How to Prospect with Extraordinary Effectiveness!

Did you know that Q1 is the best time of the year to prospect for new partners?

New technologies and new product offerings are being evaluated against last year’s successes and failures in both solutions, and partnerships.  Whether the partner prospect is modifying their business model or jettisoning unproductive partnerships this means that a prospecting window of opportunity is now open to you.

You have 3-4 months when partners are making changes to their previous business model and partnerships; and they’re more open now than ever to hearing your pitch.  Later in the year they’re beyond making new partnership decisions and they should be well into wrapping up their new partnership certifications and engaged in sales and marketing activities with the new vendor.

Before listing a few of my favorite prospecting techniques we need to make sure that your head is in the right place for this endeavor.  What I mean to say is, do you know what prospective partners want to hear and do you know what turns them off?

If you’re thinking that they want to hear about the massive margin/discount you’re offering, or that the product is so easy to set-up and install anybody can do it, or you win most deals because you’re the cheapest solution, then Congratulations – you’ve just won the Clueless Channel Manager Trifecta!

Today’s Solution Providers are looking for 65/35 Services/Products revenue splits or better.  When you take away their services and minimize their product profits proudly proclaiming how cheap and simple your solution is – you’re talking to the wrong audience, save this language for end users. Continue reading →