Dell Channel Blog

In my role as Channel Community Manager, I’ve enjoyed getting to know the members of our cross-functional team and I look forward to sharing their perspectives with you here on this blog.

First up, I recently talked with Andy Hochhalter from Americas Sales Operations about one of the hottest topics around. Namely, how can channel partners work with Dell without fearing for the livelihood of their own business?

Andy explained that partners are primarily concerned with how Dell will use their end-customer information, and whether it will be used to feed Dell's direct sales activities. To help alleviate these concerns, we created the Deal Registration program. This program allows partners to access preferred pricing for a specific end customer and simultaneously restricts the deal from Dell's direct sales teams for a specific time period.

In addition, there has been a lot of talk about Dell’s internal culture -- with some industry watchers doubting our ability to adapt for the channel. Greg Davis, VP and General Manager of the Americas Channel Group, has made his message very clear to Dell’s direct sales reps: Respect partner deals. He is also actively engaged in resolving any conflicts. It was a learning process initially, but we're now able to focus on fine-tuning our program.

For example, Greg has established a “neutral” compensation program for Dell sales reps. It is designed to remove any motivation not to forge channel partnerships. In addition, we’ve recruited channel veterans who have helped us accelerate the speed in which we can build out a partner program.

In fact, Andy gave me the scoop on how the PartnerDirect program is currently evolving. He stressed that our goal is to be the best in the industry for partners who truly add value to the end customer.  The perfect fit is in niche markets, where our partners bring incremental value beyond what Dell can offer through direct sales. This value-based model will help partners be successful, and give them a way to emphasize the specific benefits for customers. Tangible value for partners and end customers will eliminate fear over time.

I'm so excited to be a part of this revolutionary new program for Dell, and look forward to sharing more thoughts from our team members.