News in the Channel - issue #23

PARTNER PROGRAMMES

Partner progress Partner programmes can be an important way for manufacturers to build long-lasting relationships with partners, as Steven Try, channel manager UK&I at Snom, explains.

Good and long-lasting business is built on trust and establishing strong relationships. As a manufacturer, it's important that our partners regularly receive information about us and our products, can share their feedback and preferences, and be appreciated for the work they do in promoting and selling our devices. Partner programmes are often used in the channel to support resellers, distributors and MSPs that are selling manufacturers’ products globally. At Snom, our programme enables us to keep in touch with partners across the multiple markets that we operate in, including the UK. Regular communication and feedback Our reseller partners are the ones out there having conversations with end customers, so it’s vital that our channel programme provides them with the opportunity to share insight and feedback on what they’re hearing in the market. This regular feedback loop helps us to understand where businesses are looking to innovate and what products might fit those needs. Additionally, it plays a part in shaping our product development strategy. It’s important to think about the channels used to share this feedback. Beyond virtual collaboration and regular surveys, getting together with partners in-person provides a chance to talk about upcoming projects and understand how they can be best supported. To enable this, we host a regular partner day in each of our local clusters where we provide a taste of what’s coming up at Snom in the next 12 months, look to better understand what reseller partners need from us and give them a chance to network with like-minded businesses. Localised support When partners are selling a product from a foreign manufacturer or operate across multiple countries, being able to access local support from the manufacturer can make a huge difference to their success. Nuances make it difficult to describe a project or specific requirement to somebody who is not part of the same cultural

background, so having a sales team that is on the ground and can speak the local language helps partners to do business with their customers smoothly. Resellers can also access our Partner Portal at any time, through which they can streamline administrative activities and manage all aspects of their relationship with us. From a technical perspective, if the customer runs into any issues, our support teams can either visit the customer on site to resolve it or troubleshoot remotely. We also offer free technical training, via our Snom Academy, to help resellers better understand the complex world of IP telephony. Annual recognition We like to reward and recognise partners for their hard work in getting our products out to the market and hitting sales targets. Beyond just measuring sales figures though, we recognise partners’ efforts in other areas. For example, we hand out Platinum and Gold Awards each year based on a range of qualitative criteria, such as providing customer support, demonstrating strong knowledge of products, excelling in managing the ordering and delivery process and much more. There are also financial benefits. Partners that have achieved ‘Silver’ level or above in our programme enjoy rebates for selected products when purchasing through authorised distributors. We see our partners as an extension of our team – so we feel our programme is our way of giving them something back. The support and incentives that it offers ensure the bonds that we form are long-lasting, rather than purely transactional.

Partner programmes are often used in the channel to support resellers, distributors and MSPs that are selling manufacturers’ products globally. “ ”

Steven Try channel manager

snom.com