By Diane Krakora, CEO
How would you define your partner account managers (PAMs)? Are they reactive, fighting fires and responding to partner issues, or are they proactive, helping partners improve their relationship with your company?
If you answered “reactive,” you’re not alone. For so long, the role of PAMs has been just that, focusing mainly on onboarding new partners and taking care of the needs of current partners. The PAMs of yesterday were designed to be reactive in nature.
Topics: Partnering Tips, Channel Best Practices
07.27.16
By Diane Krakora, CEO
I was a Channel Account Manager two, maybe three, decades ago. Way back then, the role was primarily reactive and somewhat administrative. I recruited new partners into my territory, harangued them to a sales goal, ate a ton of bad pizza during “lunch and learns,” and chased stocking orders through distribution. Although the role of the Partner Account Manager has changed to a more pro-active business adviser to your set of partners, the underlying traits of a successful PAM haven’t changed much.
Topics: Channel Best Practices
By Chris Smith, Vice President of Technology
Is your PRM solution (if you have one) built to turn your Partner Account Managers (PAMs) into rockstars? PAMs (or Channel Account Managers – CAMs) are the face of your company to your partners. According to our 2016 State of Partnering Report, the preferred way a partner would like to interact with their vendor is through a Partner Account Manager.
Topics: Channel Best Practices, PRM
This week, hosts Charlene O'Hanlon, channel industry editor & writer, and Diane Krakora, CEO of PartnerPath, ponder some of the recent announcements coming out of the annual Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference that took place July 10-14, 2016 in Toronto, Canada.
Topics: News and Programs, videocast
The 2016 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference attracted 16,000 attendees from 144 countries over 3 days (July 10-14) in Toronto, Canada. Drinking thousands of beers (and tweeting even more) we knew there would be some great quotes to share. We pulled together 16 of our favorites. Which do you like best?
Topics: News and Programs
It is always sad when a relationship doesn’t work out. Both sides have put time and effort into the partnership, and at least one side didn't get the results they wanted.
You may think this is harsh, but we consider the partner account manager (PAM) at fault for every solution provider relationship gone awry. Don’t scream. We know they can’t control every factor of the vendor/solution provider relationship. However, as the designated primary point of connection between the two organizations, they are responsible for communication and collaboration.
Topics: Channel Best Practices
This week, hosts Charlene O'Hanlon, channel industry editor & writer, and Diane Krakora, CEO of PartnerPath, take a deeper dive into the recent acquisition of LinkedIn by Microsoft. In advance of next week's Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, they discuss how the very different channel partners of Microsoft and LinkedIn could potentially form an integrated ecosystem.
Topics: News and Programs, videocast
This week, hosts Charlene O'Hanlon, channel industry editor & writer, and Diane Krakora, CEO of PartnerPath, discuss last week's vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Brexit, which Diane calls "break-it," will no doubt have ripple effects throughout the industry. How will coming industry and financial changes affect both vendors and partners selling in the UK and/or based in the UK? Will we see companies moving their offices out of the UK?
Topics: News and Programs, videocast
06.29.16
By Diane Krakora, CEO
In our most recent webcast, “From Programs to Initiatives: Trends in Partner Enablement,” Michelle Hodges, VP Global Strategy and Programs at Riverbed, and I discussed what it takes today to enable partners across types and program tracks. Among many other topics we tackled the core question: “What is enablement, anyway?”
Topics: Channel Best Practices
This week, hosts Charlene O'Hanlon, channel industry editor & writer, and Diane Krakora, CEO of PartnerPath, chat about why there are so many mixed mergers and acquisitions in the last few weeks and what it may mean for channel partners. How will the technology mesh as bigger fish swallow the smaller fish?
Topics: News and Programs, videocast
