Unlock the secrets of successful channel partnerships with industry veteran Kevin Homer, as he takes us through his compelling journey in the channel industry. With over two decades of experience and valuable lessons from his mentor, Kevin shares how the art of trust and relationship building can transform businesses. He recounts a memorable story from his early days at Fishnet, where the power of a trusted partner opened doors and provided instant credibility. Kevin's insights reveal why tre...

Unlock the secrets of modern IT channel partnerships with Philip Wegner, the CEO of TechGrid. Discover how his remarkable journey from the telecommunications sector to founding TechGrid shaped his understanding of the evolving IT landscape. Philip shares how the limitations of traditional infrastructures fueled his ambition to create a groundbreaking platform for the digital age, revealing the essential role of digital transformation in the channel model.Explore the nuances of shifting from a...

Embark on a transformative journey with us as Peter Hancock unravels the secrets behind Asimily's strategic pivot from direct to channel partner sales, a move that has revolutionized their global market presence. With Peter's vast experience, including his tenure at Symantec, he brings to light the critical role of executive backing in such a bold transition. We talk about crafting and ecosystem building, addressing the complex issues customers face in the realm of cybersecurity for connected...

Unlock the secrets to amplifying sales through the power of partnership with our latest episode featuring the insightful Rachel Tuller. Together, we navigate the shifting landscape of co-selling, a strategy that when executed with precision, can transform partners into a formidable sales force.  Embark on a journey through the building blocks of a prosperous co-selling framework, where Rachel and I discuss the critical elements of partner enablement, including aligned messaging and joint...

Unlock the secrets to a thriving sales ecosystem where direct and channel sales don't just coexist, but amplify each other's success. Mike Coleman, the channel chief at First Orion, joins us to share his insights into how a robust partner ecosystem can catapult your market reach to new heights. If you've ever wondered how to foster a harmonious and effective division of labor between direct and channel sales, this conversation with Mike will illuminate the path. We also take a deep dive into...

As a special treat to wrap up the year, we've put together a bonus episode that's a compilation of your favorite segment, where we ask our esteemed guests a compelling question: 'What's the one thing you wish you knew before starting your career in channel?' Their insights are both enlightening and invaluable, offering a wealth of knowledge to anyone navigating the dynamic world of channel. So, grab a cup of your favourite holiday beverage, find a cozy spot, and join us for this special...

Ever wonder how you can turn the complexity of compliance regulations into an opportunity? We've got an episode for you. We've got Cam Roberson from Beachhead Solutions with us, sharing his insights on navigating the convoluted world of compliance regulations for MSPs. Prepare to be enlightened as we discuss the journey of transitioning into the channel, the challenges MSPs often face and how they can assist their clients in adhering to these mandates. Dive deeper as we discuss the constant...

Ever wonder how to navigate the shift from direct sales to leading a channel strategy? Let us introduce you to Monica Walton, Senior Vice President of Channel at Evoque, who shares her compelling journey and the secret to quadrupling her team's results year over year. Monica's unique perspective on trust and integrity in channel partnerships has shaped Evoque's phenomenal success. Monica's secret weapon? A balanced approach to choosing partners, rewarding performance and maintaining strong...

In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of creating unique joint value propositions in the channel with our guest, Philip Strange - VP Channel Sales at OpsHub, Inc., a seasoned expert in the field. We kick things off by defining what a unique joint value proposition actually means and why it's a game-changer in the channel. Understanding this concept is pivotal to crafting mutually beneficial partnerships. Philip shares his insights on evaluating and recruiting partners while...

In this episode, I sit down with Frank Vitagliano, a seasoned industry expert, to discuss the evolution of channel distribution and the role of the Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC). Join us as we explore the impact of cloud computing and SaaS on the IT channel distribution landscape and dive into the most innovative strategies and tactics implemented by distributors in recent years. Frank shares his insights on the biggest trends and developments we can expect to see in IT...

In this episode, we explore the importance of building sustainable relationships in the channel and moving beyond just transactional deals. We sit down with Antoine Jebara, Co-founder and GM, MSP Products at JumpCloud to discuss various strategies for fostering long-term relationships with channel partners. Our guests share insights on how to define success in the channel beyond just closing a deal, and how vendors and their channel partners can build sustainable relationships. We also...

In this episode of Channel Voices, I sit down with Patrick Goedhart, Team Leader Channel Sales at Mimecast, to discuss the key elements of a successful channel partner onboarding strategy. Our guest also shares his experiences in implementing successful channel partner onboarding programs in the past and we dive into common challenges that arise during the onboarding process and best practices for addressing them. Patrick also shares insights on measuring the success of a channel partner...

