Intelligent Tech Channels Issue 31 | Page 59

CHANNEL CHIEF ME SkyKick is 100% partner focused, which means it never sells directly to end customers. KATHRYN SADUCAS, VP of Global Breadth Sales, SkyKick, explains the benefits of being partner-only focused and how the company ensures that partners flourish. Describe your current job role and the parts that are somewhat challenging? I am VP of Global Breadth Sales for a cloud management company called SkyKick. SkyKick is a global provider of cloud automation and management software for IT solution partners. We build SaaS software that helps IT providers to migrate, backup and manage their customers in the cloud. In this role, I manage a global team of sellers across the US, Australia and the Netherlands. Before moving into this role, I was brought on to build our EMEA business – ultimately scaling from four employees to 50, in SkyKick’s Amsterdam office, during a short period of high growth. When you are a small global company, it can be challenging to attract great talent in a competitive market. Managing a global team across three timezones can be somewhat challenging at times, as well. have free support when they need it – and in their own language. How do you ensure channel partners flourish in a highly competitive market? Our partners often tell us they appreciate how we engage with them and assist them every step of the way. We focus on having a consultative approach to selling and look for ways to help our partners deliver more value to their customers in the cloud. Our products are developed to automate regular tasks and help MSPs, in particular, become more efficient and profitable when using our products. Our support team helps partners with pre-sales onboarding, configuration, enablement, training, planning and scoping projects. As such, we become an extension of their teams. This partnership and collaboration set us apart from other vendors and allow our partners to flourish. Kathryn Saducas, VP of Global Breadth Sales, SkyKick Can you explain how your company works with channel partners? SkyKick is 100% partner-focused, which means we never sell directly to end customers. This is quite a unique selling proposition as many software companies operate with a customer and through partner sales model. The benefit of being partneronly focused is our ability to build strong relationships with SkyKick’s community of partners and be their trusted and preferred vendor. We have over 10,000 partners across EMEA and engage with them in various ways; through online platforms, our distributor network and sales engagement. Our partner success team is critical to ensuring partners What are the latest trends you see emerging across the channel? The world has shifted in recent months, and as such, partners’ and customers’ needs have Our partners often tell us they appreciate how we engage with them and assist them every step of the way. INTELLIGENT INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS Issue 31 TECH CHANNELS 59