The “Channel” is an interesting place to work, no matter which industry you might call on. You are still approached with similar challenges. Whether it be finding yourself as some sort of large north barge, breaking ice to the point of exhaustion or how to hit your numbers with half the resources of the next brand…it can be an up hill battle (and the hill is definitely a bit oily).

As a Channel Manager you are tasked with steering Resellers, Distributors, and Marketing initiatives, effectively “owned” your patch. So it is no surprise there can be a fast rate of turnover with a HIGH rate of burn outs. Coming through a few Channels (Retail, B2B Technology, and Hospitality/Foodservice), getting to know people almost becomes a joke in itself sometimes.

You will find many that don’t really look to invest in you until you have been around for a while (how do you do that when they don’t want to engage, right?), and that in itself can make the role beyond challenging.

Don’t worry, we got you though, after doing our own grind over the years we have some thoughts to share on how to be “the resource”, no one can refuse. Maybe or maybe not the last one is the most important, but it doesn’t happen without the first 4 so…what does that matter?

5 Ways (Top is so presumptuous) to be the Channel Account Manager no one saw coming:

1. Do more prospecting that you should, always.

Before you can be the “Deal Maker” you have to be the “Deal Finder”, this role requires dedication and with that a fine line between business and personal. If you walk that line well, you can keep your ears open for Opportunities everywhere. Be IN your market, that means stay educated about not only what your Distributor’s or Reseller’s End-Users are doing (good start though) but understanding what that End-User Vertical is doing in in other best practices. Being a SOURCE is the first step to being a RESOURCE.

2. Build actual relationships, invest in people.

No, this doesn’t mean getting the best deals on bottle service (we know it’s a skill), although “Gary’s” story is touching after a few glasses, he likely won’t remember that “bonding” moment in the morning. It won’t turn to deals and your budget won’t recoup as fast as that veteran AM. What you need here is to let your guard down a bit, drop any facade, keep professional, and just be yourself. Not everyone may LOVE you, but people will see they are getting to know the REAL you. In an environment where that tends to be rare, it will be refreshing. Just don’t treat the office like it is your house…it’s not (no matter how much you “decorate” your cubicle), but who is in an office now anyway? (We will cover Zoom habits at a later date)

3. When you see a challenge or “problem” be proactive, and communicate PRIVATELY.

Being proactive beyond things that are “Paying at the moment” just doesn’t happen enough, being helpful on the job and paying attention doesn’t stop when the phone hangs up or your current engagement ends. In addition, don’t be “that guy” introducing Operations or other issues, without talking to the people directly responsible for them. Giving the team and the company the opportunity to overcome challenges, together, it is the life blood of longevity in our eyes. Throwing people under the bus…well just gets messy.

4. Ask peers, vendor associates, and daily contacts; “How can I make our days easier?”

This is a big one for us, being self-aware is great, but having a better awareness of those in your environment is the secret. This doesn’t mean you have to be everyone’s best friend, it’s actually more of an operational efficiency purpose. Everyone (we mean everyone) around you plays a significant part in the machine that is your organization. On or off your immediate team, showing a small passion for what others do to support will go a very VERY long way. No need to be overly curious or micro-manage your peers, show actual interest in the challenging part of what they do. If you aren’t sure what those are…start there!

 

5. Don’t ask for deals…really ever.

OK, this MIGHT be a little bit of an overstatement, but it really is true and if you play your cards right…you don’t have to ask for deals. If you are bringing Opps to the table and covering the other ground discussed, the deals come. Don’t get confused, this isn’t the same as “asking for the deal” or “closing”, this is simply don’t run up on “Tom” and ask him what he has for you today after talking to him 3 times. You should be too busy helping them find Opps that there isn’t time to even ask this question.

A few days in the week at the gym doesn’t hurt to keep the energy going either

Most of all enjoy the environment and the people in it, you will find common ground with many you would never expect. You even stand a chance at making a life long bond here and there, and that’s the real payout.

How does Channel specific Brand Management stack up?

This is a great option for many organizations, teaming up with a Marketing Partner that has experience in the Distribution Supply Chain of interest. Many times they can help save you hours and dollars in understanding the audience and how you must evolve your messaging. They may be aware of market trends and best practices that are not as obvious as one might hope.

