Working in the IT and telecoms sector you come across suppliers, both old and new, looking for dealers and resellers on a regular basis. Like any good partnership there needs to be a good fit and having access to a few key areas of information can help you make the right decision. We have come up with a list of what to research when looking for a new channel partner as follows:
Experience
How experienced is the business at delivering services via the channel? Check out their credentials. How long have they operated in the channel? How likely are they to compete with you now and in the future?
Products
Look at the range available. Single or multiple carrier options? Best in class? How are they unique compared to other offerings in the market place? What supporting materials are available to help you add these services to your own portfolio? What training is available? Is it free or paid for? How much of it do you get? Is it just for you or your whole team?
Pricing
How do they compare? Do they offer both commission-based and self-billing options? What's the margin share? Is there a pricing tool? How user-friendly is it? How long does it take to quote multiple products and services? Can you brand and forward quotations straight to your own customers? What support is available when you are up against it on price and need a deal? Is there a mobile app? Can you clearly see your margins or margin share and commission? How efficient is the billing process? When will you get paid?
Tools
Do you have access to an ordering tool? How easy is it to use? Can you store customer data in it securely? Which products can you order in it? Are there multiple systems for each product or can you place all orders in one system? Does it link to the quoting system? How do you receive order confirmations and how regularly do you receive order updates? What are the order install lead times? Are they met?
Support
Customer service and technical support is a given but do you have a dedicated contact and DDI or mobile number you can call day or night? Is there any support to locate and close new business? Can the supplier be trusted to come with you to a customer meeting and help you close the deal? What support is available to handle issues out of hours? How many dedicated support agents are there and how many calls are they handling? Do they have call answer targets and are they meeting them? How do they handle a crisis? Will they keep you up to date with every detail so you can update your customers?
Reputation
How do you find out the answers to all of these questions? Will your supplier give you existing partners to call? Do they have a good reputation in the industry? Ask around. Do they have a high turnover of staff or have account managers been around for years? Find out how long the partner has had a relationship with the supplier. Can they demonstrate growth directly from this relationship? Do they have answers to all of the questions. Will they share the good and the bad?
This should give you a good idea of a potential fit with your business.
The Jola team has worked in the channel for many years. We offer a wide range of internet connectivity from all the major carriers as well as market-leading hosted telephony solutions and the best deal on Vodafone SIMs. To start your research on us ...
