Channels Handbook, 2nd edition
$180 US / 311 pages / 197 figures
Think strategically about channels
This section of the Channels Handbook provides four chapters
to help you and your organization begin to think strategically about
your channels and your channel strategy.
Chapter 1 – What is going on out there? – examines
the crisis of vendor transition, partner transition and vendor portfolio
transition that has befallen the IT channels business worldwide
Chapter 2 – Strategy diagnostics – seven checklists
provides a detailed series of analytical checklists to help you and
your organization “take stock” of the current situation in
your channel strategy, channel programs and channel management groups
Chapter 3 – Channels in transition – focuses
on the impact of customer knowledge, technology and economic forces
on the transition in the IT channels business
Chapter 4 – Channels of the future . . . or channels of
the past – challenges the reader to ask whether or not
their channel strategy and channel methods are based on the past, or
based on the potential of the future
Start with target markets
This section of the Channels Handbook focuses on the fundamental
first step of any channel strategy . . . an understanding of the target
markets for the channel partner. The section also examines issue of
channel segmentation, push/pull strategies, distribution intensity and
channel coverage models.
Chapter 5 – Target markets and channel segmentation –
examines the key target market and channel segmentation issues related
to developing channel strategies for computer hardware, software and
telecommunications vendors
Chapter 6 – Push, pull and channels – provides
workable logic to connect the key channel concepts of segmentation strategy,
marketing strategy and product type
Chapter 7 – Coverage models – outlines the
development of channel coverage models based on management decisions
regarding distribution and channel intensity
Create complete products
This section of the Channels Handbook focuses on the one biggest
reason that products/services launched through the channel fail. The
launches fail because the products/services are incomplete. The section
highlights the requirement of vendors to create and launch products
that are channel-ready.
Chapter 8 – The complete product – examines
the important concept of product completeness (and what the customer
buys) as it pertains to systems of computer hardware, software and telecommunications
products
Chapter 9 – Building channel-ready products and services
for the channel – extends the logic of product completion
to the requirement of channel partners to have a channel-ready product
from their vendors
Create channel functionality
This section of the Channels Handbook examines the requirement
to develop channels that are ready for vendors’ products and services.
The section focuses on channel system modification, channel expansion
and the difficult decision of channel contraction.
Chapter 10 – Channel functionality/channel development
– examines the issue of channel functionality and explores
the critical role that the vendor’s channel development organizations
play in researching, developing and delivering channel functionality
Chapter 11 – Channel systems modification – focuses
on the process of channel system modification and the modification options
that exist for vendor managers
Chapter 12 – Channel expansion – analyzes the
issues of expanding channels and increasing channel functionality with
a detailed review of two critical expansion strategies
Chapter 13 – Channel contraction – highlights
the importance of channel contraction as a necessary and legitimate
activity in maintaining and managing channel functionality
Select the correct species
The focus of this section of the Channels Handbook is on selecting
the correct species of partner to execute your channel strategy with.
Chapter 14 – How are your partners doing? – focuses
on how your partners are doing in the face of a wide variety of pressures
on their businesses
Chapter 15 – Distributor models – outlines
the structure, complexity and roles of distributors in channels of distribution
for computer hardware, software and telecommunications products/services
Chapter 16 – No margin for error . . . distributor action
plan – focuses on what a distributor should do in the face
of the re-engineering that global channels are currently undergoing
Chapter 17 – Volume or value? – reviews volume
and value distributor models and provides guidance on how to proceed
with distributor selection
Chapter 18 – Evolving face of the volume model –
provides a roadmap to help understand the evolving structure of
the volume model of reselling
Chapter 19 – Electronic channels: a discussion –
examines electronic channels to understand where existing notions
of channels or conventional channels are valid and where new channel
thinking is required
Chapter 20 – The Internet (circa 2000): a discussion –
provides a quantitative analysis of the potential impact of the
Internet on the computer hardware, software and telecommunications industry
Chapter 21 – The value model evolves – describes
some of the characteristics of a value model reseller, how it operates,
and how to measure its performance
Chapter 22 – Are system integrators right? – focuses
on the evolving structure of the systems integration model
Chapter 23 – Time for an agent model – focuses
on the reasons agents exist, the components of agent programs, and the
roles and activities of agents
Chapter 24 – The consultant model becomes crucial –
examines the various consultant business models and manufacturing
strategies, reviews consulting economics, and provides some consultant
model profit improvement insights
Build R/E/A/L business propositions
This section of the Channels Handbook introduces important new
tools and analysis in the areas of channel marketing programs. Beginning
with an analysis of R/E/A/L channel programs, the section goes on to
help readers clearly understand what types of programs partners want
to invest in.
