Using a channel of independent companies to find, win, make, keep and grow happy customers on our behalf has a long tradition in the software industry. For some software companies the indirect channel has been a major contributor to global success, but for most software companies making it work remains a depressing and constant struggle.

Microsoft, that has built its own success on the indirect channel, offers the Smart Partner Marketing web portal to help their own resellers and channel partners to run better businesses.

Microsoft has asked TBK Consult to provide tutorial content on how to overcome the challenges with building and growing an indirect sales channel and we have produced 5 short posts for their Smart Marketing Portal:

• Does your business model support an indirect channel?
• Key Considerations for the Direct vs. Indirect Market Approach
• The indirect channel is an integrated element of your product offering and value proposition
• Developing and maintaining a channel partner program
• Channel partner recruitment from early stage to late stage

Last week we recorded a series of tutorial videos on the same subjects that we expect will be ready for publication in January 2016. Sign up for our biweekly ejournal and we will notify you when they are available.

The content of the five subjects have been optimized for video and will be complemented with illustrations for the optimal learning experience.

A big thank you to the Copenhagen Marriott Hotel for providing a super location for the shooting and to Microsoft for sending David Mangone over from Seattle to direct the production. David did a wonderful job and we managed to do all five videos in just one day, on a very tight budget and we also found a little time to include some small surprises for the viewers.