What are the biggest challenges and struggles channel partners encounter when working with their vendor

poweringchannel programs

globally

Prepared by:

Bill Kelly ‐ US Managing Director & Global SalesDave Griffiths – Global Account Director

May 16, 2013

What are the biggest challenges and struggles Partners encounter when working with their vendor?

17‐May‐1317‐May‐13

About the Presenters

© 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved

BILL KELLYU.S. Managing Director andGlobal Sales

DAVE GRIFFITHSGlobal Account

Director

Company Facts:» Birch Worldwide

Years in Business:» 20 + Years

Solutions & Services:» MDF & Co‐op» Rebates & SPIFFS» Accreditation» Sales Analysis» Channel Payments» Deal Registration» Trade‐ins» Helpdesk Services

Offices:» United Kingdom (HQ)» United States» Singapore

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Objectives for this Webinar

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Identifying the PainWhat gives Partners the most trouble?

Defining the ScopeWhat areas and programs should the Helpdesk support?

Using Effective MeasuresHow do you set and measure Service Level Objectives?

Taking ActionHow do you use the data to improve Partner satisfaction?

Realizing The AdvantageHow does this create competitive and comparative advantage?

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2

3

4

5

65% of the CMOs feel the pain of not being prepared to manage the Growth of their Channels

IBM Study: November 2012

Critical Areas in the Marketing Arena

65% of the CMOs feel the pain of not being prepared to manage the Growth of their Channels

1. Data explosion

2. Social media

3. Growth of channel

4. Shifting consumer demographics

5. Financial constraints

6. Decreasing brand loyalty

7. Growth market opportunities

8. ROI accountability

9. Customer collaboration and influence

10. Privacy considerations

11. Global outsourcing

12. Regulatory considerations

13. Corporate transparency

Underpreparedness:% reporting under‐preparedness

Factors Impacting Marketing:% selecting as “Top five factors”

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Identifying the Pain


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Poll Question #1


What do you perceive or know are the biggest issues your Partners have in working with your company?

21%

25%

21%

13%

21%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Program Payment Status and Issues

Channel Programs

Credentials and Certifications

Portal and Online Access

Onboarding Questions

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52%

Digging Deeper to Identify the Pain

What gives Partners the most trouble?


0.00%

2.00%

4.00%

6.00%

8.00%

10.00%

12.00%

14.00%

16.00%

18.00%

20.00%

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5 Things Our Team Wishes Vendors Did

Be organized and responsive Provide clear communications Encourage Partners to ask questions Deliver training and help guides Have CAMs more accessible


What 5 things would you tell a vendor that would have the greatest impact on Partner satisfaction?

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Defining the Scope for a Helpdesk


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Establish a “Front Door” to Your Company

Become easier to work with

Nurture stronger Partnerrelationships

Generate more loyalty

Improve Partnerinterfaces

Develop a processfor improvement


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9 Functions for Helpdesk Support


Onboarding

Switchboard

How To Assistance

Channel Marketing Programs

Eligibility and Compliance

Non‐technical Queries

Training and Certification

Solution Design Assistance

Pre‐sales Support

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Using Effective Measures


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Poll Question #2


What Service Level Objectives do you use for your Partner helpdesk?

21%

14%

26%

21%

18%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Number of inquiries received

Number and type of issues raised

Issue resolution and time taken

Partner satisfaction with service

Turnaround time on inquires

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ENABLEMENT

A Model for Effective Measures

© 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights ReservedPage 16 |

STRATEGICOBJECTIVES

AGENTPRODUCTIVITY METRICS

SERVICEOPERATIONSMETRICS

PARTNERSATISFACTION

METRICS

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Operational MetricsMEASURING ACTIVITIES

KPIs MeasuringSTRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

AgentProductivityMetrics

• Average wait and speed to answer time• Number of cases handled• Agent training and proficiency• Number of claim processed• Number of escalations• Total claims processed

