This whitepaper lists the 7 key “must haves” for the ideal PRM software.

1. 7 things to look for
when selecting
channel automation
software

2. INTRODUCTION
Channel sales offers great opportunities as an
effective model for business expansion. It does,
however, present some unique issues that can be
barriers to optimal revenue growth. In particular,
we’ve found this business model presents several
specific challenges. The first challenge is the conflict
between a vendor’s desire for strong brand control
and the channel partner’s need for personalized
collateral. Second, channel partners may be
overwhelmed by the volume of collateral available
and do not always find and use the most optimal
materials. Next, on the vendor side, there is the
frustration that partners focus only on the best,
hottest leads, leaving too many “early funnel” leads
to drop out. Fourth, there is the issue of data and
information flow. Is the available marketing data
being effectively used by both vendor and partner?
Are there metrics and analytics that allow a vendor to
view and analyze the marketing effectiveness of each
partner? And finally, how well is social media being
used at the partner level if vendors are concerned
only with maintaining strict brand control.
These are all significant concerns that can limit the
ability of the partner model to drive revenues. As a
result, many vendors are now looking at channel
automation to address the issues that are an inherent
part of channel sales. Picking the right channel
automation software can be difficult. What are the
key features to consider when investing in channel
automation software?
This white paper lists the 7 key “must haves” for the
ideal channel automation software.
MUST-HAVE FEATURE
#1- Channel branded,
personalized asset creation
Vendors strive hard to ensure that their brand and
message are portrayed exactly the way they’ve
defined them. With the channel model, however,
partners become the brand ambassadors. Vendors
have to work hard to make sure the brand image is
not damaged. In some industries, such as financial
and real estate, compliance and regulatory issues
further constrain messaging. A good channel
automation solution should offer powerful brand
management capabilities that help vendors maintain
control over their marketing and sales materials,
while creating a window for channel partners to
personalize their communication with prospects.
Ideally, the vendor should be able to freeze the key
components of their messaging in standard
templates letting the channel partners tailor and
personalize the communication.
Good channel automation software should provide
channel partners with easy-to-use communication
tools that allow them to follow-up instantly with their
prospects. Pre-approved sales e-mails, brochures,
presentations tailored to reflect the channel partner’s
identity, without straying from the vendor’s
messaging helps channel partners to follow-up with
leads effectively. Thus, sales channels get easy
access to template-based sales and marketing
materials and vendors get to enhance and control
their brand through managed marketing materials.
MUST-HAVE FEATURE
#2- Sales playbooks
Reaching out to prospects at the right time, with the
right message is very crucial in all sales. However,
channel partners often have a difficult time sifting
through multiple folders and databases trying to
access the right marketing or sales material. A
channel automation solution should make it easy for
channel partners to connect with their leads by
offering them ready-to-use sales playbooks—i.e.
knowledge buckets containing all the key information
that the channels need to share with the prospects.
7 things to look for when selecting
channel automation software
2403 Sidney Street, Suite 150 Pittsburgh, PA 15203, Phone: 412.381.0230, Fax: 412.774.1992, Email: sales@mindmatrix.net, www.mindmatrix.net

3. MUST-HAVE FEATURE
#3- Sales prospecting tools for channels
Lead generation and closure is often a source of
dissatisfaction for both vendors and their channel
partners. Vendors may perceive that channel
partners aren’t pursuing their leads effectively, while
partners raise doubts over the quality of leads
handed over to them. A channel automation solution
should put this issue to rest by offering detailed lead
insight to all of its users. That means both parties, the
vendor and their channel partners, should have a
complete view of their prospects. Every lead activity
such as website visits, downloads, link clicks, e-mail
opens etc. should be tracked and scored. As a
result, the vendor and their channels will be able to
determine the quality of the lead (based on their
interaction with the channel) and the lead status (hot,
warm, cold) and contact them with the most
appropriate message.
MUST-HAVE FEATURE
#4- Lead capture and follow up
With channel partners dealing with multiple vendors,
there’s a natural tendency to gravitate towards those
leads that seem to be closer to a purchase. However,
vendors resent that a lot of leads are dropped just
because they are not as far along in the sales cycle.
The channel automation solution should offer
channel partners the tools to capture the right leads
and follow through with them through the entire
funnel until the lead is closed. Examples include
automatic lead segmentation, easy-to-use lead
nurturing drips, real-time lead status alerts and
content-rich landing pages with lead generation
forms.
MUST-HAVE FEATURE
#5- Channel effectiveness and
engagement measurement
Often vendors may broadly know who their
top-performing channel partners are, but when it
comes to identifying the specific problems with their
other channel partners, vendors are generally in the
dark. End result? They are left facing poor channel
performances with no idea of what’s wrong. An
effective channel automation platform should offer
vendors detailed analytics and reports related to
every sales channel. Whether it’s an e-mail marketing
campaign or a social media event, the results of
every marketing effort should be measurable. Key
channel engagement metrics such as whitepaper
downloads; e-mail response, certifications sought,
webinar attendance etc. should be tracked. This
way, the vendor gets a clear picture of channel
activities and can begin to suggest course
corrections or alternative messaging for failing
campaigns.
MUST-HAVE FEATURE
#6- Marketing funds management
The best use of Market Development Funds (MDFs)
is a frequently debated topic. Vendors demand
assurance that the funds allocated are achieving the
desired goals. Channel partners in turn are
responsible for maintaining records about the use
and investment of MDF. Most channel partners
maintain the records in complex spreadsheets which
may contain manually entered data. From the
vendor’s perspective, this raises concerns about the
timeliness of the data for analytical purposes. The
best channel automation platform should allow for
smooth management of MDFs from start to finish,
including each funding request, approval, billing,
receipt and report generation. The platform should
also provide real-time updates to vendors on how
the funds are being invested by the sales channels,
thus eliminating vendors’ reliance on channel
partners for performance reports. This serves two
valuable purposes. One, it lends more value to the
reports because they are system generated and can
be immediately accessed by the vendors. Two,
vendors can see reports on every partner in a single
format. This enables vendors to understand which
channel partners are doing well and which ones are
struggling to perform.
2403 Sidney Street, Suite 150 Pittsburgh, PA 15203, Phone: 412.381.0230, Fax: 412.774.1992, Email: sales@mindmatrix.net, www.mindmatrix.net

4. 2403 Sidney Street, Suite 150 Pittsburgh, PA 15203, Phone: 412.381.0230, Fax: 412.774.1992, Email: sales@mindmatrix.net, www.mindmatrix.net
MUST-HAVE FEATURE
#7- Social media automation
With limitless information available over the internet,
the next-generation buyer is constantly researching,
evaluating every brand, product, delivery value and
getting peer reviews. One result is that buyers are
much further along in the buying cycle when they
finally directly approach a business. Given this new
buying landscape, it becomes imperative for sellers
to be present wherever the prospect is. What better
place to do it than social media? There is a concern,
however. Brand-building via social media demands
on-going time and effort—something most sales
channels lack. This is where a channel management
automation solution can help. The channel
management solution’s social media automation
capabilities can enable channel partners to harness
the power of popular social media platforms and
forums to get closer to their prospects and sell more.
SUMMARY
In short, when zeroing in on the best channel
automation solution, be sure that it offers the
following benefits
 Managed marketing materials to help
enhance and control the brand.
 Personalized sales and marketing materials
creation and easy access to them.
 Cloud-based access to templates.
 Lead registration, scoring and nurturing.
 Hot lead identification.
 Materials to help close the sale
(automated drip).
 Easy management of MDF funds.
 Insight into prospect and channel activities.
 Social media automation.