Mingle Monday on The Hybrid Sales Channel

The Hybrid Sales Channel

How to Ignite Growth by Bridging the Gap Between Direct and Indirect Sales

Rich Blakeman, Managing DirectorChannel Sales Center of Excellence

©MHI Global, Inc. All rights reserved.

Why are we here?

Your “Front Door”

Call Centers Integrators Outside Sales

Electronic Commerce

Multiple Distribution

TiersAlliances Inside Sales • • •


Buying Dynamics Changing

Buying Influences Per Sale

Buyer Expectation

of Value Sales

Resources Per Sale

Buyer DemandFor ROI

Customers purchasingthrough partners

as a % of total spending


Poll Question #1

Which trend is most dominant in as you see the market?

A. New and changing buying influences in most sales

B. More sophisticated buyers and buying processes

C. Increased customer choices over how to buy

D. Customers requiring more and deeper levels of resource


Growth Expectations Escalate Growth through acquisition has peaked in many companies Growth projections of acquisitions and integrations have not

been realized to their fullest Many companies no longer have the (capital, share value, PE

support, equity) to continue to acquire Therefore: Organic growth is finally required, not optional But: Many CEOs, Presidents, and CFOs of today have never

actually grown a company organically


Sales Leadership Options Add more direct sales resources Give the direct team more quota Pray for magic from marketing Recruit more partners / better partners Give partners more incentives Move more accounts to the channel


Poll Question #2

What is the highest priority to address the need for organic growth?A. Addition of more direct sales resourcesB. Improving partner coverage/quantity/qualityC. Increasing expectations of productivity

(Revenue per headcount or per partner firm)D. Increasing investment in marketing / tools


The Hybrid Sales Channel

Customer at the Core Coverage Strategy at the

Territory Level Capitalizing on Unique

Strengths of all Resources Eliminating Duplication of

Effort in all Selling Motions


• Separate but co-dependent components

• Unique strengths maximized

• Systems work together to leverage results

• Duplication of function is eliminated

What is a Hybrid Model?


Everything starts with the customer Outside-in, not inside-out Coverage strategy to drive growth, not cost models to increase

“efficiency” Complete transparency and joint planning at the territory and

salesperson level (direct & channel)→ not at the company level Eliminating “seagull behavior”

How do you make it work in sales?

Finding Nemo © 2003 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.


What happens to seagulls?

Finding Nemo © 2003 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.


Poll Question #3

How does seagull behavior impact productive customer coverage at the territory level?A. Conflict between partners and direct at the customerB. Separation of coverage by rules of engagement that are

ineffective or inconsistently appliedC. Customer confusion as to the coverage modelD. All of the above


The Process, Simplified……..How

customers are buying now

Where partners are selling now

Products mapped in

their lifecycle

Whole solution

components

Align direct & indirect coverage at territory level


Territory level Unique Strength leverage Sales Motion

Demand generation marketing

Opportunity identification and qualification

Discovery and solution creation

Demonstration, pilot, proof of concept

Proposal and commercial agreement creation

Implementation planning and management

Account coverage and relationship management

Technical implementation

Solution integration with customer systems or processes

Post-implementation support

DirectSalesperson

PerAccount,

Opportunity,Solution Set,

Buying Influence,

or Segment

ChannelSalesperson

PerAccount,

Opportunity, Solution Set,

Buying Influence,

or Segment


Where do you go from here? Read the book, of course! Ask for help – this isn’t DIY stuff Business case for change Leadership alignment Readiness First line manager engagement Imbed the concepts Do the hard work, then ignite growth!


Channel Sales Competency Study

16


ChannelPRO™: The Channel Ready Operating Model


Channel Ready Sales Competencies

1. Channel Core Fundamentals

Ability to execute on the strategy to identify, recruit, enable, manage and transition channel partners in their

territory

2. Channel Business Acumen

Understand the business model and investment criteria of Channel

Partners and use this to influence their investment and behaviour

3. Influencing Skills

Articulate the key issues & business priorities that affect partners

stakeholders and have the influencing skills to manage

partners to change and invest as required

4. Partnership Planning

Manage the channel partner relationship, engagement and achievement of joint objectives through the partner plan

process

5. Leading and Managing Partnerships

Virtual sales management. Manage partners through critical stages in the sales process and the partner planning and

management processCoach and develop partners to identify and resolve their

own barriers to success and to become independently able to generate indirect sales revenue


Channel Enablers Programs

Channel Success Essentials Leading Trusted Partnerships

Influencing Partnership Outcomes Coaching Partners to Results

Channel Sales Financials

Effective Partner Planning

Miller HeimanProgram

ChannelPartner

Management

1. Channel Core Fundamentals

2. Channel Business Acumen 3. Influencing Skills

4. Partnership Planning 5. Leading and Managing Partnerships

Channel Ready Competencies Mapped to Programs


Rich [email protected]

+1 612.216.4212@RichBlakeman

mailto:[email protected]