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| 4/22/2012 2:27:18 PM |
ITMD posts new research on channel loyalty programs
IT Market Dynamics – Canada’s most widely-read IT research firm – has posted a slide show containing findings from original research on channel loyalty programs.
“Loyalty programs and the channel sales process” is a 15-slide deck presenting results from 22 in-depth interviews conducted with sales professionals representing three different kinds of reseller – DMRs, national VARs, and regional VARs.
“Although 22 respondents isn’t a large sample, the results provide unique insight into how vendor programs can and do motivate channel sales behaviour,” said Michael O’Neil, ITMD’s CEO. Respondents were very consistent in their identification of the factors that encourage them to work more closely with a vendor, or which would prompt them to focus on a competitive offering.”
ITMD’s research uncovered a number of issues that are important to channel management, channel sales representatives, and vendor channel executives, including:
- Ease of use – and all program components that lead to ease of use, including ease of using rewards, ease of checking status, and even the ease of registering and logging in – are essential to good loyalty program design.
- Good program communications are also important to the success of a loyalty program – and channel sales professionals expect to receive these communications via email.
- Breadth and continuity matter: Channel sales representatives exhibit a preference for rewards that build predictably over time – which means that vendors with broad lines including run-rate products are likely to be at an advantage.
- Rolling training and collateral into the program management portal helps to increase the usefulness of the program and portal.
“What we found in the research was a set of clear ideas on how vendors can maximize the benefit of their investment in loyalty programs – and enhance their relationships with channel sales professionals,” O’Neil added. “Both vendors and the channel executives to whom these sales reps report can use this data to understand the “wheres, whys and hows” of channel loyalty.”
The research deck can be viewed as an online slideshow by visiting http://channelinsider.itincanada.ca/index.php?id=16735&cid=379
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