Developing Your Team Through Channel Dynamic Sharing

Last week we shared thoughts on 10 channel dynamics that are impacting, and will have a greater influence in 2019.  To reiterate, these dynamics are:

1. Whose brand is valuable?
2. Size matters
3. Manufacturers support channels, but you?
4. Products or Customers? What do you sell / what is your focus?
5. Reaching / driving influencers
6. Digital divide from the top, through the channel
7. Defining service(s)
8. Easy to do business with … more than omnichannel
9. Metric management
10. Sales management drives culture

You either proactively address them, with focus on some, or utilize the ostrich approach, however, each will either put pressure on your organization (possibly by a competitor, supplier or some other force) or represent an opportunity to affect the direction, or initiatives, of your company.

Yesterday, in meeting with a client, we touched on many of these areas (and unconsciously as we were discussing strategic initiatives) and, during a discussion on “key players” for long term development coupled with idea generation, some ideas emerged on how to stimulate staff development.

The key is exposing those within your organization with “high potential” to changing industry, channel and customer dynamics (consider the issue of productivity).

Now, the definition of “high potential” can be your leadership team, branch managers, all / elements of the sales organization, key “next gen” management or others.

Consider

• Perhaps discuss these topics, collectively or individually, at a staff / sales / department meeting?
• Perhaps hold quarterly, or random, meetings with next-gen or “random high potential” staff … people who have upwardly mobile potential … to expose them to channel dynamics. Consider this a developmental / planning workshop designed to generate fresh ideas for your business.  A by-product is that you gain insight into their thought processes while educating them on bigger, organizational, issues.  The goal … collaboration, idea generation, break-through ideas and rallying “your team”.
  • Maybe the group changes by topic?
  • Maybe the topic changes each month / quarter?
  • Perhaps you select dynamics that are either of the most interest to you, your biggest area of challenge / need or are impacting your business?

Competing tomorrow requires observing from the past, reading trend lines and conceiving ideas that enable you to differentiate from your competition. Essentially, “do it differently.”  Companies evolve almost “daily”, innovation isn’t a lightning bolt (or, what we sometimes call a “V8 moment”) but it comes from exposure to issues / challenges, generating ideas and acting upon them.  Your team has ideas.  Sometimes you need to stir the pot to get their creative juices flowing. Sharing channel dynamics and getting their input can not only get you ideas, but can give them a broader perspective asa well as give you additional insights into their thought processes and potential.

Channel Marketing Group can assist in facilitating these workshops.  We can frame the issue from an industry / marketplace perspective, add additional insights as it may be specific to you, conduct the session to ensure all are heard and then assist in developing a “move forward” plan as appropriate.  These learning sessions can evolve into topical task groups.  The goal … personnel development, idea generation, action setting leading to differentiation and revenue / profit generation,

Perhaps this is a way to challenge your “team” or enlist your “next gen” to consider the trends that will impact your business, develop themselves and differentiate your company in the marketplace?

And, we’ll comment more on these channel dynamics throughout the year.  Let us know your thoughts on the various dynamics either here, give us a call, send an email or at an upcoming industry event (currently we’re scheduled to be at the NAED Western, NEMRA, NAED South Central, NAILD, the NAED Annual and LightFair.)