As Zift’s Chief Technology Officer, Lionel Farr is a powerhouse. He’s been with Zift since the beginning — leading our incredible team of developers and engineers as they designed, built, and continue to improve ZiftONE, the first and only end-to-end channel management platform. This guy is the driving force behind some seriously disruptive channel-focused technology; Technology that keeps winning awards and acknowledgments for innovation and integration. In fact, ZiftONE was just named a Leader (once again) in the 2020 Forrester TCMA WAVE, receiving the top ranking in Strategy and high scores in 11 key categories, many of which fall directly under Lionel’s purview, including Digital Asset Management; Digital Marketing Execution; Security & Compliance; Integration; UI/UX; and Product Innovation Roadmap.

And yet, Lionel Farr, CTO, remains shrouded in mystery. In the days when we worked in corporate vs. home offices, there were occasional sightings of Lionel. Some say the best place to catch him, when he emerged from what we imagined to be a dark technology-packed lair, was a ping pong table in a common area. He was also photographed at some point for one of those Leadership Team web-blurbs. That blurb was likely the only clear source of truth regarding the history and mystery that is Lionel Farr. UNTIL NOW.

We managed to capture and interview Lionel for this week’s episode of Channel Chatter LIVE! Take a listen and hear Zift’s ever-elusive CTO talk about his team’s passion — and why and how Zift stays so far ahead of its competitors, particularly in the areas that matter most to today’s technology decision-makers.

LISTEN NOW

The post Channel Chatter LIVE Captures Zift’s Ever-Elusive CTO appeared first on Zift Solutions.

“Embrace the importance of now, and refuse to allow the lull of comfort, fear, familiarity, and ego to prevent you from taking action on your ambitions… The cost of inaction is vast. Don’t go to your grave with your best work inside of you. Choose to die empty.”

“… The cost of inaction is vast.” That resonated with me personally and from a professional angle. We’re always talking about the benefits of applying technology and best practices in channel marketing, sales, and operations. But what are channel brands and marketers losing every day — every minute — by doing nothing? By repeating familiar processes and investing in tech that just does not work for channel? By focusing only on specific aspects of their channel programs instead of the bigger business picture? Way too much, according to the channel experts at B2BMX.  

BETTER PARTNER EXPERIENCE = BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

As Zift was instrumental in shaping and launching B2BMX’s dedicated Channel Marketing Track when it premiered in 2018, it was great to see how central that track has become to this event. Channel experts, analysts and the folks who live and breathe channel marketing joined workshops and packed into panel sessions. During a panel focused on Referral Partner Programs, David Portnowitz, CMO of Star2Star, pointed out that your partners are the true face of your brand. If you aren’t providing an incredible experience for partners, you’re essentially undermining the customer experience. No one can afford that. 

Well-known Forrester analyst Maria Chien (VP and Research Director for Channel Marketing Strategies) took the next step in her session, asking the question, “Is Your Partner Enablement Strategy Broken? (Spoiler Alert: It Is!).” Maria suggested brands shift from focusing entirely on channel partner enablement to rev up their channel revenue engines. She noted that buyers are engaging sellers differently today and with much greater frequency. Every customer-facing role and touch from a partner’s organization will impact a buyer’s decision. Doing nothing to influence and optimize all of those interactions is incredibly detrimental.

Maria recommends that brands examine and support every buyer interaction via more dynamic partner enablement. Building external loyalty and driving partner business growth takes more than slapping a partner logo on a brand’s collateral. Maria emphasized that brands must ensure all customer-facing roles possess the needed skills, knowledge, and process expertise and have access to the best assets to maximize every buyer or customer interaction. [You can learn more from Maria about Dynamic Partner Enablement on Channel Visions TV now.] 

CISCO MOVES THE NEEDLE WITH MARKETING VELOCITY

Karine Elsen, Senior Director of Global Partner Marketing, demonstrated exactly how Cisco is actively engaging and investing in its partners via its Marketing Velocity Program. Instead of leaving partners to flounder on their own as Cisco began marketing outside of IT, the company proactively launched this program to power digital marketing practices, enable better training, and give partners the tools they need to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.

“We don’t have an ideal partner,” said Elsen. “We give everyone the tools to become a better partner.” And that includes Zift, the platform that powers Cisco’s Marketing Velocity Central: A full-service marketing portal with free-to-use customizable campaigns and an enhanced marketing content library. Scorecards show Cisco which partners are active and engaged. MDF spend is tracked and optimized in Zift’s Marketplace. And partners have access to real people to help and guide them via Zift’s Channel Engagement team. “The experience for the partner is seamless,” Elsen said. “We are focused on aligning sales and marketing — creating a growth marketing organization — and Zift’s end-to-end platform helps us do that.” 

What are you doing to shake things up and shake off channel partner and program inertia? Share your thoughts in the comments and I look forward to seeing you at next year’s B2BMX! 

