The lament of the drowning channel marketing manager

When we meet with vendor channel marketing managers who are responsible for MDF or COOP funds three common themes emerge:

1. Partners don’t apply for funds.
Partners don’t apply for the marketing funds they’ve accrued, or they’re entitled to. Prodding from CAMs, content-rich portals and ‘do-it-yourself’ campaigns-in-a-box make little difference.

2. Partners need more support.
Some partners do apply for their funds but, not having a marketing person in the team, quickly turn to the distributor or vendor channel marketing teams for direct support. Before they know it, channel marketers are answering questions about telemarketing scripts, proofing eDM copy or helping source venues (and everything in between). This often overwhelms and incapacitates channel marketing teams who were never resourced to be frontline tactical marketing support for resellers.

3. Partners don’t ask for help.
Partners apply for funds and don’t ask for help once they have the money: but the channel marketing manager wishes they had. Old logos show up on campaigns, email campaigns breach the Spam Act, events are put on with few qualified attendees attending and copy writing is poor. And chasing down proof of execution and documenting the pipeline results becomes a new job in itself.

Channel marketing managers feel like they’re drowning
The channel marketing managers Outsource helps the most are usually experiencing at least two of these issues simultaneously. Often the business is directing them to support partners wherever possible, but not to lose focus on their day jobs either.

It’s a tough place to be. It’s also not sustainable.

Senior marketers are not going to stay in channel marketing roles for long where they are compelled to step back five or 10 years to be a tactical marketing resource.

Those with less experience are often operating in a state of permanent overload with little time for their own professional development and, usually, with limited internal support. And reseller principals can be a tough lot. They expect focus in return for throwing their lot in with a vendor and aren’t afraid to ask for it.

Get back on the front foot
There is a way to get back on the front foot, and have more partners effectively engaged with MDF and COOP programs, while reducing your direct partner support workload. It’s not a partner marketing portal and it’s not ready-to-eat DIY campaigns in a box.

If you’d like to get time back, drive more pipeline from your partner community and have the tactical marketing execution support work removed from your job description then our managed marketing services might work for you.

To find out more contact our marketing consultants at Outsource today.