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Changing Channels uncovers what it takes to get the next generation of technology to market. Join Larry Walsh, chief analyst and CEO of Channelnomics, for candid conversations with thought leaders, channel chiefs, and partner executives sharing actionable insights, best practices, and lessons learned in a channel that’s constantly changing. Each episode provides expert go-to-market guidance for enhanced performance in the channel.
Episodes
Oct 26, 2021
Oct 26, 2021
30 min
Denzil Samuels, vice president of the global CX Partner Practice at Cisco, joins Channelnomics Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how vendors can enable partners to meet shifting customer experience expectations.
Customer experience is the new name of the game. While “the customer is always right” might not always be true in practice, what is certainly true is that as the technology market shifts to a service-based model, customer experience is the deciding factor for service success. Customers are looking for the best functionality, outcomes, and ease of use. When partners are part of service delivery, customers include in their experience perception things like accessibility, support, communications, and responsiveness.
Vendors across the industry are looking to keep up, working on incorporating customer experience into their channel models. Telling partners to focus on customer experiences and outcomes is the easy part; delivering on that promise is the challenge.
Even successful account management and a good customer relationship aren’t enough anymore. Customers are expecting their providers, whether vendors or partners, to make sure they get the best value out of their service investments.
A vendor at the forefront of customer experience as a channel value proposition is Cisco. The company has long been a key player in supporting partners in their delivery of services based on its products. As the technical environment transitions, Cisco has begun enabling partners to use the data and intelligence derived from services to better understand and anticipate customer needs and take proactive measures, rather than react to service events and requests. The goal: a better overall experience and value as partners gain the ability to act before customers even recognize they have a problem or need.
Cisco, like other vendors, understands that engagement and attention to customer needs is the answer to building and maintaining a successful service model. Enabling partners to meet these shifting customer experience expectations is the focus of the CX Partner Practice at Cisco. Denzil Samuels, head of that practice, joins Channelnomics Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how Cisco translates customer experience to the channel.
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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics
Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production
Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.
Episode Resources
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Guest Denzil Samuels: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denzilsamuels/
Credits
Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Voice-Over: Denise Quan
Oct 12, 2021
Oct 12, 2021
26 min
Wendy Thomas, CEO of Secureworks, joins Channelnomics’s Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how security services are instrumental in helping businesses keep up with the security arms race.
Security is an arms race. With each advancement in technology, hackers find ways of one-upping the defenders of a business’s digital frontiers. Security breaches always have consequences. In the past, a compromise could mean losing access to files or being blocked from mission-critical applications, both of which can lead to lost revenue. Today, though, in the increasingly digitalized world, the consequences of security breaches are increasing in the way of losses and costs – including putting national security at risk and human life in danger.
Innovation is bringing more resources and benefits to the world. This technical innovation, though, is creating more risk. The market doesn’t have enough security professionals to staff the end-to-end needs of businesses and individuals. Businesses struggle to acquire the technology and support required to protect their digital assets adequately. Evolution, it seems, has a downside.
A potential solution to the security conundrum is managed security services. Through the aggregation of technology and human-based expertise, managed security service providers (MSSPs) provide customers with access to leading technology and resources that cost-effectively scale. A leader in providing and supporting MSSPs is Secureworks, which is making securing human progress a cornerstone of its mission.
Wendy Thomas, CEO and President of Secureworks, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss the evolving security needs of businesses, how managed security can scale to meet those evolving needs, and the role partners play in the delivery of security services.
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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics
Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production
Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.
Episode Resources
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Guest Wendy Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-thomas-7133283/
Credits
Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Voice-Over: Denise Quan
Sep 28, 2021
Sep 28, 2021
28 min
Mark Stiving, chief pricing educator at Impact Pricing, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to talk about pricing, discounting, and channel sales strategies.
No one wants to pay full price for anything. And people love winning. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that when it comes to the list price of products, people are always looking for a discount. They want to win a deal.
Through partners, manufacturers often offer significant discounts on their products to meet this negotiation demand and avoid losing a sale. The question arises: Why does a list price even exist?
It’s a question that Mark Stiving, chief pricing educator at the consulting firm Impact Pricing, relishes answering.
In this episode of Changing Channels, Stiving explains how a product with a discounted list price creates a unique set of benefits for manufacturers. It makes the product more desirable and gives end users the impression that the product is of a higher value. Even so, it can be difficult for manufacturers to determine exactly how to price their products when they must consider the needs and desires of both distributors and end users.
Stiving joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss why the concept of a list price persists and what manufacturers can do to best determine their ultimate selling price.
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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics
Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production
Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.
