This eBook provides an extensive and thought provoking look at the attributes required to be a top channel chief in today's market, which more and more must match that of other C-suite players or they risk channel performance that lags behind competitors and being replaced by leaders with a more contemporary skill set.

1. Personal
Integrity
TechnologicalSavvy
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The Nine Attributes
of a World-Class
Channel Chief
What’s your CQ?
By T.C. Doyle, Senior Content Director,
Channel Brands, Penton Technology
Underwritten by

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Personal
Integrity
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What’s inside?
Do you have what it takes? p3
1. Organizational Influence p4
2. Business Acumen p6
3. Decisive Leadership p8
4.Technological Savvy p10
5. Operational Efficiency p12
6. Customer Orientation p14
7. Personal Integrity p16
8. Intellectual Curiosity p18
9. Infectious Optimism p20

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The Nine Attributes of a World-Class Channel Chief
Do you have what it takes?
The men and women who manage partner programs and sales for information and
communications (ICT) vendors—aka “channel chiefs”—are expected to possess a
multitude of talents. They have to be unfailingly loyal amid uncertainty and internal
dissention. They must demonstrate operational efficiency and infectious optimism at
every turn. They must also possess business acumen and personal integrity above and
beyond the call of duty. And that’s just for starters.
Serving as an ICT Channel Chief in one of the world’s most demanding
professions requires a long list of attributes that, frankly, only a limited
few have. It’s not just enough to have a high intellectual quotient (IQ) or
exemplary work ethic to succeed in this capacity; you need something more.
You need a high “channel quotient” or CQ, which is a combination of nine
attributes spelled out herein. These qualities are especially valuable in an
era like 2017 when product cycles are compressed, customers needs are
evolving and business models are undergoing significant reformation.

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1. Organizational Influence
Organizational influence is one of the most important qualities of a successful channel
chief in the information technology industry today. Being a channel chief requires
securing a seat at the table wherever big decisions are made. If you don’t have a
relationship with your CEO, you’re unlikely to occupy a spot in that all important place.
Without a seat at the table, you’re likely to find yourself living in the shadows of your
chief of marketing or head of worldwide sales.
To succeed as a channel chief, you’ll need what Hollywood calls “juice” to get your job done. That’s because
you’ll need the help of others inside your company to coordinate go-to-market activities, plan for product
rollouts and provide sufficient support to partners. There’s more: Being a channel chief requires more than just
getting along with others; it sometimes requires compelling them to work on your behalf. This includes powerful
leaders within an organization that have different if not competing agendas. Think executives who represent
engineering, legal, finance and more. Without organizational influence, you’ll never get their cooperation when
it comes to revenue sharing, customer satisfaction, partner reward or support. To be a successful channel chief,
you have to thrive amid ambiguity, change and conflict. Is that coded into your DNA?
Thinking about a job in ICT Channel Management?
Then you better have measure up in these areas:
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Inf luence in Action
A few years ago, a tech company known for its broad product portfolio and mercurial CEO scheduled some media interviews
to promote the appointment of a new channel chief. Because the CEO was not especially involved with partners at the time,
reporters were eager to ask the new channel chief about meeting the CEO before taking the job. After fumbling around for some
words, the channel chief confessed sheepishly, “I didn’t meet him before I took the job.” It was a portentous sign. Despite the
chief’s best efforts to improve channel relations and implement pro-friendly channel policies, the company’s partner programs
never fully transformed. One reason? Sales leaders with closer ties to the CEO persuaded him to accept more channel conflict
than what the channel chief liked. Not surprisingly, the individual lasted only a few years in the role.
Profile
pg 5
Here’s a simple test to find out
1. Do you play well with others?
2. Can you work across cross-functional lines and motivate others that do not report to you?
3. Can you secure promises including funding, commitment and talent to work on your
behalf throughout your own organization?
If you can’t answer yes to these questions, then forget about taking a leadership role in the
channel. It is the textbook definition of playing well in a sandbox—including ones filled with
landmines or worse. Every successful channel chief says amassing organizational influence
is a significant part of his or her job—and one that you will have to attain.