The post The Cost of Inaction: Big Insights from B2BMX 2020 appeared first on Zift Solutions.

Of course, SiriusDecisions analysts and guests brought their A-game to a week of B2B marketing and sales presentations primarily focused on Supercharging the Revenue Engine Tech Stack. And, at least for me, it was hard to miss the delightful cross-over between Rudolf and his old pals from the Island of Misfit Toys and a key theme carried across many of the SiriusDecisions educational sessions.

A COLLECTION OF MISMATCHED TECH

The opening keynote session from SiriusDecisions’ experts, Senior Research Director of Technology Strategy John Donlon and Gil Canare, Senior Research Director of Marketing Executive Services, demonstrated just how many organizations struggle to grow revenue with a disjointed tech stack. Without a holistic approach to receiving, processing, interpreting and reacting to buyer signals across channels and functions, they struggle or even fail. John and Gil discussed how easy it is to end up with a collection of mismatched and siloed solutions within your technology stack that can’t support revenue growth or deliver an exceptional buyer or customer experience. Moreover, they underscored a fact that Zift has been shouting from the rooftops for some time: It’s time to shift away from functionally siloed technology management. It’s time for a horizontal cross-functional stack that delivers true Enterprise Channel Management. 

With mismatched channel technologies, data is dispersed and can’t serve as an asset or deliver comprehensive business insight. Business decisions are made without the proper information and customer experience gets lost in the shuffle. In addition, singular tech solutions are often mismatched and integrations can be the stuff of nightmares, much like the terrifying Bumble in Rudolf’s adventures — or Frank the ChanTech Monster felled by ZiftONE in 2019.  

TRAVERSING A NON-LINEAR BUYING JOURNEY

Event attendees heard this message again and again from analysts and business leaders on the main stage and in breakout sessions. Kerry Cunningham, Senior Research Director of Marketing Operations for SiriusDecisions, and Steve Silver, Service Director, Sales Operations Strategies, emphasized the need to provide a unified technology experience to attract and keep modern B2B buyers, who are traversing a very non-linear buying journey. 

“The modern interaction mix should use the latest innovations to attract, engage, qualify and close deals with buying groups; optimize buying groups for conversion, and provide a unified experience across devices and channels for any path buying groups may take on their journey,” said Silver. Zift couldn’t agree more. 

In their presentation, “The Ties That Bind: How Connecting to Back-Office Tech Improves the Customer Journey,” Lisa Nakano, SiriusDecisions’ Service Director for Customer Engagement Strategies and Liz Herber, VP, Principal Analyst for Forrester, also stressed that, “Customer engagement, retention, loyalty and advocacy suffer when revenue technology is disconnected from enterprise systems or connected to outdated enterprise systems.”  

REV UP REVENUE ENABLEMENT 

SiriusDecisions Service Director for Channel Marketing Strategies Maria Chien along with Heather Cole, Service Director for Sales Enablement Strategies, detailed the impact of disjoined tech during one of my favorite presentations, “Maximize Your Torque With the Ultimate Revenue Enablement Tech Stack.” According to Heather and Maria, “Scaling sales enablement to deliver learning, assets, and communications to diverse internal and external teams requires a tech stack that enables real-time delivery of what to know, what to say, what to show and what to do next in every customer interaction. This tall order can only be accomplished with a well-thought-out strategy supported by an integrated tech stack.” Amen. 

If your tech stack looks more like an island of mismatched and misfit toys, it’s time to get it together. Learn more about Zift’s vision and winning business philosophy of Enterprise Channel Management — and how you can connect and simplify channel sales, marketing, and operations with just ONE solution: ZiftONE. 

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Helping our customers drive channel success is our number one goal, and establishing a partner program of our own will help our customers grow and prosper. We’re a bit picky — only selecting world-class experts who are the best in the business to join the Zift Zone. And we are currently cultivating three distinct partner types: Agency, Technology, and Service Partners, each with a specific purpose.

Optimize Campaigns & Content with Agency Partners

Zift Zone Agency Partners specialize in creating content, campaigns and educational courses optimized for ZiftONE and your channel partners. They can create customized, original content and import content you already have in other systems, such as Eloqua, Marketo, Pardot, etc. They can also expand your reach with outbound tele-prospecting, lead qualification, partner outreach, and concierge services. You can rely on them to serve as Product Marketing Managers (PMM) who understand the importance of MDF and Proof-of-Performance (POP). Zift Zone Agency Partners, like Televerde and bChannels, are channel and partner marketing experts who know exactly what it takes to engage and empower your partners.