Episode Resources:
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Guest Mark Stiving: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/
Credits
Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Voice-Over: Denise Quan
Sep 14, 2021
Sep 14, 2021
30 min
Channelnomics and Ingram Micro Cloud, with the support of Microsoft and Google Workspace, unveil the 2021 State of the U.S. Cloud Channel report, the fourth annual study on trends around cloud computing among resellers and service providers. John Dusett, executive director of cloud services in the U.S. for Ingram Micro Cloud, and Chris Gonsalves, senior vice president of research at Channelnomics, join Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to talk about strengths and weaknesses among resellers in the cloud segment.
The 2021 State of the U.S. Cloud Channel report, an annual study conducted by Channelnomics with Ingram Micro Cloud and supported by Microsoft and Google Workspace, reveals how cloud-based products and services are becoming an increasingly more significant portion of channel partners’ revenue.
As demand for cloud services grows, so too does the availability through the channel. The demand is pulling more partners into selling and supporting cloud services. The average channel partner sees the adoption of cloud computing into its portfolio as a means of capturing new sales, expanding business with existing accounts, and staving off competition.
According to the research, the cloud computing pull is so great that 80% of channel partners plan to increase their cloud service and support capacity over the next year.
While cloud computing is generating revenue and opening new opportunities for channel partners, not all is well. Partners remain under-resourced, lack in business planning, and are losing too many accounts at renewal time.
In this special edition of Changing Channels, Channelnomics delves into the details of the fourth annual installment of the State of the U.S. Cloud Channel. Channelnomics’ head of research, Chris Gonsalves, talks about key findings of the study and how channel adoption and performance has changed over the past five years. Ingram Micro Cloud’s John Dusett talks about how the trends revealed in the report are translating into opportunities, challenges, and potential solutions for partners.
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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics
Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production
Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.
Episode Resources
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Guest John Dusett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johndusett/
Chris Gonsalves: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-6a8241/
Credits
Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Voice-Over: Denise Quan
Sep 8, 2021
Sep 8, 2021
30 min
Christian Alvarez, senior vice president of worldwide channel sales and all routes to market at Nutanix, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to talk about creating meaningful and contextual channel key performance indicators (KPIs).
A common challenge among channel professionals is proving the relative worth of partner programs and productivity. Everyone knows that KPIs are essential for measuring and monitoring channel performance and success.
The question that vexes many channel professionals is this: What KPIs are most applicable to the unique circumstances and needs of different vendors?
When it comes to KPIs, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t exist, which leads channel chiefs to create metrics that don’t measure what matters. When this happens, doubt about the channel’s value creeps into the minds of senior management.
Measuring what matters in channel performance not only justifies the expense of working through partners but also provides data for planning future investments and sales coverage models.
In this episode of Changing Channels, Nutanix’s Alvarez shares his insights into how to identify the right channel KPIs and use them effectively in demonstrating the value of channel investments and their contribution to a company’s success.
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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics
Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production
Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.
Episode Resources
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Guest Christian Alvarez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianaalvarez/
Credits
Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Voice-Over: Denise Quan
Aug 31, 2021
Aug 31, 2021
27 min
Oracle NetSuite's Craig West joins Channelnomics' Changing Channels host Larry Wals to discuss the importance of continuous partner enablement.
They say it takes money to make money. One of the ways vendors use money to make money is through the enablement of their partners. This investment leads to the creation and cultivation of partnerships that are – in many cases – more productive. Partners enabled through technology and sales training generate more revenue for their vendors.
While training and enablement are universally seen as a channel necessity, connecting the value to the outcome often proves elusive. The vendor community frequently treats training as episodic – only on an annual basis or with new product releases. Also, the training typically focuses on products, not workloads or what customers expect as outcomes. For the most part, training programs treated as onboarding checkbox items do little to speed time to market with new partners. As a result, there’s a disconnect between vendor intent, partner engagement, and customer experience.
One vendor that’s making enablement a core piece of its channel strategy and partner relationships is Oracle NetSuite. Through its SuiteLife program, Oracle NetSuite provides hands-on training and enablement that accelerate partners’ ability to take enterprise resource planning applications to market.
Craig West, vice president of alliances and channels at Oracle NetSuite, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss making partner enablement more productive and persistent.
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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics
Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production
Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.
Episode Resources
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Guest Craig West: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-west-17369b3/
Credits
Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Voice-Over: Denise Quan
Aug 24, 2021
Aug 24, 2021
24 min
Bill Cate, vice president of marketing and channels at Zebra Technologies, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss the role of non-transacting partners in go-to-market strategy.
