Ankesh Kumar,
Director, Channel Products & Marketing, Emerson Network Power – India, shares with VARINDIA of how communication plays a pivotal role in building a direct connect with Emerson’s partners and helps in accelerating business and profitability.
Emerson does not see channel community as mere box-pushers but as an extension of its brand. The focus is to empower its channel partners to be solution-focussed rather than product-centric. To this effect, Emerson initiates channel development programmes based on skill development and enhancement, as well as allows its channel partners to explore opportunities based on their strengths. “Our communication with channel partners across the country is extremely transparent and we engage in a way which fosters a level of comfort and confidence between us and our partners. To help cultivate mutually beneficial outcomes, our aim is to hone our partner’s skills and help them market products to build comprehensive solutions as per the specific domain needs of our customers. This increases their profitability in the short term as well as in the long run,” observes Ankesh Kumar, Director, Channel Products & Marketing, Emerson Network Power – India.
Channel – backbone of Emerson
The channel community forms an important component of Emerson Network Power’s business and it is imperative to foster a healthy long-term relationship with them. Emerson has categorized partners mainly into three categories –
• Enterprise Business Partners
• Network Solution Partners
• Value-Added Resellers
Emerson ensures that the development programmes designed for each segment are suited to their business demands and will help them to service customers better. Each partner has a unique ecosystem and specific audience to cater to. “We do not see them as a sales unit but as an extension of our business and hence are mindful of their growth and development, as in turn it drives our business growth,” reiterates Ankesh.
However, there has been a paradigm shift in the role of channel partners due to the fast- changing market dynamics, value-for-money products and solutions and the adoption of technologies. As a result of this, channel partners have evolved and their role of taking the Emerson brand to the end-customer has become crucial than ever. Having said this, Emerson focusses on training channel partners to be solution providers rather than product sellers. “Our development programmes are focussed on enhancing their technical skills, exploring new opportunities based on their strength to help them move up the value chain with the right product and service mix. We are focussed on mutually inclusive growth,” Ankesh explains.
There are various factors that play a vital role while choosing channel partners such as sales growth, profitability, customer feedback and technology knowhow, to name a few. Emerson always focusses on providing specific solutions that are beneficial in finding a partner who shares the same ethos, shares a philosophy that steers away from being a box-pusher and adopts a solutions-based approach.
In the long run…
“The channel community is a very vital aspect in the gamut of Emerson Network Power’s business. So it is important to understand the pulse of the community and ensure we maintain a steady and long-term relationship with them,” tells Ankesh. So rather than having an annual conference, Emerson gets partners in each zone to come together on a quarterly basis and plans their business together.
Emerson has also recently embarked on a multi-city roadshow – InfraNxt, to build a stronger awareness about technology trends and products and services and educate its channel partners on the efficient business solutions. It reached out to over 30 cities across India to engage and elucidate its channel partners on the best practices of IT infrastructure.
It is equally important to have mutually inclusive growth to enhance the channel experience with the brand. As part of the channel engagement, Emerson ensures it has sufficient development programmes focussed on skill and business development. Its exciting incentives for sales and service to keep its partners motivated is also worth mentioning here besides helping them explore new opportunities based on their strength and manage consistency in business. As a professional business unit, Emerson’s communication with channel partners across the country is extremely transparent and it engages in a way that fosters a level of comfort and confidence between the company and its partners.
samrita@varindia.com
