5 things MSPs want from vendors are crucial in the industry, which is why a compilation of the top five items that MSPs demand from vendors is timely. A business partnership that offers mutual benefit is the basis for why an MSP would choose a vendor’s products and services to sell to their customers. A sustainable and profitable business relationship is the result when a vendor spends their effort, time, and resources in creating a channel program and recruiting partners.
Top 5 Things MSPs Want From Vendors
A vendor-partner relationship comes before other elements such as the sales incentives, spiffs, marketing development funds, and metrics. A strong relationship between these key players in the industry fosters a productive channel partnership that is geared towards success.
Here are some of the things that partners are demanding from vendors:
- Be Treated as Customers
Vendors should realize that MSPs are their customers simply because they buy, use, and employ their technology in servicing their end customers. How do you treat MSPs are your customers? Know them and listen to them, build and develop a partnership experience, be respectful, produce solutions and immediate actions if something is wrong with the partnership or product, and manage expectations.
- Well-Managed and Planned Onboarding Process and Recruitment
Develop a relationship with your channel even before or during the recruitment process of your partnership. Show your prospective partners the opportunity and value of working together. Make sure that your onboarding procedure is equally outstanding as your partner recruitment stage. Provide clear communication about the process and give your partners some options. Also, manage the plan, develop a timeline, and provide accessible training resources at any time would be great.
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Help Build their Business
MSPs need the help of vendors in building and establishing their business. Understand the business model of your partner particularly how they generate income. Get to know them and show them that you care about your partnership.
- Build Trust through Direct Communications
On the other hand, communication is a critical element of the vendor-partner relationship as it fosters and builds trust. Show transparency with your marketing efforts and program, update your partners with your roadmap, product, and strategies, maintain straight-from-the-shoulder and ongoing dialogues with key players in the partnership, and practice active listening. Let your partners know that they can always rely on you with their concerns.
- Trustworthy Partner/Channel Account Managers
One of the things MSPs want from vendors is the channel/partner account managers are considered the most essential member as they are the ones in charge of the management of the different aspects of this partnership. The priority of the CAM/PAM is to provide assistance to partners that will help them with successful business growth. They focus on what is the most important concern of the partner and the first to call when the partners need something.
A strong bond between the vendor and partner results in a profitable and positive channel partnership. Forging a partnership will take a lot of work but it all starts with knowing the things MSPs want from vendors. Use this as a guide to establish a relationship that ensures mutual benefits to everybody.
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