EXPERT SPEAK
HOW CHANNEL PARTNERS CAN ENSURE THEIR VENDOR RELATIONSHIPS THRIVE DURING CHALLENGING TIMES
Being part of an agile , adaptable and collaborative ecosystem is more critical than ever . Bill Cate , Vice President , Regional Marketing and Channel Strategy , Zebra Technologies , on how channel partners can maintain healthy vendor alliances in tough times .
No event in recent history can match the disruptive scale of the COVID-19 pandemic . Around the world , organisations of all types and sizes were shuttered , schools and universities were closed , events were cancelled and once-bustling city centres were deserted . Now , as the world gradually transitions to the ‘ next normal ,’ business leaders are busy identifying best practices and making the necessary adjustments to prepare their operations for an uncertain future that demands heightened awareness of potential threats and a new state of constant preparedness . Within the context of a channel ecosystem , the global health crisis has underscored how important it is for resellers , distributors , integrated software vendors and other solution partners to align themselves with manufacturers that are agile , adaptable and collaborative .
Agility ensures a swift and adequate response
Experience shows that the organisations that best withstood COVID-19 were those that responded swiftly and adequately to the evolving situation . For example , Zebra Technologies focused on communications to maintain our partner relationships , shifting from face-to-face meetings to virtual
Bill Cate , Vice President , Regional Marketing and Channel Strategy , Zebra Technologies experiences , including training . Channel vendors that quickly and seamlessly shifted to a virtual format for partner training , events and communication found it easier to sustain a strong channel programme to the benefit of partners and customers . And those with policies flexible enough to handle rapid responses understood that it would be in the best interest of its partners to place a temporary hold on compliance certification or sales performance reviews . If your business is thinking about joining a channel programme , look for agile vendors that can recognise market disruptions early and take immediate , even proactive , steps to protect its partners .
Adaptability makes operational continuity possible
While it is tempting to believe that the pandemic was an exceptional , once-in-alifetime occurrence , there is evidence to show otherwise . Disruptive events , whether natural , digital , economic , public health or any other , are a given . Individuals and organisations alike must be sufficiently prepared to adapt business activities so when disaster strikes , they can effectively help partners to adapt their businesses to develop and add value to customers . Zebra ’ s channel programme is constantly evolving . The creation of new tracks varies to adapt Zebra ’ s channel programme to the regional needs and market maturity . For example , two partner programme specialisations in RFID and Healthcare were developed in 2020 , giving opportunities to partners to differentiate themselves . COVID-19 has provided an opportunity for vendors and partners to test the resilience of the channel ecosystem as everyone pivoted to a working-from-home model . Did vendors communicate in a reassuring and informative way ? Did they adopt marketing and sales methods that are compliant with health measures and help partners do the same ? Have vendors ’ channel operations even be able to continue ? Or did partners
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