Educate, Motivate and Celebrate

I have blogged about this before (http://channelconnexions.blogspot.com/2008/05/educate-motivate-celebrate.html), but I felt that a little more detail is in order.

Channel Marketing is in the business of educating, motivating, and celebrating. Some describe the function a bit differently (Attract, Enable, and Drive, for example), but I think if you can be innovative and disciplined in your approach to channel education, channel motivation, and channel celebration, you can create differentiation in your relationships. The important thing to recognize is the need for INNOVATION and DISCIPLINE.

Too often, I see channel marketing that still uses the same programs and tools over and over. Not only does this fail to motivate your partners, it does not create any competitive advantage or switching costs. The most successful channel marketing initiatives are new and create and build buzz. It is very difficult to compete with the Cisco's and Microsoft's of the world, especially in their ability to engage the channel. Copying their programs absolutely will not get it done. Try new ways to educate, motivate, and celebrate.

While it is critical that you innovate, you should not do it at the expense of discipline. You need a strategy and a process and you need to stick with them.

If you don't have a strategy...any campaign will get you there!

Whether you use a process similar to the one I have used (http://channelconnexions.blogspot.com/2009/07/connexions-process.html) or you have your own, it is very important to stick with it. The discipline won't guarantee success, but a lack of discipline will likely end in failure.

Over the next few days I will offer up some thoughts on each of education, motivation, and celebration.