Relationships are key to the Channel’s success. Whether it’s forging links with new customers or strengthening ties with existing vendors, partners are constantly having to develop ways to find and deliver the best value. So, how can MSPs, resellers and VARs build better relationships and continue to win?
The channel ecosystem is based on partnerships between network operators, distributors, MSPs, resellers, VARs and end-user businesses. The operators at the top of the value chain provide core network services; the distributors manage product distribution; the VARs tailor the solutions; and the system integrators design and implement complex systems for the clients.
The key ingredients to a successful partnership between all of these parties are trust and transparency. It’s also vital to establish clear and open lines of communication, as well as being adaptable and ensuring that both parties are on the same page from the start.
“Successful partnerships are built on trust, transparency and mutual respect,” said Cherie Howlett, Jola CMO. “Choosing the right supplier will tick all the boxes for resellers and MSPs to move quickly into selling new solutions. Leading wholesale suppliers give channel partners the tools and the propositions to uncover and win deals, usually competing against strong competition.”
Shaan Sood, international marketing director at Sangoma, said, “At Sangoma, we believe trust is at the heart of any successful partnership. It’s about open communication, reliability and genuinely working towards shared goals. For MSPs, resellers, and VARs, this means not just delivering products or services, but understanding the unique challenges their partners face and aligning solutions to address those needs.
“Transparency in pricing, resources and strategy also plays a critical role. Coupled with innovation — offering cutting-edge tools to empower each business — these elements create long-term, meaningful collaborations that drive growth on all sides.”
Knowledge and resources
In an industry where knowledge is king, it’s critical that partners are armed with the specific technical expertise to address any queries their customers may have. That means vendors need to provide them with the accurate and relevant information, and marketing support they require about their product or service, to keep them updated of new launches and additions, and be open to receive feedback and listen to them.
“Collaboration is key, with vendors and partners working together through active engagement, feedback sharing and structured selling methodologies,” said Jason Uslan, Wildix vice president of sales. “Early involvement in sales and support processes enhances efficiency and service delivery.”
Uslan added adaptability is another key factor. He said, “Effective strategies must remain flexible to accommodate diverse business models, customer needs and market dynamics. Additionally, a culture of empowerment and continuous learning strengthens partnerships over time.
“Vendors should equip partners with training, tools and resources, while partners should proactively refine their strategies. For example, at Wildix, we launched our Sales Elevate Lab and actively incorporate training programs, such as ValueSelling and Sales Academy, to equip partners with advanced sales acumen to win more and bigger deals.”
Sara Wilkes, CEO at Agilitas, said, “Partnerships thrive when there’s open, honest communication and a shared vision for success. At Agilitas, we are moving beyond 1:1 relationships with our partners, ensuring we embrace a cohesive approach and align our partners with multiple stakeholders across our organisation. This means that our partners gain access to a wide range of cognitive diversity – different perspectives and specialisms – which can help drive innovation and create solutions that are truly impactful.”
One-stop shop
It’s also paramount that vendors make it as easy as possible for partners to do business with them. That requires becoming a dedicated, accessible and reliable one-stop shop, properly onboarding them, offering the right products, and educating and supporting them with everything they need to find and win deals, as well as providing the best possible customer service.
“Resellers need wholesale relationships they can rely on to help them grow their business and embrace new opportunities,” said Jola’s Howlett.
She added, “They look for relationships with suppliers that go the extra mile to support business growth and make buying from them easy, with excellent account managers, differentiated and competitive propositions, and real-time management portals. Successful channel suppliers are often highly innovative, with a constant stream of relevant solutions that other companies would take years to develop and launch. When you partner with the right supplier, solutions are typically easy to sell, support and bill.”
Craig Hoile, head of customer growth at Tollring, said, “If a partner isn’t growing, there’s either no opportunity, the relationship needs to be improved or the products in the portfolio need to be reviewed. It is vital to remove any complex or unnecessary barriers and ensure that you are as easy as possible to do business and transact with, and that the products in the portfolio are easy to sell.”
Tracking progress
Setting clear key performance indicators and frequently reviewing them can enable vendors to better keep track of how their partnership is progressing. If the partner fails to deliver on one or more of them, then they can pull them up on it and work together to improve on it.
“Start things off on the right foot with a strong introduction and an ongoing strategy for collaboration that actually works,” said Elizabeth Sparrow, founder of Blabbermouth. “That could mean regular check-ins and divvying up the workload in a way that feels fair or it might involve putting clear processes in place to make things like briefing seamless for whoever’s handling deliverables.”