Partners come in various models and sizes. The common trait is that they sell and support technology products produced by vendors. At least that’s what conventional channel wisdom says. But the channel is replete with non-transacting partners – companies and professionals that influence end customer product consideration and purchasing decisions. Non-transacting partners range from IT resellers that see a sales opportunity but don’t have a relationship with the vendor to technology enthusiasts that recommend products to colleagues. Influencers and their cousins, referrers, are an increasingly important part of the go-to-market equation, as they help guide the customer through their purchasing journeys long before they engage a vendor or reseller. A company that’s plying the emerging influencer channel is Zebra Technologies, which is supporting and enabling non-transactional partners such as independent hardware vendors, consultants, technology partners, and systems integrators through its Alliance Partners track. Zebra recognized that gaining benefit from influencers requires an up-front investment – a risky proposition for a vendor that’s used to offering back-end incentives to motivate partners. In this episode of Changing Channels, Bill Cate, Zebra’s vice president of marketing and channels, talks about the role of customers in bringing influencers to the forefront, using alliance relationships to form and achieve common goals, and how to gauge the results of an influencer strategy.
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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics
Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production
Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.
Episode Resources:
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Guest Bill Cate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billcate/
Credits
Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Voice-Over: Denise Quan
Aug 16, 2021
Aug 16, 2021
20 min
Laurie Mitchell, vice president of partner and international marketing at Wasabi Technologies, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how a midstage technology start-up expands into the international channel.
Wading into international waters is a tricky proposition for many technology companies. The complexities of localization, the individualities of different markets, the unique needs of customers in various parts of the world, and the expenses involved in developing a multinational presence are all challenges to any organization trying to build an international channel. Despite the intricacies, though, emerging U.S. cloud storage company Wasabi Technologies has rapidly expanded its international footprint. Only a year after launching its cloud storage service in 2017, Wasabi announced the construction of its first overseas data center in Amsterdam, and this summer it began its move into Asia with the announcement of a new data center in Tokyo. Much of Wasabi’s overseas success is credited to European and Asian channel partners that have spurred the storage company’s expansion. In this episode of Changing Channels, Laurie Mitchell, Wasabi’s vice president of partner and international marketing, discusses how the storage start-up ventured into the international market with the assistance of its partners.
Follow us, Like us, and Subscribe!
Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics
Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production
Follow the new @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.
Episode Resources
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Guest Laurie Mitchell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lcoppola/
Credits
Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Voice-Over: Denise Quan
PODCAST LINK/EMBED CODE:
YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/PajNCbX1TKY
CN POST: https://channelnomics.com/2021/08/wasabis-laurie-mitchell-on-expanding-into-the-international-market
Aug 10, 2021
Aug 10, 2021
28 min
Andy Martin, vice president of global partner sales at Pure Storage, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss the challenges and rewards of transitioning to a subscription-based sales model.
The subscription model, under which technology is sold based on access and use rather than as a one-off transaction, is changing the way businesses acquire and consume said technology. It’s also giving customers greater flexibility to plan, utilize, and budget for their technology needs and providing economic benefits to vendors, partners, and customers as they pare down their capital expenses. Among hardware companies, Pure Storage – a leader in flash array products – was an early entry into the use of subscription models. Pure introduced its Evergreen storage service in 2015, allowing customers to purchase – or downgrade – capacity based on operating needs. In this episode of Changing Channels, Andy Martin, vice president of global partner sales at Pure, shares insights into the transition process from transactional to subscription sales, the need to engage with the channel under the subscription model, and opportunities that subscription models open for partners.
Follow us, Like us, and Subscribe!
Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics
Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production
Follow the new @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.
Episode Resources:
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Guest Andy Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-martin-6aab205
Credits:
Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Voice-Over: Denise Quan
Aug 3, 2021
Aug 3, 2021
38 min
Heather K. Margolis, the founder of Channel Maven and Spark My Channel, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how marketing to and through channel partners is changing and what most technology companies get wrong.
If you want sales, you need to start with marketing. It’s a well-worn refrain in the channel that partners are subpar at marketing. According to Channelnomics research, between 60% and 80% of partners have no marketing plans, and the majority lack marketing capabilities. Such shortcomings necessitate that vendors pick up the load for producing materials and messaging to promote products and services. Yet partners frequently say the availability and quality of the marketing support they get from vendors is insufficient or ineffective. The evolving use of digital tools to convey messages, identify and cultivate customers, and reinforce value messages challenges vendors and partners to up their marketing game. Successful vendors produce more diverse marketing content, leveraging tools such as through-channel marketing automation (TCMA) and training partners in marketing techniques to produce more fruitful results. In this episode of Changing Channels, Margolis and Walsh revive their long-running Sibling Rivalry chats to discuss what vendors and partners need to do better channel marketing.
Follow us, Like us, and Subscribe!
Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics
Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production
Follow the new @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.
Episode Resources:
Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Guest Heather K. Margolis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherkmargolis/
Credits:
Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.
Host: Larry Walsh https://bit.ly/3beZfOa
Voice-Over: Denise Quan