Your channel serves many important roles in your business, but one overlooked function is that of Stabilizer.

We all know that manufacturers can churn out new technologies more rapidly than business customers can adopt them and I’m curious at the recent hype vendors are placing on cloud and how their channels are pushing back with a big dose of reality.   Comments from partners like “Really, today, a hybrid approach is more realistic” and “My customer has assets that haven’t reached end of life.  It will be a while before cloud is a reality for them” are healthy for vendors to accept. 

Undoubtedly, we count on vendors to lead the vision on what’s possible – we want them to push the envelope, but the channel is there to inject what’s plausible. 

3 ways to embrace this stabilizing force:

1. Hit the streets:  Continually capture (and publish) real-world stories about how customers are using your product.  If you’re not clear how they’re being used, ask a partner or customer – go ahead, right now. 
2. Make big claims, but with humble undertones:   You might publish the latest Gartner study saying that this market will grow by 50%, but your channel and customers will appreciate your grain of salt when you make commentary that is a bit more conservative about how long it will take to get there, or about what factors are necessary for this to take place. 
3. Don’t rush in:  Many tout the advantages of getting to market first, but when you manage a channel, your role is more in the realm of change management where you are left to explain how the change occurs over time.  Take your channel with you on the journey. 

Call us if you need help.