ChannelVision Magazine

channel management agents produce their own collateral as well, highlighting the primary value proposition for each supplier as sum- marized through the eyes of an agent. Some master agents (Telarus being a notable one) will put together “battle cards” that selling agents can use when they are out in front of custom- ers. This added benefit keeps agents from engaging suppliers in applications that are not a good fit for that supplier. Trouble Ticketing/Escalations – Master agents can take on trouble ticket- ing and escalations, often knowing when to escalate and who the appropriate escalation is. This saves time on both sides: agents can sell multiple suppliers without the need to learn the organiza- tional chart for each of them; suppliers can leverage the master agent person- nel to prevent unnecessary escalations. Training – One of the greatest chal- lenges for any supplier is to ensure that agents are spreading the correct information to potential customers re- garding its products and services. It is very difficult to get agents to participate consistently in training sessions and webinars due to the sheer lack of time available in the business day. Master agents provide a great benefit by often designating personnel for the specific purpose of learning each supplier’s nu- ances. In turn, when agents leverage master agents for quoting support, the master agent can push the necessary information down to the selling partner. Quotas/Commissions – Master agents take on the supplier quotas on behalf of their partners, and in turn re- duce the number of payments that each supplier has to generate each month. This in turn reduces the number of commission disputes because master agents generally will research and only engage the supplier when necessary. This eases the burden on suppliers’ ac- counting and commission teams. Here is the bottom line: the agent channel is vital to the growth of any modern-day telecom supplier. Agents allow suppliers to extend their brands far beyond the brick-and-mortar walls of their office facilities, and they pro- vide access to existing relationships that direct sales professionals might otherwise not have. As the industry continues to evolve, master agents, suppliers and selling agents must work together to educate the marketplace and reduce complex- ity in an extremely complex industry. If all three facets of the channel em- brace each other’s’ benefits and roles, all parties – especially the technology buyer – will win. o Bruce Wirt has 15 years in channel sales leadership and is currently the channel chief at Tele- system, which includes the LSI organization as well. Connect with him on LinkedIN to share your success stories. Vivial’s award winning online marketing solutions provide the tools your advertisers need to get their businesses found in today’s competitive market. Your advertisers need digital. Give it to them. Dedicated Support for your Sales Team STOP BY BOOTH #3056 at Channel Partners ©2018 Vivial Media LLC. All rights reserved. Break the mold of traditional advertising. vivial.net/partners Configurable Product Suite Systems Integration Support Ongoing Technical Product Support World-class Sales Training & Educational Webinars Pre-designed & Editable Sales & Marketing Materials March - April, 2018 | Channel Vision 59

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