From a partner perspective, they need to tap into existing networks and available resources to deliver the best value and consistency for their customers. That includes attending industry events and joining partner programmes, such as BT Wholesale’s Partner Plus, which equips and upskills resellers with marketing and operational support, innovative solutions and access to exclusive offers.
Having a human connection is key too. That means meeting up in person regularly, whether in a formal or informal setting. Additionally, incentives and growth support drive long-term success. Performance-based rewards, co-marketing funds and strategic sales support can foster innovation, ensuring that both vendors and partners achieve sustainable growth.
Vendors should also go beyond standard phone and email conversations and develop a deeper relationship with partners by meeting with them at their offices and events, as well as networking. They should proactively engage with the end user to better understand and solve their pain points too.
“A successful managed service, and, therefore, a successful partnership, is built on a firm understanding of why a customer wants a particular product and what they hope to achieve,” said Richard Thomas, CEO and founder of Highlight. “Providers must go beyond surface-level transactions, making the effort to deeply engage with customers. This means asking the right questions and creating an environment where customers feel comfortable answering them – especially since their initial reaction may be scepticism, assuming it’s just an upsell.”
Leveraging existing partnerships
Rather than going after new business straight away, channel companies need to look at getting the most from their existing partnerships. From a vendor perspective, creating and maintaining a structured and sustainable partner programme is key, enabling them to understand their needs and expectations.
“An effective partner program will offer technical support, training and other resources to help partners understand exactly what they are selling and help them get these products out to market in the right way,” said Steven Try, channel manager for the UK and Ireland, Snom. “In addition to this, being able to access local support from a manufacturer can make a huge difference when selling a product - particularly if the partner is operating across multiple countries. Our on-the-ground sales teams have a strong grasp of cultural nuances and other knowledge that is relevant to where customers are based.”
Bertrand Pourcelot, CEO, Enreach for Service Providers, said, “In our experience, partners who are really focused are ones that are especially successful, working with us more proactively and frequently to jointly share expertise, and grow volume and knowledge. Since there is greater expertise, they will dig deeper and explore the full capability of our products more fully, which, in turn, gives them additional value. Our experience is that, the more focus, the better for the partnership.”
The key to maximising partnerships, particularly in business mobile connectivity, according to Jason King, CSO at plan.com, is consistent engagement and powerful insights. That means being able to address customers’ ever-changing needs and demands, he said.
“Channel partners should regularly connect with their customers and their vendors to uncover new opportunities based on their evolving needs, such as upselling customers’ mobile device management capability and ensuring they are using their connections efficiently,” said King. “Customers’ needs evolve quickly, so they need solutions and support that can pivot as quickly as their business.
“At plan.com, we support partners with in-depth insights through our my.plan and partner platforms, giving them the tools to identify opportunities, improve service and deepen their customer relationships. Our partners find that, through regular communication and a hands-on approach, they can stay ahead of their competition by offering differentiated solutions that add real, tangible value.”
Relationship challenges
There are a host of challenges involved in striking up a relationship with new customers and vendors. On the customer side, the biggest one is building trust and credibility, particularly if they have had a bad previous experience.
“They need to feel confident not only in the solutions being offered but also in the partner’s ability to deliver consistently,” said Sangoma’s Sood. “Customers often come in with prior experiences — good or bad — that shape expectations. Overcoming scepticism requires clear communication about what makes your offering different and how it solves their specific pain points.”
John McKindland, head of partner channel UK, Sona Business, said, “In a crowded market it’s all about timing. Getting into your customer’s head space and investing in them, and them in you.
“Get a seat at the table and get the best out of your time with them without being overbearing. In a competitive and commoditised market, it’s important to stand out from the crowd. Have something different to talk about or offer it in a slightly different way.”
When it comes to vendors, the largest hurdle is alignment of goals. If the partner doesn’t share the same vision and objectives, the partnership will ultimately end in failure. “Goal alignment is essential – a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in today’s diverse market,” said Wildix’s Uslan. “Vendors must adapt strategies to fit each partner’s business model and regional needs to ensure mutual success.”
Wilkes of Agilitas agreed. She said, “For vendors, the challenge lies in ensuring both parties are aligned on long-term goals, rather than immediate transactions. A successful partnership requires mutual investment from both sides. Through knowledge-sharing, technology adoption and co-innovation, businesses can develop stronger vendor relationships that are capable of adapting to the evolving channel landscape.”
