Blog

Use Channel Data to Drive Better Decisions

By Diane Krakora, CEO 

Those who know me know I’m a data girl. I always have been. I thrive on numbers and charts and quantifiable information.  It's increasingly important for channel leaders to collect, understand and act on data coming out of their channel initiatives to make effective decisions for growth. I'm excited to see data becoming more important in the hearts and minds of channel leaders.

By Diane Krakora, CEO

Our good friends over at Averetek share data, trends and insights in their State of Inbound Channel Marketing report. Leveraging the data from their clients and their clients’ channel partners use of the Averetek channel marketing automation platform, Averetek is uniquely positioned to analyze and share what works (and what doesn’t) in channel marketing.

By Amanda Hawkins, Marketing Director

Channel partnering doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and those folks working in the channel have some key go-to places for great content. Before I joined PartnerPath I was a bit foggy on what the partnering channel is, and thanks to great sources like these I (try to) stay in-the-know on all the latest partnering happenings. Whether it’s news, opinions or advice, I’ve bookmarked the following sites for their great content.

The following is an excerpt from our 2016 State of Partnering report: 10 Trends for a 2020 Vision, using survey responses from over 100 vendors, 200 solution providers and years of industry data. 

The data spotlight moves to channels.

Data has the power to change the world, or at least how we all interact with the world. From FitBits, Apple Watches, sales force automation and human capital management to customer relationship management (CRM) and partner relationship management (PRM), we all love data. The C-Suite now expects data-driven discussions and decisions based on facts and observable trends. You will be more successful in any initiative if you can provide supporting data, trends and insights.

By Diane Krakora, CEO

Don't just take it from us. More perspectives abound.

In my last post I discussed what we believe are the top 10 mistakes vendors make when it comes to working with their channel partners. It’s a topic everyone in the industry tends to ask me – so I expanded the discussion to a recent webinar with Stephanie Sissler (at right), Senior Research Director, Channel Sales Strategies at SiriusDecisions. During our hour-long discussion, Stephanie took on each of the 10 mistakes, as well as a few anecdotes on what some of her clients are doing to help smooth the often bumpy road for their channel partners.

By Diane Krakora, CEO

On a plane, train or even Uber I’m regularly asked, “so, what mistakes are we making in the channel?” Okay, so not just anyone asks me this question. But at any channel event or conversation with someone who is even tangentially related to partnering I rarely have  more than a 15-minute conversation before this question surfaces. I typically call to mind this handy checklist of channel mistakes, which unfortunately hasn't changed much in recent years. It’s easy to remember them because –  regardless of industry – most companies fall prey to at least 3 of these mistakes.