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2. Business Acumen
When it comes to accessing your own business acumen, ask yourself these questions.
Can you see around corners, tease out insights from a spreadsheet or dissect a
PowerPoint presentation for structural flaws?
How about breaking down an industry report and extracting new understandings that others miss? You’ll have
to do these and more to effectively lead in the channel. Working with partners requires:
4A data-driven mindset and the ability to think broadly and clearly at scale.
4An understanding not only of sales models, but also marketing, customer experiences, social media,
partner satisfaction and macro economics.
4An understanding of the dynamics of partner recruitment, recognition and reward.
4An ability to master more than your employer’s economics; you also have to immerse yourself in your
partners’ finances no matter their size, focus or territory.
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pg 7
4An ability to understand international business and regulations. For example, establishing a sales office
and business entity in some countries is all you need to recruit and engage partners. In others, it’s merely
a first step. In a significant portion of the world, you’ll have to master not just partner but government
relations. And how you sell, reward and retain partners will require a vast amount of business acumen
and cultural savvy. Partners in the some regions do not like entering information into Partner Resource
Management (PRM) systems unless its triply verified. In other regions… things are more casual.
To be a world-class channel chief, in other words, you must become develop a word-class mind for business.
Think of it as though you were pursuing a Masters in Partner Administration or MPA.
Business Acumen in Action
A few years ago, an up-and-coming channel chief took a job for a company that, out of almost nowhere, zoomed to the
top of key tech market. The company’s products were ideally suited to indirect sales and provided partners with lucrative
after market opportunities. It literally was a “razor-and-blades” business for a moment in time. At the height of the
company’s success, however, the channel chief sensed something was amiss. Product failures were growing and price
commoditization, which negatively impacted partner margins, was rampant. When another vendor offered the bright
young executive a job, he accepted it with mixed emotions. While he adored the people he worked with, he recognized
that his employer’s technology was optimized for an era that was quickly coming to an end. His business acumen saved
his career, in other words. At his next assignment, the same channel chief relied on his business acumen to secure
greater funding and technological support for his company’s business partners. And his employer? It enjoyed the best
years it ever did thanks in part to his invaluable insights.
Profile

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3. Decisive Leadership
Are the actions in the real life example the kind of thing you
could do? Before you answer, consider the scope of what
makes a great channel chief. In addition to recruiting channel
partners and wooing them over dinners, it sometimes
requires you to fire them in less than desirable settings. In
requires you to sometimes pick one favored partner over
another when an important end customer is at stake.
And it sometimes requires you to demand that they cease certain business
activities that might be profitable but otherwise devalue the market as a
whole. Can you make these tough decisions? You’ll have to succeed at being a
channel chief in today’s market.
From time to time, the job requires you to change the rules of
engagement, reduce the awards you provide to your most deserving allies
and even alienate the affections of your own peers inside your company.
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Decisive Leadership in Action
A decade or so ago, the new channel chief of one of Silicon Valley’s most legendary companies faced a crisis. At
the time, no one who resold the company’s products could make a profit due to over-distribution and rampant
price discounting. Partners were literally selling the company’s in-demand hardware gear for less than they
could buy its products from distributors and other legitimate sources. Many resorted to securing products from
a bourgeoning black and gray market, which resulted in a litany of other problems. (Were the warranties good
or the technological underpinnings trustworthy? many wondered.) Amid the crisis, the channel chief turned to
his team of lieutenants and asked them, “Okay guys, how do we fix this?” There were no easy answers. But one
program architect came up with a wild idea: why not ask the CEO to demand that the CFO give return of the
profits that the company had amassed and reallocate them to partners? While some scoffed at the idea, which
would have lowered stated profits to Wall Street by the tune of $1 billion, the channel chief liked the bold thinking.
He recognized that without some grand gesture, the company would put its entire channel, which accounted for
more than 80 percent of annual revenue at the time, at risk. So he boldly went to the CEO and demanded the
unthinkable: “We need to lower our profits so we can better reward partners,” he said. After some intense internal
debate, the CEO took the idea to the company’s board of directors, which agreed to give the channel chief the
money he requested. Now that was decisive leadership.
From time to time, the job requires you to change the rules of engagement, reduce the awards you provide to
your most deserving allies and even alienate the affections of your own peers inside your company. Sometimes,
it requires that you break promises that others pledge. It’s not a job for the weak of heart by any measure. Being a
channel chief requires a backbone of steel and heart of stone, now and then, and if you’re not a decisive leader then
it’s not a place for you.
Profile

