In the second stage of the Partner Journey, Consideration, solution providers evaluate the products, technologies, brands and/or companies to meet their needs. The solution providers report they are considering 2.3 vendors (on average) against each other. That doesn’t seem like a lot! But remember, they’ve already reduced the number in consideration during the Awareness stage.
As the first to connect with a specific vendor (in the Consideration stage), evaluation often comes from the partner sales teams. In some instances, depending on the size and focus of the solution provider, the solution architect (or practice manager) might start the dialogue with a specific vendor. This is interesting because most vendors expect a prospective solution provider to complete an online partner application to kick off the engagement process. However, if the partner sales representative starts the discussion inside the solution provider and begins talks to evaluate new vendors, these sales folks are not going to take the time to complete a vendor’s partner program application.
On the vendor side, the VP of Channels identifies the need to recruit new or different partners but the Channel Development Manager (or Partner Manager) is responsible for evaluating potential partners’ alignment to the target profile. (This could also be the Director of Channel Sales depending on the size of the vendor organization.) This early engagement between the vendor partner manager and the solution provider sales rep will determine if a vendor is included as part of the solution providers’ consideration set.
The vendors ranked these criteria after Business Model:
Each of these individual metrics provides relevant data about a partner’s business and potential success within your ecosystem. When compiled together they create a powerhouse evaluation. It’s easiest to collect these metrics in a phone call with the solution provider sales representative, likely the person who reached out for some initial information about your products and pricing. Often these requests come through your website to the inside sales team and should be quickly and efficiently routed to the channel management team to develop and nurture a relationship with the solution provider rep.
At this stage of their journey, partners are prioritizing availability of support and pricing in their consideration of potential technologies or vendors. In last year’s study 6 Pillars of Partner Experience, ‘access to support teams’ topped the elements that affected a partner’s experience with a vendor. This continues to emphasize a trend we’ve been pointing out for several years – the primary pain point for solution providers has shifted from ‘access to product’ to ‘effectively designed and delivered services.’
The solution providers also ranked product functionality and compatibility with existing solutions as very important to their evaluation processes. Solution architects get involved in the evaluation of technologies and vendors during this Consideration stage for this very reason. It is highly unlikely solution providers would expect their sales teams to evaluate the product functionality, which is needed to move into the next stage: Decision.
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*In December of 2017, we surveyed 104 vendors and 220 solution providers on the people involved, priorities and expected outcomes of the partners’ journey.