Q: What activities will ensure a successful vendor partner program launch?
Meet the expert
Angela Vines is co-founder and vice president for partner services at ServiceKey, an independent provider of hardware service and maintenance for mid-range servers, networking and storage equipment based in Norcross, Ga. She has 18 years of channel development and management experience with hardware and services. Download her entire podcast on vendor partner programs.
You really need to have buy-in for the vendor partner program throughout the organization. That's from the executive management team first, and it just trickles through the organization. Another point would be to have an internal advocate. This person would be the champion of the solution and the program. When you have an internal advocate, they can actually extend the commitment of the organization to the program, and the success associated with it, throughout the organization. Then train -- train your appropriate staff on the program and the solution. The channel advocate can also establish metrics for the program's success.
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