Potential rewards for the small-minded

Strong relationships between vendors and partners have never been so important

In the current volatile market, with businesses continuing to suffer from erratic volumes and a tightening of belts, it is reassuring when vendors show their appreciation of the channel's importance.

Partnerships perform at their best when both parties are striving for the same outcome. In general, today's market conditions appear to have resulted in stronger commitment and, for those who may have seen the channel as an ailing legacy in the past, a complete rethink.

Some recent initiatives have been extremely encouraging because they appear to signal a higher awareness of mutual benefits for vendors and their channel partners, and an acceptance that there is an overriding need for both parties to work closely together.

A number of initiatives have been expanded beyond their traditional boundaries to capture channel firms that offer real value for end users that may have been overlooked before. These programmes also seem to be much more channel friendly, adding value to both ends of the relationship and maximising opportunities.

Resellers have always had to work closely with customers, and must leave a good, lasting impression to ensure repeat business. Customer satisfaction is a cornerstone of their relationships, as organisations tend to remain loyal to tested suppliers.

Recent moves show these channel strengths being leveraged once again.

The small to medium sized enterprise (SME) market is still an area of major untapped opportunities, with penetration remaining relatively low. Campaigns of education and offerings tailored to SMEs continue to have some impact, but for SMEs it is not as simple as buying a product.

They need to clearly understand and appreciate the real benefits of the technology, and must be assured that they are making the right decisions and confident they will receive the ongoing attention they need.

Vendors now know that opportunities in the SME market will be realised only through education and an effective offering, backed by meeting customers' aspirations. They have also realised that their infrastructure is not able to completely support these requirements at street level.

The channel has always treated customers as individuals and reassured them that it will be there in the future when they need it. Many channel constituents are SMEs themselves, which provides a high level of trust.

Ultimately, a strengthening of relationships will build a platform to improve performance across the board and drive the industry forward.