• Cost of service• Agent productivity• Agent turnover• Knowledge base growth

ServiceOperationsMetrics

• Forecasted volume versus actual• Contact volume by communication channel• Contact by Country and Language Preference• Service‐level agreement (SLA) adherence• Escalation rate to resolution• Number of phone transfers• Abandon call rate• First‐call resolution rate

• Number of Partner complaints• Increase in revenue• Number of product upgrades• Service support costs• Number of reworks• Service utilization• Service‐level agreement (SLA)

adherence

PartnerSatisfactionMetrics

• Average case resolution time• Average speed to answer• Contact quality• Post‐contact survey results• Number of transfers • Fast payments and reimbursements

• Partner lifetime value• Partner growth and retention• Likelihood to recommend• Brand loyalty• Channel program participation

Putting the Model to Work


Increasing Partner Satisfaction and “Winning Over the Undecided”


25%

5%

70%

Initial Partner Satisfaction

Neutral Negative Postive

10%3%

86%

Partner Satisfaction Impact

Neutral Negative Postive

60% Conversion Rate from Neutral to PositivePage 18 |

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3 Tips for Getting the Most From Your Metrics

Tip #1: Communicate business goals, KPIs, and operational metrics.Good KPIs help executive management understand the value of your helpdesk service operations.


Tip #2: Drill down into metrics to optimize your business.To make improvements, you need to analyze measures over a period of time, then identify the root cause of the measure and solve the underlying issues. Use TQC methodology and the PDCA cycle.

Tip #3: Don’t neglect the human factor.Good customer service is the result of good technology, good customer service processes, and —most importantly — a well‐managed organization that values its people.

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Taking Action


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Taking Action

Establish a Primary Charter

Explain Partner Program Benefits

Provide Onboarding for New Partners

Assist with “How To” Queries

Help Partner Comply with Programs

Support CAMs with Back Office Tasks

Identify Helpdesk Essentials

Decide to Build or Buy Your Team

Determine Staffing, Skills and Locations

Set Access and Availability

Establish Contact Points

Develop Job Aids and Reference Guides

Agree on Support and Feedback Infrastructure


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Setting Up and Deploying a Helpdesk

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Realizing the Advantage


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Part of the Channel Strategy


• One‐stop source of information

• Reduce anxiety and aggravation

• Decrease non‐productive time

• Reduce time in resolving a issues

• Expand accessibility and convenience

• Improve planning

• Accelerate path to revenue

• Supplement CAMs

Partner Benefits

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Part of the Channel Strategy


• Increase Partner satisfaction

• Improve Partner loyalty

• Decrease complaints

• Reduce operating expenses

• Increase revenue

• Educate and empower Partners

• Spot and solve common problems

• Establish best practices

• Free up CAM’s time

• Consistent Partner experience

• Source for Partner feedback

Vendor Benefits

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Objective Questions Learning and Recommendations

Identifying the Pain

What gives Partners the most trouble?

• System Access (37%)• Partner Onboarding (11%)• Education and Training (6%)

Defining the Scope

What areas and programs should the Helpdesk support?

• Become easier to work with,• Nurture stronger Partner relationships and loyalty, and • Develop a process of continue improvement

Using Effective Measures

How do you set and measure Service Level Objectives?

• There is no single perfect metric to measure the success of your Partner helpdesk

• Choosing the set of metrics based on your audience

Taking Action

How do you use the data to improve

Partner satisfaction?

• Establish a primary charter for Your Help Desk then identify your helpdesk requirements

• Plan and manage the set‐up, testing and deployment

Realizing the Advantage

How does this create a competitive advantage?

• A Partner helpdesk can fill a critical need when deployed as part of an organization’s overall strategy which provide benefits to both the Vendor and its Partners

A Final Review of What We Covered


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BILL KELLYe: [email protected]: +1 707 790 8401

Birch Worldwide


DAVE GRIFFITHSe: [email protected]: +44 (0) 118 912 1300

CONTACT DETAILS

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