“Make sure you’re pointing in the right direction before you switch on your rockets.”

Accelerate your business when your business is at the right time. Your business must be ready for it. Effective sales partner channels will accelerate your business; make sure you know what you want and that you’re getting the right partners for your business.

When you have the right partners what are the right incentives to make it all work?

Firstly, understand what type of partner you are targeting, what drives them to sell your products or services?

• it brings value to their clients
• it adds to their product portfolio
• they are making money in providing it to their clients
• it allows them to sell more to their existing customers or gain new customers
• they can make additional revenue while doing what they are already doing, almost
• it makes a strategic difference and boosts their business
• and so on

What percentage of commission should be given to your sales channels? The answer may vary according to:

1. Your Business Objectives

Set Incentives to direct the partner towards helping you reach your objectives.

Do you want to target a specific type and size of customer?

Do you want to focus attention on getting “beach head” customers in a new market?

Do you want the attention on new customers or more revenue from existing customers?

2. Your Profit Margins

How much commission can you share and will it be enough to incentify the partner?

Are there any other benefits the right type of partner may gain?

3. The strength of your brand or market awareness of your company or offering

The opportunity to make money in selling your product is simply put as:

The margin/commission gained from selling the product

Less the effort and cost of selling the product

With the multiple of how many sales can be made in the market

If your company or offering has a strong brand or marketing support it should make the product easier to sell, thus reducing the cost to sell, thus allowing the partner to make more money. This will allow you to negotiate lower commissions.

4. The efforts and costs in your sales process

Again related to the Brand point above, how much effort is required to secure a sale? How long is your typical sales cycle?

The greater the cost in selling the product the more rewards will likely be necessary for the partner to be involved.

5. How the partner will gain from winning and/or delivering on the sale

If a partner company can sell more of other products because of your products then the benefit of selling your product much outweighs any commission they may get from you.

Does your product enable them to sell plenty of service days in implementation or consulting?

Does your offering make it easier for the client to do business and thus buy more of other products? (Similar to retail products that generate footfall into a corner store or supermarket).

For help on how to incentify your particular channels, call us today on +353 21 2307117 or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it