Engaging your channel reps isn’t as simple as giving them a high-five and a company mug. It’s a whole different ballgame compared to rallying your in-house team. Yet, many make the classic blunder of trying to apply the same employee engagement tactics to their channel reps.
Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work. If you want your channel reps to be your biggest cheerleaders (and sales drivers), you’ve got to play by a different set of rules. Here’s a list of common mistakes to avoid and how to fix them.
Assuming Channel Reps Have the Same Level of Brand Loyalty as Employees
• The Blunder: Thinking your channel reps are as loyal to your brand as your employees, just because they sell your products. They don't bleed your brand colours.
• Why It’s Different: Let’s face it—channel reps are brand agnostic. They’re loyal to whoever helps them hit their sales targets and pads their wallet. They aren’t living and breathing your brand 24/7 like your employees might.
• The Fix: Instead of banking on brand loyalty, focus on building strong relationships. Understand what makes them tick and offer incentives that align with their goals. Make it about them, not you.
Using the Same Incentives and Rewards as Employee Programs
• The Blunder: Repurposing employee incentive programs for channel reps without considering the differences in motivation.
• Why It’s Different: Channel reps aren’t looking for a pat on the back or a spot on the company newsletter. They want tangible, no-nonsense rewards like commissions, cool trips, or exclusive perks.
• The Fix: Craft incentive programs that channel reps actually care about. Think juicy SPIFs, tiered rewards, or something that’ll make their peers green with envy. Make it worth their while to push your products over someone else’s.
Ignoring the Competitive Jungle
• The Blunder: Treating channel engagement like a kumbaya session without recognizing the cutthroat competition reps face. Acknowledge the competitive environment in which channel reps operate.
• Why It’s Different: Channel reps often compete with reps from different companies (and sometimes within the same company) for the same customers. This competitive environment requires a different approach to motivation and engagement.
• The Fix: Feed their competitive spirit. Introduce leaderboards, offer rewards for top performers, and create an environment where they can show off their sales prowess. Channel reps love to win, so give them something to win at!
Assuming They’ll Do Their Homework
• The Blunder: Expecting channel reps to dig into your product details like your employees do.
• Why It’s Different: Channel reps don’t have time to play detective. If your product info isn’t right in front of them, they’re moving on to the next brand that makes their life easier.
• The Fix: Make your product information as accessible and digestible as possible. Think of quick-reference guides, snappy updates, and training that cuts to the chase. The easier it is for them, the more likely they are to promote your products.
One-Size-Fits-All Communication
• The Blunder: Sending out generic emails and hoping they’ll hit home with your channel reps.
• Why It’s Different: Channel reps aren’t as closely connected to your company as your employees. They need more personalized and timely communication to stay engaged and feel valued.
• The Fix: Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach. Tailor your communications to address their specific challenges, successes, and opportunities. Regular check-ins, personalized content, and a good CRM tool can go a long way.
Overlooking the Power of Competitive Intel
• The Blunder: Assuming your channel reps know as much about the competition as your internal teams do.
• Why It’s Different: Channel reps might juggle multiple brands, and without the right info, your product could easily slip off their radar in favour of a competitor.
• The Fix: Arm them with killer competitive intel—comparison sheets, key selling points, and quick rebuttals to common objections. The better they know your edge, the better they can sell it.
Channel reps aren’t just employees with different badges. They operate in a fast-paced, competitive world, and engaging them requires a fresh approach. By avoiding these common pitfalls and treating your channel reps like the independent sales dynamos they are, you’ll set them—and yourself—up for success. Remember, engaging your channel is a whole different game, so play to win!
Work with ChannelAssist!
In short, ChannelAssist takes the guesswork out of channel engagement so you can focus on what you do best—growing your business. If you’re serious about levelling up your channel game, ChannelAssist is the partner you need in your corner.
