FD Insights Issue 4 | Page 46

Vendor Loyalty is Key to Channel Success For most vendors, developing an effective partner channel is a critical success factor says Tony Abrahall, GM of First Distribution. “As a distributor representing the premium global IT vendors, our role is to help them build their businesses through effective channel partnerships,” says Tony Abrahall, General Manager at First Distribution. “There has been a shift by the vendor and the channel in terms of customer relationships. Historically, the vendors have focused on and controlled the direct relationships with the large enterprise customers. However, as the vendors look to take advantage of the high growth mid-market, they are turning more to the business partners who control these relationships. Some of the vendors have become very transactional, driven by quarterly targets, and the business partners are now often seen as being the ones offe ????????????????????)?????????Q??????????e?????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????t+?qA?????????????????????????t???????????????q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e?)???????????????Q?????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????t)Y???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Y????? ???????)I??????????????Y?????5?????????A???????Y5??????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????(+ ??????Y?????M?????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????((???????????????????????????()???????????????????????????????????????????qY?????)?????????????????????????????????????%????????????????????????????????????????????????????(?????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????e??????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????t)Q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????qY?????e???????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????e?????????????????????????????????????????Q??????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????]???????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????t+?qY?????e?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????t????)?????????q=??????????????????????????t+?qQ????????????????????????????????????????????)M?????????????????????????????????????????????????t????)??????q%?e?????????????????????????????????M???)?????????????????????????????????????t()Q????????????????????????????((0