Question

Topic: Career/Training

Channel Development

Posted by ReadCopy on 8/25/2004 at 6:48 AM ET 500 Points
OK, I know I could search on Google for an average answer, but I want to know from your exprience. Any sector examples.

Have you ever come across a Channel Development Manager, what did they do ? What didn't they do that you would have liked them to do ? What could they have done better ?

I am interested in this area, it fascinates me.

Thanks in advance
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by SteveByrneMarketing on 8/25/2004 at 2:31 PM Accepted
    Hi Andrew,

    Have you ever come across a Channel Development Manager, what did they do ?
    Of course the channel is the distribution channel, and I have worked with channel managers by their various titles in the technology sector both retail channels and B2B channels. What they have in common is adding new distributors, e.g. Ingram Micro and the like, and building more sales from their existing channel.

    Here are a several titles variations:

    CHANNEL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – South Eastern US
    VAR-CHANNEL SALES MANAGER
    Channel Manager - Education and Enterprise Markets (West Coast)
    Alliance Partner Channel Manager
    Regional Channel Manager
    Indirect Channel Manager
    Channel Account Manager
    Inside Sales/Channel Manager
    National Account Manager - Retail Channel
    Marketing Analyst / Channel Marketing Manager - Consumer Hardgoods Products

    What didn't they do that you would have liked them to do ? What could they have done better ?
    Probably they could make a better effort to know and understand the end user’s wants and needs and how to help make the distributor more successful with proactive creative concepts and programs.

    Hope this helps,

    - Steve
  • Posted by ReadCopy on 8/26/2004 at 2:34 AM Author
    Thanks for this guys.
    The background to the question is that I have come to know a couple of "Channel Managers" in recent months, and I think they both do a terrible job, all they seem to do is take queries from their clients and just get answers from them, there is no promotional activity through the channel, no decent relationship building, no market / competitor analysis .. nothing!

    Anyway, I was having a discussion with a ex-colleague of mine, and explaining some of your feedback and he became intereted in creating a position for his compny and wants me to draft a job spec!

    There seems to be a common thread here about training, motivation, marketing, relationships, joint ventures etc and less on the proactive sales growth that I expected (maybe if this was a sales forum I would get a different response!).

    Anyway, I don't want to steal all your great ideas, so I will close this question down and do some of my own work around it too.

    Thanks all
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