le E
EDITOR’S COMMENT
m
p
ad
lo
ve
Me
De
raj
s
es
Hod
usin
a, Vic
e President of B
T
he landscape of channel partner programmes is changing
rapidly. The products in the technology sector continue to evolve
from legacy solutions to cloud-based products and services.
Channel partners have proven to be remarkable change-agents, both
in front of their customers and inside their own businesses.
For a partner programme to work, first you need to partner with
the right people with your goal not just being to find more partners,
but more partners that will commit to becoming certified. In addition
to this, successful alliances focus on driving value for both parties,
but far too many people come to the table with their own list of asks
and no insight into what they can do to help their partner. If the right
balance of give and get is made, it sets the stage for an equitable
and healthy long-term relationship where both partners (and, most
importantly, your mutual customers) win.
If I had to broadly sum up the basic elements for a successful
partner relationship they would be:
Understand motivations and goals (on both sides): Make sure you
understand why the partnership is important, what both sides
hope to gain from it, and what is considered a win after one year –
and make sure there is an obvious win-win relationship
Build a relationship: Partners do business with people they
know, trust and can depend on. They need to know who they
can count on to solve problems and they need those problems
solved quickly. That means there must be someone dedicated
to nurturing partner relationships, growing mind-share and
responding to their needs
Communicate regularly: Regular communication is critical.
While email is fine, picking up the phone or using the many
video conferencing options to talk live is much better. Talk about
opportunities, changes, challenges, support issues, etc. before
they become urgent. Document and make sure everyone is on the
same page
Be committed/be responsive: The old saying ‘say what you
are going to do and do what you say’ seems trivial but how
many actually make this a priority? If you make good on the
commitments you make and are responsive to your partner’s
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS
Issue 21
MAKING A
PARTNER
PROGRAMME
SUCCESSFUL
MOHAMMAD MERAJ HODA, VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT – MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA AT RING
needs, you will stand out from others and
become more important to your partners
Today’s carefully architected partner
programmes that use industry accepted
best practices often fail because they are
designed to attract and engage all partner
types but are not aligned with the changing
business models or needs of individuals
within these partner organisations.
Today, more than ever, the business of
partnering has become personal in the way
relationships are built and nurtured.
Channel partners
have proven to be
remarkable change-
agents, both in front
of their customers
and inside their own
businesses.
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