Redesign Channel Strategy

Polycom is a world leader in conferencing technologies, both audio and video. It holds a leading position in these markets worldwide and in Australia.

With the advent of new real-time collaboration technologies, Polycom recognised the need to refocus and enhance its go-to-market approach to better serve its customers and reward channel partners who adapt to the new market requirements. The company embarked on a program to broaden its distribution model, improve responsiveness to its channel partners and strengthen its “Direct Touch” sales capability.

In Australia, Polycom turned to Creator Tech to design a “Preferred Partner Program” which would:

• Create an elite group of Preferred Partners with particular expertise and skills in IP networking of voice, video and web solutions and Polycom’s Alliance Solutions; and
• Strengthen and protect existing Channel Partners who have made the investment in training and demonstration equipment.

The assignment included the rules of engagement for Polycom direct touch sales involvement; channel selection criteria; and the practicalities of becoming a channel partner. The relevance, benefits and workability of the program were tested directly with channel partners, before final release of the program in 2008.

The program proposed to Polycom was initially adopted in Australia and has become a resounding success – to the extent that many of the key principles are now reflected in a more widespread adoption across Polycom internationally.