Establishing a strong connection with your partner channel is essential towards a successful partnership that will result in continuous growth for both parties.  However, it seems that this important fact has, over time, been overlooked and sometimes even ignored.  Instead of focusing on this aspect of their service, vendors have clearly disregarded not just the relationship between their partners but have also failed to recognize the additional benefits that could result as the connection between the two parties strengthen.

But what do we mean by establishing strong connection with partners? We mean creating a better Support system for the suppliers or the resellers in this case that would enable them to reach out to the vendor much more quickly and obtain information that much faster.

As minutes pass into hours and hours into days, resellers have been left frustrated because they have to put up with being stuck in a support queue. Although this may not seem as bad, considering that customer support has managed to take top priority in most companies. However, it needs to be remembered that resellers are already short on time, having to respond to and deal with their customers who are waiting for an answer, and on top of that, when they have to put up with waiting for support from the vendor, it eats in to their already short window timeframe leaving them highly frustrated.

This situation is a clear reflection of the resellers operating in the IT industry. With increasing number of software vendors adapting to the cloud, it leaves a smaller profit margin on software licenses for the resellers, especially those in the SMB (Small and Midsize Businesses) market. This leaves them looking all the more carefully at their own particular administration offerings and the need for technical support.

But this technical support and education is not just a need for those resellers in the field of IT, rather it is a major requirement for all those vendors who wish to strengthen their relationship with their partner channels. To do so, certain changes are a must such as proper education, detailed quotations, a stream lined customer service and more.

• It’s a fact that no vendor would want to associate with a reseller who do not have an idea about their stuff. Apart from that, lack of information about a product, especially IT products would greatly hamper the customer experience.
• Providing resellers with detailed repair quotes would go a long way to not only bridge the communication gap between the vender and the reseller but would also provide them with comprehensive information about the diagnosis along with a proper solution. With most resellers lacking the technical know-how when it comes to repairs, they are unable to properly convey this information to the customer, therefore, making it essential that a detailed and thorough repair quote is provide to them.
• Often times, they have to deal with a number of people before they are connected to the main person who is able to help them. A faster and more responsive customer service is important for the reseller to get in touch, gather required information and support and in return extend that support to their own customers.

With so many vendors in the market, re-sellers now have more options available which they can use as a substitute instead. Therefore, for a strong partnership to emerge, the vendor needs to ensure that not only are they providing proper support to the channel but also empowering them technically and recognizing their efforts in providing value and enhancing the overall customer experience with the overall product and brand.