Channel Management

Channel Management

Channel sales is the overall account liaison and is primarily responsible for selling product into distribution and the reseller channel (retail, VARs, system integrators).  Channel marketing is responsible for ensuring that product in distributor and reseller locations gets sold out. In essence Channel sales ensures sell-in, Channel Marketing ensures channel sell-through.
A Channel Marketing Manager is typically responsible for the sell-through function. There are cases where a Channel Marketing Manager handles all sell-in and sell through via the channel, and the internal sales people concentrate on selling direct--this may vary according to your organization.
This section of Chanimal is primarily for the Channel Marketing Manager who works in partnership with the head of Channel Sales to:

1. Establish a competitive reseller program (authorization, margins, levels, etc.)
2. Help recruit resellers
3. Prepare the proper reseller collateral
4. Create reseller kits (sell sheets, product slicks, catalogs, reseller pricing, NFR product, distribution part numbers, contact information, reviews, etc.),
5. Manage reseller database and Partner Relationship Management (PRM) software
6. Jointly invest the market development  (MDF) and Co-op funds to increase channel sell-through. 
7. This sell-through is accomplished through managing store, VAR and distributor promotions (spiffs, contest, rebates, specials, training, promotions, etc.),
8. Ensuring proper merchandising (retail only)
9. Ensuring adequate stocking levels
10. Running reseller education
11. Setting up motivational contest to reward sales
12. Manage seeding programs.

This person is also part of the marketing team and participates with Product Marketing, PR, the Webmaster (for the reseller portal) and Advertising to ensure that the specific reseller needs are met.