Channel Management: the business dynamic is unique in the IT industry. It is not another program that addresses the “soft” aspects of partner management or account management. Channel Management: the business dynamic is for performance-oriented managers of indirect channels for IT products/services/solutions. In order to convince the business people who run the best partner operations to sustain or increase investments in your programs, your people must understand business. The Channel Management: the business dynamic program has been designed to provide the “hard” business and financial content that today’s quota-carrying partner/account/solution provider managers need.

The primary focus of Channel Management: the business dynamic is to transform “quota-carrying” channel personnel into skilled business people capable of having business conversations with experienced business people. To this end, the program delivers fourteen (14) hours of content-rich executive education and over 600 pages of reference materials and tools to assist attendees in the field.

The stated objectives of Channel Management: the business dynamic are as follows:

- to provide attendees with a strong baseline knowledge of channel and partner finance augmented by the Reseller finance Workbook (provided as a preread)

- to provide attendees with an understanding of the range of Influence Partner models that are emerging in the channel system

- to provide attendees with a clear understanding of the features of the Business Proposition that they are attempting to convince their channel partners to invest in

- to provide attendees with insights into how to “sell” their Business Proposition to the senior managers of their channel partners

- to provide attendees with the concepts and models critical to building strong channel partners and strong portfolios of channel partners

Module 1 – Introduction – The Financial Imperative provides vital insights into the basic financial premises on which partner investments in vendor programs, and vendor investments in partner programs, are based. The module (re)introduces the concepts of Channel Functionality, the Business Proposition, the Sniff Test, and Partner Willingness/ Ability to Invest. At the conclusion of Module 1, attendees will have a clear understanding of the financial give/get that forms the fundamental commercial basis of all channel partner relationships.

Module 2 – Financial Statements provides a review of the materials provided in the preread Reseller Finance Workbook (provided as PDF two weeks before program). At the conclusion of Module 2, attendees will have a clear understanding of the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Working Capital, Statement of Changes in Financial Position, and the Cash Flow Statements of their channel partners. They will be able to talk finance with partners and they will understand partner finance.

Module 3 – Improving Business Performance provides attendees with insights into the basic approaches that their partners can use to improve their financial performance. Revenue Improvement, Expense Suppression, Asset Suppression and building the partners’ Service Business will be examined in detail. At the conclusion of Module 3 attendees will be able to critically and consultatively review the business strategy of a channel partner and clearly comprehend the direction that they are taking.

Module 4 – Transaction Economics is designed to show attendees how their channel partners make money on individual transactions. The impact of Deal Size, Revenue Blend, Margin % and software/storage/services “drag” is examined and a case study is reviewed. At the conclusion of Module 4 attendees will be able to articulate to channel partners how and where they can make money selling the products and services of attendee organizations.

Module 5 – The Business Proposition is designed to provide attendees with an in depth understanding of their Business Proposition and how to present it in the best light to channel partner management. At the conclusion of Module 5 attendees will have the ability to pull the various components of their channel programs together to create a unique Business Proposition for each partner. In short, they will know how to create a compelling ROI scenario for their partners.

Module 6 – Selling The Business Proposition provides attendees with an analytical look at solution provider organization structure and how they make investment decisions. Special focus on the critical role of the solution provider CEO in investment decisions is provided. At the conclusion of Module 6, and after reading the reference report CEOs with Growth Plans Drive Growth, attendees will be able to connect their product or service with the investment and return needs of solution provider CEOs.

Module 7 – Who Needs Influencers . . . What Is Going On Out There provides attendees with a close look at new research regarding the emerging role of Influence Partners in the IT business. At the conclusion of Module 7 attendees will know how and where they need to make an impact in the “solution provider system” and how to identify and work with key Influence Partners.

Module 8 – What Keeps Channel Partners Awake examines the business-related issues of VARs, VADs and Influence Partners that cause them financial concern. Specific analysis of concerns that are driven by vendor strategy and tactics is provided. As a result of Module 8, attendees will have a high level ability to empathize with their channel partners.

Module 9 – Influence Partner Species examines the full depth of the new complex world of Influence Partners. As solutions have become more complex, new species of channel partners have become critical - Web Integrators, Systems Integrators, Consultants, ISV, ASP, ISP, NSP, MSP. Each species of Influence Partner has a unique role in the channel, a unique business model and a unique business proposition. As a result of Module 9, attendees will understand the capabilities of each of the various species of Influence Partners and how to get them to invest in the Business Propositions of the companies they represent.

Module 10 – Making Channel Relationships Work focuses on the characteristics of the best vendor/partner relationships and the personal attributes and practices of the best partner/account/solution provider managers in the IT business. As a result of Module 10, attendees will have a clear idea of what high performance channel relationships look like and what high performance channel managers look like.

Module 11 – Developing Existing Partners provides a “set play” or focus for attendees to help their partners increase their financial performance in the first 100 days following the Channel Management: the business dynamic program. As a result of Module 11, attendees will be able to direct their partners’ product/market activities to the optimal strategy consistent with the current resources of the partner.

Module 12 – Partner Development Plan provides ChannelCorp’s partner-focused methodology to help attendees focus on the key areas of a partner’s business that need to be understood. Each attendee is provided with an electronic version of the Partner Development Plan in order to begin analysis of one of their partners prior to attendance. As a result of Module 12, attendees will have a simple, comprehensive partner development methodology to systematically plan partner investments and activities.

Module 13 – Developing and Managing a Portfolio provides attendees with a framework to help them think about managing a group or portfolio of channel partners in different stages of development. As a result of Module 13, attendees will be able to analyze their partner portfolio and ensure that the correct activities are being engaged in based on the partner’s stage in the relationship.

Module 14 – Building Future Channels provides attendees with a focus on when existing channel partners can be reworked and when they have to be replaced by new channel partners. The issues of time-to-market and channel investment are examined. As a result of Module 14, attendees will be better able to understand when they will need to recruit new channel partners.

The Channel Management: the business dynamic has a complete set of reference materials that are provided to attendees:

Preread/Pre-work
(provided as a PDF 2 weeks before program)

Program Materials
· Channel Management: the business dynamic Program Notes (195 pages)

Reference Materials
· The Reseller Management Handbook (6th edition) (300 pages)
· CEOs with Growth Plans Drive Growth (31 pages)

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