Episode 68: Check Point’s Frank Rauch on the Channel Investment Imperative

Channel programs exist to extend the reach and capacity of a company’s go-to-market strategy. Channel partners are complements to a direct or inside sales force, providing vendors with reliable representatives in the field and customers with local points of sale. And through channel programs, vendors contain the cost of sales, as selling through and with partners is almost always less expensive than selling direct. Unfortunately, some companies see channel programs and partners as overlays and cost centers. They either don’t invest enough in channel programs or, in some cases, make it difficult for partners to succeed by giving support and resources short shrift. Investing in channels is not a guarantee of success, but starving channel programs of funding and resources will surely bring disappointment. Channel veteran Frank Rauch joins Pod2112 to discuss the need for vendors to invest in their channel programs and partners. As the new head of worldwide channels at Check Point charged with rebuilding the security powerhouse’s partner program, Rauch offers tried-and-true methodologies for defining and justifying channel investments.