Despite the increasing ability to order IT products and services online, three tier distribution or “the channel” has always been an important route to market for vendors, especially in the sub enterprise space to secure and renew long tail business.
To enable channel partners to prospect new customers and service existing ones, vendors have traditionally put aside vast amounts of marketing development funds (MDF) to support distributors in holding stock, enabling credit lines and supporting marketing campaigns that are provided to Value Added Resellers (VARs) and Managed Service Providers (MSPs)
This successful model was perhaps the reason why previously direct selling champion, Dell Computers, has become one of the largest indirect selling channel companies in the world.
Pre-pandemic MDF funding was largely invested in face-to-face events, with one major enterprise software vendor spending over 80% of its MDF on events to generate leads alone.
And while during the pandemic and going forward channel companies are looking to do more digital marketing to generate brand awareness and to generate leads, events are making a strong comeback in the B2B world, especially for the channel.
Despite research claiming that users in the future will increasingly want less interaction with sales teams, People, it seems, still currently prefer to buy from people.
And what is better than having a conversation with an interested user that has come to your stand or requested a meeting in person. No Zoom, no Teams, no need to ask for consent, no cold calling, no irrelevant email in an overflowing inbox.
But those who have organized or participated in events will know that putting on events is never easy.
Events are strategic opportunities to forge strong connections and generate high-quality leads. However, organizing events can be resource-intensive, involving considerations such as securing stand space and having suitable marketing to adorn it, covering sponsorship fees, managing travel costs, accommodation, and more. Demonstrating a return on investment (ROI) is a constant challenge, demanding not only many attendees but also the right ones who will convert into revenue.
This is where MDF is hugely beneficial for channel partners. By allocating these funds to events, IT providers empower their partners to host impactful gatherings, providing a platform to showcase products and solutions. Done well, it is an investment in meaningful interactions that can translate into long-lasting relationships and substantial business growth. Done poorly and it can be an easy way to burn through funds that could have been better deployed to generate pipeline.
When staying at a decent hotel in a place you are unfamiliar with, the hotel concierge service is often the difference between having an excellent stay rather than just a good one. Not only can they recommend you the best restaurants in town, but they also often have the ability to book good tables at them that might not be available if you just rang or turned up on spec. They also can exchange their knowledge about attractions and provide advice on which ones to prioritize. All in they provide human verification on top of the digital information you may have searched for in
Channel Concierge service has been designed in the same way to help channel partners with the heavy lifting involved in providing marketing services, to attract new opportunities including events so they can concentrate on what they are good at, selling! To this end, Channel Concierge is a centralized, fully integrated Marketing-as-a-Service platform tailored for channel partners. It is not just a service; it is a strategic ally that empowers your partners to fuel their lead generation strategies across many platforms to culminate in the climax of your marketing activity, in-person events.
By allocating MDF to Channel Concierge the service will provide:
By providing partners with the tools, support, and expertise they need, Channel Concierge paves the way for success in today's competitive IT market. Discover true ROI by investing MDF in Channel Concierge and unlock a new level of collaborative growth with your partners.