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The Nine Attributes of a World-Class Channel Chief
4.Technological Savvy
In order to succeed in the ICT channel, how tech-savvy does a channel chief have to
be? Well, like they say in basketball about height, a little extra never hurts.
In reality, the best channel chiefs share a lot in common but they almost always have a deep understanding
of the technologies and standards their companies advance. They know where their products and services
are superior, and where they are not. This insight gives them the confidence they need to persuasively recruit
the best partners possible, and the vision to provide for their long-term needs. Rarely has this been so
important. Today for example:
A. At least five software operating systems (iOS, Windows, Linux, Mac OS and Android) compete for
developer and customer attention.
B. On-premise computing is shifting to the cloud, and the simultaneous transition from hardware-centric
architectures to software-defined everything will have a dynamic impact.
C. The Internet of Things is only make things more complicated. In a mere few years, the entire computing
landscape will look very different from what we recognize today.
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Tech Savviness in Action
There’s a well-known tech entrepreneur who developed one of the world’s first cloud-and-appliance backup
solutions sold exclusively by managed service providers (MSPs). When the company grew to the point where it
was ready for an acquisition or a public offering, the founder did something remarkable: though an engineer by
training, he decided to step out of the CEO role and take change of the company’s partner sales efforts. “Why
not?” he figured, “partners are our future.” The decision proved fortuitous. With a technologist at the helm of
its partnering efforts, the company quickly developed a reputation among engineers in the channel as a “tech-
serious” vendor. Sales grew and the company blossomed.
As you think about your tech savviness, ask yourself, wouldn’t understanding the ins and outs of hardware and
software engineering benefit your career? Of course. If you are wondering what the baseline minimum is, then take
note that more than a few channel chiefs have passed their own company’s technical certification tests. Some have
even signed up for programming classes in search of an edge.
Think working as a channel chief is principally a business-related occupation? Guess again. If you cannot
discern the difference between sustaining innovations and disruptive ones or articulate a plan for digitization or
artificial intelligence, you’re going to lag behind other channel chiefs in the industry. At a certain level within an
organization, every executive is a technologist, channel chiefs included.
Profile

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5. Operational Efficiency
Inventory turns. Conversion ratios. Balk rates. If these data points—and 100 others—
aren’t a part of your everyday lingua franca, then maybe your CQ is not be ready for
the big leagues. While partnering is personal, it is also precise. Professional partner
management requires superb operational efficiency.
This is especially true when running an ecosystem comprised of varying partner types from different parts of
the world. You cannot manage an environment of systems integrators, VARs, distributors, MSPs, cloud services
providers, hosting companies, software developers, consultants and more if you don’t have operationally
efficiency. If your company relies on a physical supply chain, then you must be as operationally savvy as your
company’s best Six Sigma Black Belt.
This is because channel chiefs have to explain to partners what’s happening when sought-after products cannot
be found or when pipelines suddenly become full and rapid price discounting erupts.
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Channel chiefs must also be able to work internally
to break down barriers so that simple processes run
smoothly. This is more difficult than you might imagine.

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Operational Efficiency in Action
In one partner-focused hardware company, channel managers could not turn around simple price quotes in a timely
manner after a series of acquisitions. Instead of hours or days, the company’s bid desk took weeks to turn around basic
orders, which meant that end customers often moved on to competing suppliers by the time the vendor could provide
a partner with information to respond to a basic customer request. A new company channel chief vowed to fix the
problem. While the individual went to work breaking down barriers between company silos, all hell broke loose internally.
But the havoc worked to the advantage of channel chief, who secured permission from the CEO to do whatever it took to
help partners respond more quickly to market demands.
To achieve world-class efficiency, channel chiefs have to be masters at organizational
dynamics, process reengineering and change management. By definition, working in a
channel capacity means pursuing a leveraged business model.
The only way this approach works is when redundancies are eliminated and inefficiencies
are eradicated. A channel chief needs to be able to quickly identify waste and course
correct immediately. This discipline isn’t the most glamorous part of the job, but it’s
unquestionably one of the most important.
Profile

