insights into the changing IT landscape and evolving customer needs. Vendors, with their broad market visibility, are in a unique position to educate partners about shifts in the market, new buyer behaviors, and emerging trends.
Neil Langridge from E92Plus emphasizes that educating partners about cybersecurity, buyer personas, and the evolving IT buyer is essential for empowering them to engage in productive conversations with customers. For account managers, building soft skills and asking insightful questions, like “Why are you buying this?” can turn a simple transactional conversation into a more consultative, value-driven discussion.
By helping partners understand the bigger picture, vendors can equip them to have more meaningful and successful interactions with customers.
3. Measure Performance and ROI Effectively
One of the ongoing challenges in channel marketing is measuring the success and ROI of marketing activities. Since each partner uses different tools and tracking mechanisms, establishing a standardized approach to measuring performance can be difficult. It’s also important to evaluate both short-term and long-term impact.
Neil points out that short-term tactics like lead generation and deal registration are easier to measure and track. Deal registration, when properly qualified and aligned with customer needs, can provide valuable insights into program performance. However, for larger-scale operations, assessing the quality of each deal may not always be feasible.
At Cisco, Vijay highlights the importance of pipeline tracking as a way to measure long-term success. While tracking ROI can be complex, Cisco aims for a 10:1 return on marketing investment, using a structured process to assess partner activities and ensure that funds are being used effectively.
Final Thoughts
While the tactics and tools vary across vendors, partners, and distributors, focusing on these three key areas can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your channel marketing programs. By addressing the skills gap, providing valuable market insights, and improving performance tracking, channel marketers can better drive growth and success in today’s dynamic environment.
For more insights and guidance on optimizing your channel marketing strategy, feel free to reach out to me. Let’s work together to accelerate your growth.
