What are the biggest challenges and struggles channel partners encounter when working with their vendor
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Partner Helpdesks are no longer the call centers of the past. As the “front door” to the vendor, the Helpdesk is the first point of contact with its Partners. This function places the Helpdesk at the heart of issues and problems Partners encounter when working with their Vendors. This webinar includes real data and examples for: 1. Identifying the Pain - What gives Partners the most trouble? 2. Defining the Scope - What areas and programs should the Helpdesk support? 3. Using Effective Measures - How do you set and measure Service Level Objectives? 4. Taking Action – How do you use the data to improve Partner satisfaction? 5. Realizing The Advantage – How does this the Vendor and Partner organization? In today’s competitive, dynamic channel marketplace the Partner Helpdesk serves both a tactical AND strategic function for vendors. If a Vendor is looking to improve Partner satisfaction and loyalty, increasing channel Partner revenue, reduce channel operational and support costs or boost channel account managers’ productivity and efficiency, perhaps the Partner helpdesk has the answers.
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What are the biggest challenges and struggles channel partners encounter when working with their vendor
- 1. powering channel programs globally Prepared by: Bill Kelly ‐ US Managing Director & Global Sales Dave Griffiths – Global Account Director May 16, 2013 What are the biggest challenges and struggles Partners encounter when working with their vendor?
- 2. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 About the Presenters © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved BILL KELLY U.S. Managing Director and Global Sales DAVE GRIFFITHS Global Account Director Company Facts: » Birch Worldwide Years in Business: » 20 + Years Solutions & Services: » MDF & Co‐op » Rebates & SPIFFS » Accreditation » Sales Analysis » Channel Payments » Deal Registration » Trade‐ins » Helpdesk Services Offices: » United Kingdom (HQ) » United States » Singapore Page 2 |
- 3. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 Objectives for this Webinar Page 3 | © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved Identifying the Pain What gives Partners the most trouble? Defining the Scope What areas and programs should the Helpdesk support? Using Effective Measures How do you set and measure Service Level Objectives? Taking Action How do you use the data to improve Partner satisfaction? Realizing The Advantage How does this create competitive and comparative advantage? 1 2 3 4 5
- 4. 65%of the CMOs feel the pain of not being prepared to manage the Growth of their Channels IBM Study: November 2012
- 5. Critical Areas in the Marketing Arena 65%of the CMOs feel the pain of not being prepared to manage the Growth of their Channels 1. Data explosion 2. Social media 3. Growth of channel 4. Shifting consumer demographics 5. Financial constraints 6. Decreasing brand loyalty 7. Growth market opportunities 8. ROI accountability 9. Customer collaboration and influence 10. Privacy considerations 11. Global outsourcing 12. Regulatory considerations 13. Corporate transparency Underpreparedness: % reporting under‐ preparedness Factors Impacting Marketing: % selecting as “Top five factors”
- 8. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 Poll Question #1 Page 8 | © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved What do you perceive or know are the biggest issues your Partners have in working with your company? 21% 25% 21% 13% 21% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Program Payment Status and Issues Channel Programs Credentials and Certifications Portal and Online Access Onboarding Questions
- 9. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 52% Digging Deeper to Identify the Pain What gives Partners the most trouble? © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved 0.00% 2.00% 4.00% 6.00% 8.00% 10.00% 12.00% 14.00% 16.00% 18.00% 20.00% Page 9 |
- 10. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 5 Things Our Team Wishes Vendors Did Be organized and responsive Provide clear communications Encourage Partners to ask questions Deliver training and help guides Have CAMs more accessible Page 10 | © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved What 5 things would you tell a vendor that would have the greatest impact on Partner satisfaction?