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Today, savvy customers know the discounts and
even the incentives that drive partner economics.
6. Customer Orientation
As channel chief, you only need worry about partner satisfaction, right? Guess again.
You’re as responsible for customer experiences and satisfaction as anyone in your
organization. So you better understand customer sensitivities to pricing, support, sales
promotions and more.
Take the adage “where there is mystery there is margin.” There was a time when channel partners held sway over
customers with secret knowledge of back-end pricing mechanisms and technological underpinnings. No more.
Today, savvy customers know the discounts and even the incentives that drive partner economics, not to mention
the tech secrets that used to be the exclusive domain of channel partners.
(End customers can Google just like any one else, after all.) Instead of mystery and negotiations, customers want
their technology providers to be true business partners who are as committed to their business success as their
own employees. Customers know they can buy products from many sources including vendors directly; they also
know they can figure out how connect equipment and set up software services on their own.
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What they want is someone who can:
1. Do these things at scale, consistently and securely.
2. Explain tech trends and digital opportunities in everyday language that makes sense
and that they can apply to their businesses.
3. Provide greater vertical market expertise.
4. Deliver better business acumen.
5. Help organizations operate with greater agility and speed than ever before.
Does that list synch with your company’s desires? If not, then you and your partners are out of step with customer
expectations today. As a channel chief, part of your job, thus, will be to persuade your executive management
that partners face new realities in today’s world. If you cannot help them see past your channel sales motions,
marketing campaigns and support programs through partners to end customers, they’ll never understand what is
required for succeeding in today’s market. Ditto for partners. Exclusive territories? Preferential treatment based on
size? These are vestiges of the past. Today, the only true measure of a top partner is whether they have customer
orientation. The same, of course, is true for you. Make customer orientation every bit as important as partner
satisfaction in your role. They two are inextricably tied, and critical to your long-term success.

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7. Personal Integrity
Partnering is personal—so much so that you better have the ability to speak truthfully
when you have good and bad news to share. Managing partners often means meeting
them at their offices, listening to their concerns and embracing their ambitions.
And bear in mind some of these partners will represent your competitors. Others, meanwhile, will waver in their
commitments or execution. And some just won’t buy what you are selling. Time and again, you’ll be asked to
put your personal integrity on the line. It’s just how the channel works. If you’re not comfortable with personal
commitments, individual alliances or delicate relationships, then being a channel chief won’t be easy. When it
comes to partners, courage, boldness and above all else, integrity, is non-negotiable.
Personal Integrity in Action
When one tech company’s partners threatened to mutiny against rampant channel conflict and
customer poaching, one well-known channel chief camped outside his CEO’s office to demand a change
in company policies. He sat there for a day and one-half while his CEO did his best to avoid direct
confrontation. While the channel chief never secured time with his CEO, his effort did not go unnoticed.
“Fix the situation,” the CEO implored to the company’s worldwide head of sales. So together the channel
chief and head of global sales painstakingly drew up new rules of engagement that the company’s direct
salesforce and partners had to abide by. The rules impacted quota retirement, sales compensation
and more. It’s was a major distraction, as you might imagine. But conflict was resolved, thanks to the
willingness of the channel chief to put his reputation, career and personal integrity on the line.
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Personal Integrity in Action
One of the channel chiefs in the industry is a product of the American “Midwest.” A generation ago, the region
was a hardscrabble place known for sealing business deals with a handshake. This channel chief’s father was
a small businessman who sold auto products in a town where he literally made it his business to know every
customer’s name–not to mention their individual needs. Back then, business was as personal as it was financial.
After coming of age in this environment, this channel chief promised himself that he would apply what he learned
as a youth when dealing with fellow professionals. After college, he took a job in technology sales and eventually
rose to prominence in the channel. And he’s never let go of his ideals. Not surprisingly, his best partners love
him. And for good reason: he knows their spouses, children and, moreover, businesses. He understands the
investments, sacrifices and promises they have made. He knows the employees that rely on them and the
customers whom they serve. When he makes a promise, he understands the weight beneath them.
Time and again, you’ll be asked to put your personal integrity on the line.
It’s just how the channel works.
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8. Intellectual Curiosity
What’s the hottest trend in fashion? Believe it or not, The Wall Street Journal says it might
be weather, which is dictating fabric weight, color selection and garment design as much
as artistic imagination or cultural approbation.
So what could an information technology channel chief learn from today’s sartorial influences? Plenty. Today’s
world class fashion designers are students of the world around them. They study everything from weather to
macro economic indicators to fabric technology. They do so to gain an edge on their competition. One small bit of
information can change their world view or design direction.
The same is true for channel chiefs. Which begs the question: What are you reading: Do you read The New Yorker,
Wired or the Harvard Business Review? Do you listen to technology and business podcasts when you exercise,
pore over the latest blog posts on LinkedIn on weekends or watch more TED Talks than reruns of The Walking
Dead? If so, then congratulations, you have the innate curiosity of a channel chief. Let’s be honest, the job is as
much social as financial and organizational.
You need to be smart—“brainy” in other words. You need to
consume all things intellectual and ask big questions.
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Intellectual Curiosity in Action
One channel chief, for example, is known to read People Magazine, The Economist and Variety every week. The
insights this executive gains are numerous. And, moreover, applicable. Before the U.S. housing crisis hit in 2008,
the channel executive argued against his company’s plans to introduce a costly certification requirement for every
channel partner. This was something the company’s head of marketing, who believed end customers deserved
a greater level of service than what they were getting, fought for aggressively. But the channel chief said no.
The reason? His reading of the housing crisis would lead to a major economic downturn, which in turn would
put significant financial pressure on channel partners. Instead of imposing strict new training requirements
on partners, the channel chief pushed for new incentives instead. The company’s executive management team
agreed and postponed the new certification requirements. And the company’s partners? They rallied behind the
company’s innovations because they were some of the few they could count on to help generate profits in 2008,
2009 and 2010. Intellectual curiosity, the channel chief says, is what helped him shape his thinking.
Today’s world class fashion designers are students of the world
around them. They study everything from weather to macro
economic indicators to fabric technology.
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9. Infectious Optimism
Though it’s hard to define, infectious enthusiasm is unmistakably obvious when
you see it. It’s the ability to pull partners to places where they wouldn’t otherwise
go. It’s the confidence to take on larger competitors, the instinct to learn on the fly
and the cunning to change course quickly.
It is, perhaps, the one quality that separates the good from the great. As a channel chief, there will
be times where your product portfolio isn’t be the most competitive, your market not the fastest
growing or your company the most channel friendly. Challenges will inevitably arise. For reasons
beyond your control, your brand may fall into disrepair, your CEO could get fired or your products
recalled. What then? It will still be your duty to fuel partners desires, inspire their dreams and
otherwise exceed their expectations.
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In moments like these, you’re going to have to be infectiously
optimistic despite naysayers and public challenges.

