__p The recently-concluded “Channel Champions 2004″ survey threw up some interesting findings. For instance, partners said that while margins and profits did matter, it was the quality of the product that really made a difference to their sales. Also, they didn’t seem too happy with the quality of the channel managers they have to deal with currently.
p____p In this survey, partners were asked to rate the manufacturers on various parameters that would ultimately decide which company really earned the partners’ trust. The competition was a close affair and most product categories saw a difference of just a few points between the winner and the runner-up. A case in point being the competition between Seagate and Samsung in the HDD category and Symantec and McAfee in the antivirus category.
p____p But the most heartening finding of all was to see the still subtle, but definite, trend of partners learning to stand up for what they want. In its fourth year, 360 Magazine’s Channel Champions Awards 2004 edition carries the verdict of a channel that will not be bullied by the promise of margins anymore. The findings show that the channel wants a good quality product with a realistic pricing structure, apart from the complete backing of the manufacturer; both on the warranty front as well as on the technical side.
p____p In some categories, partners did not hesitate to rate a market leader with a weak warranty policy or an inferior product with a lower rating. Neither did they shy away from acknowledging the efforts of those vendors who have
worked hard to retain or gain additional mindshare in the channel.
p____p And it’s this unbiased and fearless rating of a manufacturer’s channel policies that make winning a Channel Champion Award so honorable for the manufacturer. For it’s a tribute of trust from the channel to the company.p__