Richard Howson, partner account manager, Evolve IP, said, “I believe it’s essential to recognise that every partnership is unique. Each organisation has its own identity, so gaining a deep understanding of its needs is crucial.
“This allows for tailored solutions and responses that align with their specific goals. A customer-centric approach, where both parties are on the same page, ensures alignment and prevents misdirection.”
It’s important to provide the appropriate support as the partnership develops too. That requires being able to adapt to meet those immediate needs and address any changes along the way.
“A partnership involves engaging over time, so there needs to be a living relationship that evolves with different phases: honeymoon, launch, ramp-up and maturity,” said Pourcelot of Enreach for Service Providers. “It’s vital to look at how to keep up the momentum in each phase, which might involve different ways of working: collaboration during the delivery phase may be different to more regular support. Earlier phases might be more personal, and that can get lost further down the line, so that needs to be understood and addressed.”
From a partner perspective, they need to be aware of any contract lock-ins and other long-term commitments when signing up with new vendors or looking to move provider. Failure to heed these means they could be trapped in a partnership for an extended period of time.
Technology as an enabler
Technology has a key role to play in improving communication and collaboration between all parties. Automated ordering and management platforms can enable easy provisioning, monitoring and control of customer assets, thus giving resellers greater control over their margins and solutions.
“Technology, particularly AI-driven sales tools, strengthens relationships between partners, suppliers and clients by enhancing efficiency and engagement – providing valuable insights, automating tasks and optimising sales strategies,” said Wildix’s Uslan.
“Seamless CRM integrations are another essential component, ensuring that sales and support teams can manage relationships effectively with data-driven decision-making. For example, Wildix’s AI-driven sales platform, x-bees, integrates with Salesforce, allowing partners to track leads, manage customer relationships and analyse performance with minimal friction.”
Craig Messer, managing director of VeloxServ, said, “Utilising partner portals that focus on providing the key information a partner needs to do more business with their suppliers is important. Businesses that embrace technology including social media to develop strong two-way communication and engagement with their partners are also the ones who will build the most valuable relationships moving forward.”
Moving forward, there are several key areas of growth that partners should be seeking to capitalise on to foster new and existing relationships. Chief among them is the provision of mobile data solutions, for example, in smart kiosks, tracking devices and wearable monitoring devices and cameras.
Unified communications and contact centre solutions are another service that can add significant value for the customer. Through their adoption, they can become more efficient and improve customer service and satisfaction, thus driving growth and revenues.
Another prime opportunity is cloud services, with many companies increasingly focused on data management and security. Then there is cybersecurity, given the rise in cyber attacks and ever-greater regulatory requirements.
AI opportunities
Partners should also be looking to help customers integrate AI into their communication systems, such as AI-powered chatbots or voice analytics. That will enable them to drive greater efficiencies and margin growth.
Another major opportunity lies in industry-specific solutions, offering verticalised solutions and an adaptable framework to ensure that existing technologies continue to meet customers’ specific needs. This allows partners to tap into targeted revenue opportunities and establish stronger relationships with industry players.
“Investing in technical certification and specialisation is always a good place to start,” said Adam Wilson, director of strategic partnerships (EMEA and APAC) at Vonage. “This can help partners unlock new revenue streams in specialist areas like AI integration, security or specific industry verticals. Taking advantage of vendor marketing resources is another useful strategy – partners need to maximise every opportunity to co-sell.”
Trust and simplicity
As we move further into 2025, partnerships will only continue to play a bigger role for channel companies. Building a trusted relationship through the use of technology and human capabilities is vital to achieving that.
“In the current landscape, it’s clear that to foster new and strong relationships the Channel must transform from tech talk to customer-focused conversation,” said Gavin Jones, channel director, BT Wholesale. “While embracing technologies like 5G, AI and cybersecurity is paramount, trust and simplicity will remain the bedrock of success. From developing simple business language to creating use cases to demonstrate the positive impacts of technologies, there is a huge opportunity for the Channel to offer personal service and support.”
Ritchie Butters, EMEA business development director for 8x8, said, “A good partner is an incredible asset – they’ll know a business incredibly well, know the pain points and know the solutions that will suit. The best partners will be able to talk to a company and go ‘we think this is something you should consider and here’s why’ and the reasoning will be solid, based on understanding and not just a need to hit a quarterly business target.”
This article was included in our March 2025 print issue. You can read the magazine in full here.