Lost in a crowd?

One alliance manager, one account, hundreds of people to influence and support. How?

A medium sized company strapped for cash is trying to develop a sales relationship with a huge, complex and multifaceted systems integrator.

The 'strategy' at a local level is to allocate an alliance manager armed with a pat on the back, massive expectations and a career jeapardising degree of corporate scrutiny.

The only approach our luckless pilgrim can adopt is to try and win a leading deal while elbowing into events and meetings where the target communities gather.

The risk of prolonged slow and agonising failure is too high.

The problem explored.

The everyday development and management of channel and alliance relationships requires the establishment of 2 things (as a minimum):

1. Visibility - being a constant and iterative presence that makes the relationship a part of the working lives of those in partner organisations.

2. Responsiveness - developing a reputation for providing relevant, timely and accurate support when it is required.

A large number of organisations fall short of these fundamental goals. A lack of visibility is often a resource issue and poor responsiveness betrays flaws in channel management and organisation.

Many suppliers see acquiring relationships with the larger players in their markets as a business development panacea. It is here that the twin goals of visibility and responsiveness become much more problematic.

First, the large companies are just that, large. The communities of individuals to whom you need to be visible can run into hundreds if not thousands of people.

Secondly those with whom suppliers have smaller relationships (the typical channel) share a core business. In larger partner relationships the solution is only one of many that the larger player is offering or is just a component of a much broader core solution. This means that the focus and expertise of those that need to be engaged lies elsewhere.

This exagerates your need for visibility and their need for responsiveness. Couple this with the numbers concerned and you have a big obstacle to success.

An efficient response.

This is a 'one to many' issue. Therefore it lends itself to marketing disciplines rather than sales. However this is marketing to a few hundred people at the most. Their names and contact details are known. There is a willingness and a very good reason to talk to engage. Their company policy encourages them to do so. The partnership is not visible and no-one knows to whom to turn should they need to.

This requires precision marketing.

The approach has two components. The first is a web portal. It was private to the relationship. It is a 'shop window' and a 'virtual account manager'. It is not a generic partner portal.

1. It is jointly owned and funded. It's design and content is determined by both organisations.

2. It only deals with the solutions and issues relevant to the relationship.

3. Large companies speak a unique language; the portal reflects this.

4. It is limited in scope. This means the site was easy to navigate.

5. There are fewer issues of confidentiality. Case studies and competitive information are less sensitive.

6. It can respond quickly to opportunites and events.

7. It has to be engaging, its format eye catching, entertaining and fun. This needs the creative input of a marketing agency. This cannot be done in-house.

8. The 'editor-in-chief' is the alliance manager. The alliance manager must keep it current and relevant. It becomes part of the role and appraisals embody the efficacy of the portal.

9. Avoided the 'men in suits'. Messaging comes from those for whom the portal is designed to serve rather than senior executives. This makes it more relevant, accessible and engaging.

10. Posted a comprehensive 'rogues gallery' of the faces of useful contacts from both organisations (in 3 D) and advice on when to use them. Implement a 'click to talk' facility over each picture along with other collaboration technologies.

11. Set up a report facility. Capture who visits the site, how often and where they go. This offers a leading indicator of progress and a list of who the key early advocates are. These can then be fed 'royal jelly' to enhance their influence with their colleagues. Again, this can be used for alliance manager reviews.

12. Every page should have a feedback section.

13. Use the platform for introducing social networking facilities. The portal is owned and run by all in the relationship creating a positive social fabric of visibility and responsiveness.

14. Place features on the portal to encourage 'word of mouth' promotion of the site.

This is half the job.

The other element is to adopt a policy of driving this small and defined community to use it. This requires a campaign mentality. Because of the numbers involved the cost of this is low and the scope for creativity and variety is high.

The Cost.

The programme will require an investment. And here comes the need to make a decision. Is there a willingness to make the alliance work? If the answer is yes then with this willingness comes a commitment to invest. Merely the appointment of an account manager, however talented, does not offer enough of an assurance of success.

The approach outlined builds a operating context for the account manager. It enables him or her to influence and support a large number of people freeing up time to develop and close specific opportunities.

The cost of implementing this approach is a fraction of the cost of adding just one additional person to the account.

In turn this cost is just a rounding error in the cost of a protracted engagement that ultimeately fails.