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pg 21
Are we talking about being a cheerleader? You bet. And don’t be surprised if someone asks to see your cartwheel.
Being a channel chief requires flexibility, agility and the ability to stick a landing with a smile now and then. The
rewards, however, can be worth it. They can be measured by tangibles—think salary, benefits and promotions—
and intangibles alike. As a channel chief, you literally have the opportunity to affect the lives of the people you
work with directly and thousands of those whom you touch indirectly. It’s an amazing opportunity and obligation.
Those who have prevailed as a successful channel chief and later moved on often say
it’s the best job they have ever had. If you have the right CQ, you may one day be able to
say the same.
Infectious Optimism in Action
An upcoming solution provider in his 20s recently met a channel chief at one of the nation’s largest telecom
distributors. “Why aren’t you selling telecom and cloud services, which provide you with a recurring revenue
stream?” the chief asked. The young entrepreneur shrugged and said he never seriously considered telecom
services because he grew up selling computer systems and break-fix services. “Nonsense,” said the chief. “Let me
convince you.” Over the course of the next two months, the channel chief kept tabs on the young entrepreneur.
The channel chief invited the young CEO to his company’s largest partner retreat and made sure his lieutenants
provided the CEO with education and training to help him expand his business. “What can I say? His infectious
optimism won me over,” the solution provider says.
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Top Channel Chiefs Use PRM
to Power Their Channel
You’ve proven your mettle with the C-Suite and you need to make sure you have the
technology solutions to help you deliver on your vision.
Impartner can help. For nearly two decades, we’ve been helping companies like Xerox, Rackspace, Fortinet and National
Instruments manage their worldwide partner relationships and accelerate revenue and profitability through indirect
sales. National Instruments alone has used the power of Impartner and PRM to increase their channel sales by 120
percent and their channel program net promoter score by 30 percent. Their Partner Portal is the nucleus from which they
drive their channel’s success.
Click here to take a demo of how our out-of-the-box SaaS-Based Partner Relationship Management (PRM) solution can
accelerate your indirect sales. We can have you up and running with a new, world-class Partner Portal in as few as 30
days, using the company’s highly engineered, multi-award winning, three-step Velocity™ onboarding process.
Take a demo and find out why the world’s top channel chiefs use the
world’s most award winning PRM solution to drive their channel sales.
About Impartner

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Savvy
Collab
ora
tive
Acumen
Influencial
Decisive
Integrity
Efficient
Oriented
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ptim
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The Nine Attributes of a World-Class Channel Chief
About the author
* T.C. Doyle is the Senior Content Director of Channel brands at Penton
Technology. A veteran technology writer, editor and video storyteller, he is also
the co-author of “The Digital Revolution: How Connected Digital Innovations
Are Transforming Your Industry, Company and Career,” which was published by
Pearson Education Inc.’s FT Press Division in 2016. When he’s not pursuing a story
in Silicon Valley or elsewhere, he can be found in Park City, Utah, where he resides.