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Tech Channel Video Cast: Can LinkedIn Partners Fit in the Microsoft Ecosystem?

07.08.16

What are the 4 steps to help ensure a successful merge of partners?

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

Tech Channel Video Cast: Thoughts on Brexit and the Channel

06.30.16

What's the cost to the channel of the recent Brexit vote?

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

What the Heck is Partner Enablement?

06.29.16

... And Why Should You Care?

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

Tech Channel Video Cast: So Many Mergers & Acquisitions

06.23.16

What does all this M&A mean for channel partners?

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

Tech Channel Video Cast: Challenges of MDF & Awareness Marketing

06.20.16

Help partners fill the pipeline.

This week, host Diane Krakora, CEO of PartnerPath and recurring guest Peter Thomas, CEO of Averetek, further discuss the importance of top of funnel (TOFU) marketing. Some vendors are hesitant to give partners MDF funds for this type of awareness building. Why is that? And how can these concerns be addressed?

Topics: videocast, Channel Best Practices

PRM is for partners, don't make it too spicy

06.16.16

By Chris Smith, Vice President of Technology

I really enjoy cooking and I do most of the cheffing in our household. I also happen to love spicy food and often cook spicy dishes. Recently, we had friends over for dinner and I made a new recipe, sampling the dish throughout its preparation, and to my taste it was expertly seasoned. But alas, I wasn’t the only one eating the meal. I subjected my guests to dinner that was too spicy!

Topics: Channel Best Practices, PRM

6 Steps to Launch a Lasting Partnership

06.08.16

By Diane Krakora, CEO

As a company focused on perfecting partnering between organizations, we’ve been reflecting on our recent partnership with Averetek. In a new partnership, sometimes everything falls into place quickly and other times you must be diligent with checklists, meetings and emails to get everything in order. In fact, we believe there are six key steps to launching a lasting partnership. We've made smooth, steady progress in our new venture with Averetek, and here's a self-check in the mirror to see how it's going.

Topics: Channel Best Practices

Tech Channel Video Cast: Partner Marketing Needs TOFU

06.03.16

Teach partners the importance of marketing.

This week, hosts Charlene O'Hanlon, channel industry editor & writer, and Diane Krakora, CEO of PartnerPath, were joined by Peter Thomas, CEO of Averetek. Building upon the discussion in a recent webinar on "Marketing Musts," they talk about to, with and through partner marketing and the importance of helping partners understand all the stages of the customer lifecycle. 

Topics: videocast, Channel Best Practices

Take it to the next level, Focus on Individualized Enablement

06.01.16

Partner initiatives are replacing big programs.

10 Trends for a 2020 Vision – Uncover #8

If you haven't had a chance to read the full report yet, take a look at how individualized enablement will become a key priority for the future of the channel. 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. Download the complete report here.

Not all partners need all the elements offered in partner programs

We’ve said this a few times: not all partners are the same. And as the market continues to evolve toward cloud solutions, additional different partners will emerge. In just the last ten years we’ve seen the decline of VARs, Catalogs and DMRs and the emergence of MSPs, cloud brokers, telcos and even digital marketing agencies as channels to end-customers. Increasingly, a larger variety of partners will surface, driven by different customer requirements.

Topics: Channel Best Practices

Tech Channel Video Cast: What SHOULD the PAM role be?

05.27.16

Fully support this lifeline to your partners.

This week, hosts Charlene O'Hanlon, channel industry editor & writer, and Diane Krakora, CEO of PartnerPath, continue the discussion of the role of the Partner Account Manager (PAM). How has this role evolved? How should it change and be given credit for the valuable role it is? Do you have the right people in these positions?

Topics: videocast, Channel Best Practices