This is a great conversation with Kam Kaila, President at IT By Design, about the ever-changing market for MSPs, and strategies for fuelling growth. We discuss Kam's channel background and how the MSP model has evolved over time. She also sheds light on the struggles MSPs face today and gives valuable tips for fuelling growth in the industry. Kam also shares how IT By Design helps MSPs level up their businesses, including their state of the art corporate training program specifically designed...

In this episode, we had a special guest who shares their career journey in developing technology alliance partnerships. Bader Hamdan explains why technology alliances are crucial in today's partner ecosystems and shares the criteria he uses to identify and evaluate tech alliance partnerships to ensure alignment with the company's overall strategy and objectives. Bader also discusses how to measure the success of an alliance partnership and what metrics to use. He shares valuable insights on...

If you have listened to episodes of Channel Voices podcast before, you might remember one, two, three or maybe even more of our guests mentioning lack of education for the channel industry. The only viable option people have to learn about partnerships, channel and ecosystems is on the job. If you’re lucky you might get to work with a great mentor but more often you just find yourself being thrown into the deep-end. The wait for a focused and well structured education system might just have...

In this episode, we're discussing the importance of women's representation in leadership roles in the channel industry. Our guest today is Heather Zindel - Board Member and Vice President of Strategy & Operations at Women Executives Channel Advisory Network (WECAN), a leading organization that champions women's advancement in the channel. We start the conversation by asking our guest to tell us about her background in the channel. …and it’s extensive! Heather goes into the detail of...

I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Lynn D. Tinney, who pretty much ‘grew up in the channel’. She gathered her substantial experience working at companies like Compaq Computers, Enterasys Networks, Siemens, Samsung, Cisco, Riverbed and CA Technologies to name a few. In January 2022 she took on the role of Senior Vice Presidents of Global Partners at Zayo. It’s in this capacity where she took the initiative of creating a Partner Advisory Board. Partner advisory boards provide a...

In this episode we explore what TCMA is, how it works, who is it for and best practices on how to get started. Sherry explains in detail how essential TCMA is in today's fast-paced channel ecosystem and what it can achieve for vendors, distributors and their partners.  We also discuss the pr-requisites, efforts and cost of implementing such solution as well as the metrics that are typically being looked to ensure that it's delivering what it promises.  External Links: Sherry's LinkedIn...

I've had the pleasure to speak with a fellow podcaster and the SVP, Global Channel & Alliances at BeyondTrust Rob Spee, on the role of a Channel Chief. Previously he has held channel leadership positions with companies like Carbonite, SAS and Outsystems as well as running his own Channel Consultancy business.  Rob shares his channel journey and how he got to this point in his career. He takes us through some of the responsibilities of a channel chief, we learn about his typical day in the...

I've really enjoyed speaking with Joe O'Callaghan - Managing Partner at Vation Ventures.  Joe tells us more about what Vation Ventures do and how they help technology companies start and enhance their channel journey. We also spend quite some time discussing how to start, elevate and accelerate a career in the channel.  Joe shares his knowledge and experience on what to concentrate on when starting your channel career and what to focus on next. He tells us how he started his channel career...

Great conversation with Jacqui Rand of The Channel Consultants Limited and the person behind The Channel Meet Up event.  Jacqui gives us an insight into the needs of today's channel teams and explains why these teams are typically the smaller ones in terms of number of employees. We also get her perspective on current best practice when hiring talent for the channel.  External Links: Jacqui's LinkedIn Profile The Channel Consultants The Channel Meet Up Event Channel Acronyms Infographic -...

Today's guest is a seasoned Channel Pro who worked for companies like Nortel and Avaya.  Today, Kenneth leads the Channel Mechanics business and he tells us why automation in the channel is no longer just a 'nice-to-have' but a 'must'.  We talk about the typical channel business challenges that Channel Mechanics PRM solves for the vendors and their partners but also what vendors need to look out for when deploying a PRM solution. Kenneth shares his knowledge based on a multitude of successful...

I've had a lot of fun speaking with Christian Alvarez - Senior Vice President of Worldwide Channels at Nutanix.  Christian tells us about his proven strategies to drive sales through channel. We learn how these strategies differ between the traditional software vendor and a SaaS vendor. He shares his knowledge and experience on what type of partner incentives have the biggest impact on new logo acquisition as well as increasing wallet share from existing channel customers Christian also gives...

It's a delight to speak with Jason Beal - SVP, Global Channel & Partner Ecosystems at AvePoint who advocates for Managed Service Providers and the value they bring to channel.  Jason shares his knowledge and experience around MSP partnerships and the importance and benefits of their role in the channel . We learn how vendors should choose, work with and measure Managed Service Provider partners. Jason also highlights his TOP 3 tips for any vendor thinking about introducing MSP type...