You can see great working examples of this through the Consumer and Commercial markets, many times one wouldn’t even notice where say a Pepsi Co ended and their Marketing Partner takes over. It seems this usually works best, and mostly, in the upper tiers of the product performance tree. Where questions aren’t asked quite as much because there is plenty of Revenue to go around.

However, when you are not the titan in the room, and look to Brand Management to help grow in a previously difficult market, questions get asked. There is a certain aloof feeling for many Executives towards their Marketing Partners when an organization is in a heavy growth phase. Sometimes ROI can be hard to track, especially in less technology dependent Supply Chains, which leads to complicated evaluations of partner value.

Traditional Marketing Partner Challenges

As the Marketing Partner model leaves them without the proverbial “seat at the table”, in a mature Supply Chain, it also means they have a bit less “skin in the game” to an extent. Like every relationship, advantages and disadvantages are a part of doing business. When looking to launch INTO a market with no presence the biggest issue is actually large format Resellers or Distributors. If these relationships have not already been developed, Marketing Partners can prove to find difficulty with creating traction in Commercial Equipment Channels of any kind.

If they do find traction, and the Purchasing Lanes have not been established, it could set your orders back weeks, months, or have customer moving on to something easy to purchase. Not a situation you want to find your team in, instead of celebrating their new success. You may instead find yourself worrying about the organizations reputation to deliver, and trying to patch up valuable relationships.

Can “Channel as a Service” offer a more complete DMS solution?

The idea of Channel as a Service is to offer a Distribution, Marketing, and Sales (DMS) Management experience that is integrated with the industry it serves completely. The feasibility of such, many times, depends on the existing Supply Chain model and how margins are passed down. In a perfect world you may have a partner who can accomplish all three, but more commonly today are Marketing & Sales Management programs that do their best to influence DMR (Direct Market Reseller) or Distribution Sales Teams.

End-Users purchase from the Channel because they are looking for more than the best price, they are looking for a relationship. Thankfully this mantra follows through with the Sales Teams in the Channel, which means that influence can go a long way. Sometimes the simple difference of which similar product link a Territory or Account Manager decides is a better option for their customer, comes from more than it being the best price. Most associate the level of support they are given in this situation to the level of support their customer will receive, enough said. When they are making that decision with the buying power of an entire  Hotel Chain or Restaurant Group in mind, relationships become more than relevant.

Combined with the ability to bring your brand messaging to the proper door, the right way, these partners support with their own personnel packages and Channel Management tools. In all efforts they walk and talk the Brand and, because of the investment they make into each program, generally look for multi-year contracts with established Manufacturers.

This Channel Management model has existing in Commercial Technology and other industries for decades, perhaps just lacking the new-fangled terminology. However, it is what has lead the likes of Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Xerox, and others to the top of the Technology Distribution Supply Chain

Supply Chain Integrated Resources (SCIR), they matter. How do we define them?

Stepping beyond traditional Brand Management into an even more holistic relationship (Channel Management) with longer commitments is a big part of the solution, but still doesn’t solve the “seat at the table” issue or help manufacturers “break into” a new market. This can only be solved, by what we would call, a Supply Chain Integrated experience, in which the Channel Partner has existing Product Lanes at the National level Distribution.

!Opinion Warning!

First, let me make it very clear, I feel that most markets have been somewhat plagued with half-thought marketing relationships, an aging sales model, and/or an “All I have to do is beat the competitors price” mentality. This, for me, is part of what led many markets into the “Amazon Era”. That aging sales model left customers in Commercial and Consumer markets alike feeling unsupported and the marketing relationships without vision put all the eggs into the “price driven e-commerce” sellers basket (reference Toy R’ Us bankruptcy).

!End Opinion!

Fast-forward and there is now a great effort to increase value to the customer and the idea that consumer feedback is trending, may even be an understatement. Supply Chain Integration allows a Channel Partner to react quickly to changes and assume a level of responsibility unlike before.

Having the ability to understand the business at a deeper level, with the inclusion of a consolidated Channel Distribution Management relationship, offers a few key advantages:

Playing by the “Channel” rules, mostly.

This type of Channel relationship integration is not without its challenges though. The solutions can only come with experience and a very detailed program, which clearly outlines not only the opportunity for your business but the commitments required for success. Knowledge of multiple category pricing models, distribution margin thresholds, balanced rebate programs, and distributor specific culture are just scratching the surface of what the right Channel as a Service package should offer.

