To make new employees aware of the training that's available to them, Expertus can develop a Flash training orientation that gets the word out and is deliverable and trackable VIA e-mail. Contact Expertus for more information.

 

Big Challenges, But Big Efficiencies
Channel training, which is training for your sales partners, distributors, or other third parties— poses unique challenges. Respondents to our recent survey told us that by far, their three biggest challenges were budget constraints (51%), lack of control (46%), and distributed locations (42%).

These challenges are important to address. Since many companies rely on partners for sales revenue, customer service, product maintenance, and other important functions, channel training is indeed mission critical. Budgets can be significant, too. Our survey found that 35% of large technology companies plan to spend more than $500,000 on channel training in 2007.

Outsourcing can bring significant and rapid efficiencies to channel training. For instance, Expertus typically provides to its clients key components of successful channel partner training: learner support, technology integration, reporting, facilities management, administration services, and multi-language content.

Below are some of the key areas where most companies can gain increased efficiencies in channel training — whether you outsource it or do it in-house:

1. Vendor management. By standardizing on key vendors, consolidating contracts, and expert contract negotiation, thousands of dollars can be saved. Standardized purchase approval procedures and constant budget monitoring are also very important.
   
   
2. Accurate and timely reporting helps you watch progress and in some cases, identify major problems. For instance, one Expertus client discovered that it was wasting tens of thousands of dollars on “no show” registrations in several different regions.
   
   
3. Logistic support can consume big percentages of channel training budgets if not handled through consistent and efficient processes. Printing, equipment shipment, hotel reservations, site scheduling, registration, follow up, and remote lab setup are areas where most companies can greatly improve.
   
   

I’d love to hear from you about your channel training program—or if you don’t have one, contact me for advice on how to build one.