Chapter 25 – R/E/A/L channel programs . . . are yours?
– provides a basis for vendors and distributors to think analytically
about what their channel programs are actually doing, or not doing,
in the marketplace
Chapter 26 – Rise of the business proposition –
examines the concept of the business proposition and what makes
up the business proposition
Chapter 27 – What do channel partners look for? –
outlines the thirteen (13) questions that channel partners attempt to
answer prior to investing in a vendor’s channel program
Chapter 28 – Channel marketing program – examines
the impact that channel marketing programs have on the revenues, expenses,
cash flow, margins and asset investments of channel partners
Chapter 29 – The business proposition audit –
provides a methodology to undertake a business proposition audit to
provide vendor staff with competitive business proposition data
Chapter 30 – ROI analysis of partner business education
– provides the results of a ChannelCorp proprietary study that
examines the issue of return on partner business education investment
Chapter 31 – White Paper: Making Money with ABC –
presents a complete approach using the business proposition to recruit
new channel partners
Manage the channel relationship
This section of the Channels Handbook examines the channel management
job as a “boundary spanning role” and then analyzes the characteristics
of the best channel professionals. The section also examines channel
conflict, changes in channel management and measurement and metrics.
Chapter 32 – Channel management: a boundary spanning role
– profiles the “boundary spanning” nature of the
channel management role within the computer hardware, software and telecommunications
industry
Chapter 33 – The best channel professionals – provides
an outline of the characteristics of the best channel and channel management
professionals
Chapter 34 – Managing channel conflict – examines
the sources of channel conflict, its various forms and a number of potential
solutions
Chapter 35 – Changing channel management –
focuses on change in the channel management function; namely what will
the job be, what type of people will be required, and how partner species
changes impact channel management changes
Chapter 36 – Measuring channel management – examines
both vendor and channel partner performance measurement and metrics
Align your channel system
This section of the Channels Handbook is an analysis of the
channel organization of a vendor as an open system. The section introduces
the Total Channels Concept, and examines in detail the various functions
that need to take place for a channel to function successfully.
Chapter 37 – Total channels concept – discusses
the total channels concept and the notion of a channels organization
as an open system
Chapter 38 – Product development – examines
the core function, key aspects and key outputs of the product development
function
Chapter 39 – Product marketing – examines the
core function, key aspects and key outputs of the product marketing
function
Chapter 40 – Channel marketing – examines the
core function, key aspects and key outputs of the channel marketing
function
Chapter 41 – Channel development – examines
the core function, key aspects and key outputs of the channel development
function
Chapter 42 – Product management – examines
the core function, key aspects and key outputs of the product management
function
Chapter 43 – Corporate marketing – examines
the core function, key aspects and key outputs of the corporate marketing
function
Chapter 44 – Channel systems – provides a framework
of key systems required to support a channel system
Chapter 45 – The channel systems impediments –
reviews the problem areas and impediments that channel professionals
routinely run into as they attempt to increase the performance of their
channel system
Fix your service channel strategy
Service channel strategy is the most important aspect of channel strategy
for the foreseeable future. The profitable sale of services is critical
to the profitability of many (if not most) vendors in the computer hardware,
software and telecommunications business. Service channel strategies
are critical to the profitability of vendors’ service organizations
in the “sub Fortune 1000” market and SMB space. The purpose
of this section of the Channels Handbook is to help vendor personnel
begin to frame their service channel strategy.
Chapter 46 – The services marketplace – outlines
the magnitude of the service marketplace and examines the likelihood
of significant channel involvement in meeting the demand
Chapter 47 – Service channel architecture – provides
a foundation to help vendor personnel understand the unique characteristics
of services and the channel implications
Chapter 48 – Are service channels different? –
examines services from the perspective of their needs for core channel
functions and highlights differences and similarities between product
and service channels
Chapter 49 – Diagnosing your service channels –
shows managers a series of diagnostic checklists that will help evaluate
your current service channel situation
Go to Vendor Edge to view a
several chapters of the Channels Handbook.
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