- 12. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 Establish a “Front Door” to Your Company Become easier to work with Nurture stronger Partner relationships Generate more loyalty Improve Partner interfaces Develop a process for improvement Page 12 | © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved
- 13. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 9 Functions for Helpdesk Support Page 13 | © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved Onboarding Switchboard How To Assistance Channel Marketing Programs Eligibility and Compliance Non‐technical Queries Training and Certification Solution Design Assistance Pre‐sales Support
- 15. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 Poll Question #2 Page 15 | © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved What Service Level Objectives do you use for your Partner helpdesk? 21% 14% 26% 21% 18% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Number of inquiries received Number and type of issues raised Issue resolution and time taken Partner satisfaction with service Turnaround time on inquires
- 16. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 ENABLEMENT A Model for Effective Measures © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights ReservedPage 16 | STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AGENT PRODUCTIVITY METRICS SERVICE OPERATIONS METRICS PARTNER SATISFACTION METRICS
- 17. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 Operational Metrics MEASURING ACTIVITIES KPIs Measuring STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES Agent Productivity Metrics • Average wait and speed to answer time • Number of cases handled • Agent training and proficiency • Number of claim processed • Number of escalations • Total claims processed • Cost of service • Agent productivity • Agent turnover • Knowledge base growth Service Operations Metrics • Forecasted volume versus actual • Contact volume by communication channel • Contact by Country and Language Preference • Service‐level agreement (SLA) adherence • Escalation rate to resolution • Number of phone transfers • Abandon call rate • First‐call resolution rate • Number of Partner complaints • Increase in revenue • Number of product upgrades • Service support costs • Number of reworks • Service utilization • Service‐level agreement (SLA) adherence Partner Satisfaction Metrics • Average case resolution time • Average speed to answer • Contact quality • Post‐contact survey results • Number of transfers • Fast payments and reimbursements • Partner lifetime value • Partner growth and retention • Likelihood to recommend • Brand loyalty • Channel program participation Putting the Model to Work © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights ReservedPage 17 |
- 18. Increasing Partner Satisfaction and “Winning Over the Undecided” © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved 25% 5% 70% Initial Partner Satisfaction Neutral Negative Postive 10% 3% 86% Partner Satisfaction Impact Neutral Negative Postive 60% Conversion Rate from Neutral to Positive Page 18 |
- 19. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 3 Tips for Getting the Most From Your Metrics Tip #1: Communicate business goals, KPIs, and operational metrics. Good KPIs help executive management understand the value of your helpdesk service operations. © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved Tip #2: Drill down into metrics to optimize your business. To make improvements, you need to analyze measures over a period of time, then identify the root cause of the measure and solve the underlying issues. Use TQC methodology and the PDCA cycle. Tip #3: Don’t neglect the human factor. Good customer service is the result of good technology, good customer service processes, and — most importantly — a well‐managed organization that values its people. Page 19 |
- 21. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 Taking Action Establish a Primary Charter Explain Partner Program Benefits Provide Onboarding for New Partners Assist with “How To” Queries Help Partner Comply with Programs Support CAMs with Back Office Tasks Identify Helpdesk Essentials Decide to Build or Buy Your Team Determine Staffing, Skills and Locations Set Access and Availability Establish Contact Points Develop Job Aids and Reference Guides Agree on Support and Feedback Infrastructure © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights ReservedPage 21 |
- 24. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 Part of the Channel Strategy Page 24 | © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved • One‐stop source of information • Reduce anxiety and aggravation • Decrease non‐productive time • Reduce time in resolving a issues • Expand accessibility and convenience • Improve planning • Accelerate path to revenue • Supplement CAMs Partner Benefits
- 25. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 Part of the Channel Strategy Page 25 | © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved • Increase Partner satisfaction • Improve Partner loyalty • Decrease complaints • Reduce operating expenses • Increase revenue • Educate and empower Partners • Spot and solve common problems • Establish best practices • Free up CAM’s time • Consistent Partner experience • Source for Partner feedback Vendor Benefits
- 26. 17‐May‐1317‐May‐13 Objective Questions Learning and Recommendations Identifying the Pain What gives Partners the most trouble? • System Access (37%) • Partner Onboarding (11%) • Education and Training (6%) Defining the Scope What areas and programs should the Helpdesk support? • Become easier to work with, • Nurture stronger Partner relationships and loyalty, and • Develop a process of continue improvement Using Effective Measures How do you set and measure Service Level Objectives? • There is no single perfect metric to measure the success of your Partner helpdesk • Choosing the set of metrics based on your audience Taking Action How do you use the data to improve Partner satisfaction? • Establish a primary charter for Your Help Desk then identify your helpdesk requirements • Plan and manage the set‐up, testing and deployment Realizing the Advantage How does this create a competitive advantage? • A Partner helpdesk can fill a critical need when deployed as part of an organization’s overall strategy which provide benefits to both the Vendor and its Partners A Final Review of What We Covered Page 26 | © 2011|2013 Birch Worldwide All Rights Reserved