The current global health crisis has turned the world upside down affecting different sectors including the MSP ecosystem. Thus, IT vendors and partners need only the best tools and strategies for channel marketing for a pandemic-proof business flow. As an IT vendor, how do you make sure that you find the best partner in a steadily growing MSP environment? What tips and tricks should you know and master by heart?
Why Channel Marketing?
The essence of channel marketing is to expand your sales force by finding the right and best partners. In the MSP niche, these are managed service providers who will help IT vendors distribute their solutions and products. IT vendors need partners that will help them spread the word and ensure their product sales. Consequently, partners help you grow and expand your market base.
These partners are on the same bandwagon when it comes to business goals, thus, sharing a mutual objective. Relevant channels are assets for your company, allowing you to get more leads and reach more potential consumers. In the present world, MSPs are on-demand more than ever. With the help of MSP partners, IT vendors can promote and sell their products and solutions much better.
What is ForzaDash channel marketing?
If channel marketing serves as your booster in reaching a wider market base, what can the ForzaDash community do for you? Since its foundation in 1993, this established and proven MSP community has helped thousands of IT vendors. As of this writing, ForzaDash is now serving more than 7000 managed service providers by using their apps.
There are over 30000 MSP prospects that IT vendors can market their products to, ensuring higher rates of success. This channel marketing community proudly welcomes over one hundred new MSPs, which are adding on a monthly basis. There are currently 51 IT vendors or sponsors that have established successful MSP partnerships through this community.
Should you join ForzaDash?
As an IT vendor, it is essential that you establish the best and widest networks in your niche. Can you do it alone? Sadly, the answer is no. You need a stable and proven MSP community where you can find reliable and effective channel marketing. Thus, joining the ForzaDash community is a no-brainer. That is if you are aiming for business success now and in the years to come.
Identifying Your Channel Partners
You have established the fact that joining the ForzaDash channel community is a must. Now it’s time to find your MSP partner but it is not as simple as it sounds. One of the biggest errors that IT vendors make is not being selective enough. You have to understand that the wrong channel partner can result in the 80/20 rule. What does it mean?
Channel marketing is highly important because it helps you find the right MSP partner. Without the right partner, IT vendors suffer from the 80/20 rule. For instance, 80% of your IT resources will be drained by 20% of your poorly selected MSP partner. The wrong partner can also hurt your name or reputation by failing to deliver the results you are aiming for.
What does a channel marketer do?
Channel marketers such as ForzaDash help you avoid this horrible scenario by providing a great venue for MSPs and sponsors. Why would you deal with the crises and troubleshooting caused by the wrong MSP partnerships when you can prevent that? The ForzaDash community provides a healthy MSP ecosystem where MSPs and sponsors can thrive and become successful together. Find the right MSP channel partners as you create a successful channel program.
⚫ Approach is Key
On top of the help that you can get from ForzaDash channel marketing, you must also do the right thing. Finding the right MSP partner starts with the right approach to reaching your goals. Ask yourself, “who exactly is your ideal MSP partner?” to narrow down your choices.
Nowadays, you cannot rely entirely on your gut feelings when choosing a partner. As an IT sponsor, it is wiser to base your decision on key sets of data and metrics. Emotions as well as faulty logic and existing relationships cannot help you make a sound decision and choice.
Channel marketing allows you to find your MSP partner and the best strategy is to make the right approach. The recruitment process can only begin if you have enough data collection to use with it. Use these data to create the profiles of your MSP partner prospects.
With the right approach, you can send relevant recruitment messages to the right MSPs. Your advertising costs would significantly decrease while your conversions surge. The ideal partners will send you higher response rates as well as share your targeted interest.
⚫ Data Collection and Analysis
IT sponsors need the right approach as part of an effective channel marketing and recruitment. One of the important things you should do is collect and analyze the right data about the MSP partner prospect. An informed decision on who to choose will save you a lot of time, worries, and resources in the end. So, what data should you collate about these MSP companies?
Define your metrics as an IT vendor and use these data to make your decision. Some of the key performance indicators, which IT sponsors use to define or identify the right MSP partners may vary. You may want to look into the service performance of the MSP before considering them for a partnership. Other indicators include growth, marketing results, operational and process performance, customer satisfaction, employee performance, and continuous improvement.
⚫ Create New Channel Marketing Strategies
The right data serve as your guide in choosing the ideal MSP partner. IT vendors may get in front of their prospects with ease and confidence with accurate data. On top of the ForzaDash community, there are other ways to find and reach potential MSP partners. Some channel marketing strategies include social media, trade shows, email marketing, and conventional ads.
Although these are also recognized marketing strategies, nothing can beat the reach and result from the ForzaDash ecosystem. For instance, a community where there are thousands of MSP members is a holy grail for sponsors. This is where you can build the most reliable and established MSP network. It is a great venue where IT sponsors can find like-minded MSPs and vendors on the same bandwagon. The ideal partner is the one that shares your business goals and helps you reach them along the way.
⚫ Set Emotions Aside
Recruiting a new MSP partner can make or break your business as an IT vendor. Thus, there is no room for error when making such a vital decision. Oftentimes, sponsors make a critical mistake that leads them to the wrong MSP partnership. More often than not, this involves using their emotions more than logical reasons or data.
Emotions lead you to make impulsive decisions, which results in an adverse impact on your IT business. Do not let your feeling get in the way and influence your decision-making. Base your decision on accurate and reliable data about the MSP prospect and not your emotions. You need to look into the highest probability degree to ensure your partnership success.
⚫ Time Investment
IT sponsors must put in valuable time into their MSP partner, discovering their capabilities and goals. Investing their time in their prospect can also help them learn and understand their strategy and resources. You cannot have mutual goals and reach both your business success if you are clueless about what the other wants.
Investment of your time into each other also means educating and mentoring your MSP partner. Most MSPs are turned off when IT sponsors do not respond to their calls or requests for support. As an IT sponsor, it is your responsibility to help and support your partner all the way.
Channel Marketing and Market Qualified Lead
Data collection may sound like a complex system for you and your company but it will lead you to the right partnership. IT vendors must know and understand Market Qualified Lead (MQL) as part of effective and successful channel marketing. The good news is that if you join ForzaDash, this resource will be readily available for you.
ForzaDash is a proven and tested leading step in developing your MSP channel and partnership. It works in helping IT vendors connect with their ideal MSP partner for business growth and success. In doing so, the community provides a free app for more than 7000 MSP members.
ForzaDash uses “streamers” or their very own rendition of web banners. These streamers brand members with the products and services of the sponsor. Moreover, they also generate MQL or hand raises through email campaigns resulting in the meeting or sponsors and MSPs.
Final Thought
The pandemic has modified all the industries in the service sector particularly in the increased demands for MSPs. IT solutions and products are more relevant and on-demand now more than ever. IT sponsors need stable, established, and reliable MSP partners to make it big in today’s world. Join the ForzaDash community for a successful channel marketing campaign today!
