Techaisle’s Anurag Agrawal: So Long, ‘Trusted Adviser’
… not buying technology on a single-transaction basis; instead, payments may be monthly or annual, but in either case, the channel partner realizes money over time. The current-term value of a cloud deal is nearly always less – often, much less – than a product transaction cost, which creates a significant challenge for channel businesses developing cloud business operations.
To stay viable, channel partners need to transform core functions throughout their business. For example, management has to manage (and measure) differently. Sales has to sell (and compensate) differently. Marketing has to change and expand its purview and technical staff has to develop new and different skills.
‘Trusted Adviser’ Is an Archaic Term
The term “trusted adviser” is tired. It must give way to a meaningful customer partnership or super consultant.
There are few more cherished channel objectives than attaining the position of being a “trusted adviser” to customers. The phrase connotes a relationship rooted in respect, where the channel partner provides sage counsel to customers who rely on the partner for not just technology, but also strategy. For decades, channel partners have aspired to achieve “trusted adviser” relationships with their customers. The concept is so ingrained that it is nearly impossible to separate the notion of “trusted adviser” from the broader sense.
For the “meaningful customer partner” or “super consultant,” the nature of the sales relationship will be a critical determinant of channel success. When all channel partners call themselves “advisers,” there will be no differentiation left across partners — so focus on being a meaningful customer partner delivering customer success.
Becoming a “meaningful customer partner” demands that channel members change their approach to structuring customer contracts, to measuring progress on agreements, and to billing for services — in essence, moving from a tactical approach tied to “solving a customer problem” to a more strategic focus on “delivering customer success.”
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