Channel partners play a critical role in the cybersecurity sales ecosystem. According to Gartner, by the end of next year the services channel alone will account for half of security software delivery. And that’s not even accounting for spending through VARs, integrators, and other channel partners. As cybersecurity spending continues to soar, the smell of cash is drawing in new vendors daily and muddying the waters for buyers already struggling with cybersecurity vendor fatigue. As a result, buyers are increasingly routing their cybersecurity spending through partners who can help them put together a best-in-class mix of cyber capabilities.
Most cybersecurity vendors have at least a basic awareness of this dynamic at play, and the average cybersecurity vendor tends to have a slightly higher level of channel maturity than a run-of-the-mill B2B tech vendor. At the same time, their mileage may vary when it comes to channel success. That’s because while most cybersecurity vendors have some kind of channel program in place, very few of them do a great job truly enabling their partners with next-level channel marketing support.
Channel partner enablement is not a one-and-done activity. Getting a channel program off the ground isn’t akin to a rocket launch; instead it’s more like starting and stoking a fire that a vendor should never let fizzle out. The only way to keep those flames burning is to feed that fire with the right fuel, namely channel marketing and training resources. These can come in the way of training and messaging materials meant for internal partner consumption, ready-made sales collateral for prospects, co-marketing campaigns, and marketing development funds (MDF) to spur on partners to develop their own materials and campaigns.
All too often, security vendors provide very little support on any of those fronts and then wonder why their channel isn’t driving more revenue. If you’ve got an inkling that your firm might be one of these vendors, consider for a moment whether your organization exhibits any of the following red flag symptoms. If so, it may be time to rethink your cybersecurity channel marketing practices.
Simply having a channel program is not enough—in some cases it can do more harm than good if a vendor doesn’t support the program with the right channel marketing resources. If any of these red flags apply to your organization and you want to know how to get started rethinking your cybersecurity channel marketing program, learn more about our cybersecurity marketing capabilities or contact us directly for an introductory chat.