Since many National Distributors or DMRs won’t open new accounts without Enterprise level End-User support for your product, a CaaS program that is properly Supply Chain Integrated offers unique opportunity to up and coming innovation. And as we look to innovate the supply chain, it is only natural for a path to be built in the face of resistance.

When the Supply Chain trusts too many people, it’s an issue.

Mentioning “Supply Chain” to us means a developed network of trusted partners with a proven track record of doing their part to bring a major end-user group a product. This means from raw material to specialized delivery resources, everyone has it figured out and has put their experience to use preparing for challenges. This can be a particularly challenging area to break into, especially in Hospitality and Foodservice Distribution, and for good reason.

There are always those challenges you just cannot prepare for, the ones you can only learn as you go through. At this point, those in the Supply Chain are reminded of what may happen when you must rely on new partners and vendors to keep the wheels turning (literally):

• Care New England unknowingly distributing counterfeit masks
• 3M has seized over 3.5 million counterfeit masks
• 3M shuts down close to 12,000 fraudulent online mask sellers
• 500,000 counterfeit masks seized by the Chicago CBP in September
• CDC Develops an EXTENSIVE list of counterfeit manufacturers
• 20,000 fake masks supplied to 10 hospitals around Bangledesh

And that is hardly even the tip of the iceberg. LinkedIn has becoming a sounding alarm to scammers, fraudulent BUYERS, and dishonest sellers alike. Playing host to an outpouring of tough to read stories and facilities in dire situations, has become way too common of a place for a network usually steaming with energized professionals looking to change the world.

Thankfully “Supply Chain Heroes” were born as well, with major operations moving mountains to migrate into PPE production from hand sanitizers to reusable masks and gowns. This is the ingenious human nature that built the strong base we function on today, but even it was not enough, and shortages persist even now.

A shift in the Supply Chain “Brotherhood”

Being part of a major supply chain is without a doubt an invaluable asset to most businesses. It is the backbone to the Hospitality, Restaurant, Automotive, Education and Consumer Electronics industries among many others. In history nudging your way into this brotherhood was made exceedingly difficult thanks to relationships and stringent service standards that would send some right out of business.

Recently one could notice a softening of these guidelines and “members only” conditions. The ever more volatile shift in consumer trends and available technology has birthed a more embracing approach to partnerships anew. Looking to offer market leading services and products now means incorporating sometimes less proven or even unproven resources to some.

The point opens here that even partners new to the scene, the same as its legacy seats, serve themselves best to stick to a similar detailed process that created the stewards of their industry. Tempering your groundbreaking moves with real world vision and being self-aware of accountability to others becomes essential. As we start to develop a snapshot of the “new norm” deviation from this mindset, while coming to market with what may be lifesaving solutions, could become a more common yet dangerous common occurrence.

Flexibility, Expectations, and Investment are all REQUIRED

Established and newer organizations both tend to struggle with understanding how rewarding adapting to the needs of another “link” in a mature supply chain is. Relationship leads tend to imagine they know best on both sides of the ball, but without proper exposure to errors which give reason to seemingly pointless guidelines. Only revealing itself after a mess has been created, obviously communication and a respect for the process are the first steps to being a consistent (good) partner.

The right relationship leads to a more than measurable jolt of the meter most times. When proper expectations are met, and everyone in the loop is honest about their strengths and WEAKNESSES, a real synergy is born. It presents itself as the base line for any good organization…repeat, high volume, and forecast friendly REVENUE. If you want to know how to get on your first Marriott or Fridays bid, these players are the holy grail.

Of course, none of this applies to those that have gone beyond just “pushing the limits” and ventured into trunk slamming and internet scamming. We will just have to hope enough people get wise and enough whistles are blown before more damage is done.

Our parting Supply Chain advice to all?

If you want to stick around, just be careful; ask for references, google everything, and obviously check LinkedIn before making promises to the next “link” in your Supply Chain. Avoid the “too good to be true” situations and reinforce open communication no matter if you are a Manufacturer, Distributor, Reseller, or even End-User. If more “links” in the supply chain are willing to do their part and pay attention to detail, accountability stands a better chance at surviving these times for everyone.

Source:

Original Article – NonTheory Business Services