Make an Impact with Technology Partners

Zift Technology Partners, such as Bombora and BlueprintCPQ, offer complementary tools and technology to ZiftONE. They can improve your marketing impact, help you use and profit from your data, and even maximize the power of extended IT infrastructure. These are the organizations who know how to identify and connect with your potential partners and buyers. They provide leading-edge technology to support specific initiatives, such as Account-Based Marketing, Social Listening, and Data Cleansing. Plus, they deliver software and tech solutions to ensure you are doing everything you can with and for your channel program and partners. From MDF management and execution to rewards, SPIFFs, payment services, propensity modeling, learning management and more, Zift Technology Partners expand business capabilities quickly, so you can do more with fewer internal resources.

Expand Your Reach with Zift Zone Service Partners

Zift Zone Service Partners like AchieveUnite and LeadFabric positively influence strategy, implementations, and industry reach. These are the organizations who provide custom development, technology connectors and facilitate integration with other systems. On the strategic side, they can train Partner Account Managers, oversee channel budgeting and planning — and even support partner tiering and program design. They also provide insight and best practices to reach new geographic areas or industry verticals you might be thinking of expanding into.

Already have partners around the world? No problem. In fact, Zift recently announced a new round of EMEA-based Zift Zone alliances. As our own Laz Gonzalez puts it, “Welcoming these powerful strategic alliance partners to the Zift Zone demonstrates Zift’s strong global presence and allows our customers to do even more with ZiftONE to energize their channel programs.”

We’re growing — and we’d love to help you grow, too. Check out the bounty of powerful strategic alliances we’ve brought together in the Zift Zone to help your own channel program bloom.

The post Zoned In: Zift’s Strategic Alliance Program is Blooming appeared first on Zift Solutions.

B2BMX is the place to rub elbows with some the best and brightest in the B2B landscape, meet with analysts, and share real strategies and best practices for driving more value and higher returns from channel marketing investments. We had a fun Frankenstein-themed booth on-site where lots of folks gathered to share horror stories and see how Zift could help them tame their own channel technology monsters. Plus, there were tons of channel-focused sessions to learn from.  Let’s just say, I returned from the event brimming with new ideas and excited to share some big insights from B2BMX.

Getting Smart About AI in B2B Channels

As a well-known industry analyst and established channel thought leader, Laz Gonzalez always packs a room. He took the stage on Tuesday to discuss Getting Smart About Applying Artificial Intelligence in B2B Channels.

While everyone is certainly talking about artificial intelligence, I don’t know many people who understand how AI can be applied to B2B channels. (I certainly didn’t get it before Laz’s session). But Laz took a page from science fiction to make things very clear to us. He kicked off his presentation with a scene from Terminator and asked the question: “What if you could have ‘Terminator Vision’ when you looked at your channel partners?”

If you haven’t seen the movies, the Terminator is a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029. Everything he sees is scanned, identified and analyzed. His perspective is populated with a full dashboard of data he can use to make decisions. It was a fantastic example to help us start to see and understand just a bit of what AI can do for channel marketing and sales.

Laz went on to discuss how suppliers can use machine learning and AI to see exactly who their channel partners really are, their modes of operation, skill levels, and even recent activities. Coupled with propensity modeling and predictive analytics, suppliers can compare them to other partners, optimize campaigns specifically for them, prescribe specific marketing tactics, improve partner planning, onboarding, demand creation and more.  I, along with the other attendees, walked away with a much better understanding of how AI, machine learning and propensity modeling can intersect with channel programs to improve engagement, visibility, and results.

Does ‘Partner-First’ Pay Off?

Lunch and learn sessions are old hat. How about lunch and a high-spirited debate? That’s exactly what those who joined Zift’s B2BMX “Birds of a Feather” table enjoyed as we batted around the question: Does Partner-First Really Pay Off?

Some at our table felt strongly that To-, Through- and For-Partner Marketing is already way too complicated and expensive. They argued their partners aren’t fully engaged or even using the Marketing Development Funds they are providing. So why try to do even more for them? Channel expert Cameron Avery (who founded Elastic Grid) along with David Portnowitz, Chief Marketing Officer of Star2Star, passionately argued the other side. If you want to be top-of-mind for partners, they said, you absolutely have to put them first.

Cameron emphasized the importance of putting your partners in the spotlight (rather than the supplier’s brand) and using modern digital marketing tactics across the partners’ journey to engage and enable them every step of the way. According to Cameron, a partner-first approach is a much faster track to more revenue and ROI.

David Portnowitz agreed — and he wasn’t just expressing an opinion. He had real numbers to back up his argument that taking a partner-first approach is essential. (We’re talking 3 months to ROI, 15-20 hours per week in employee time savings, expanded social reach and more.) He also shared his top three investments for happy partners.  And, looking at his results, Star2Star’s commitment to being the easiest company to work with is seriously paying off.

Channel Power Panel

Later in the day, Laz returned to moderate a powerful channel-focused panel on Driving Partner Engagement: New Approaches for Boosting Partner Participation in Channel Programs.

Jamie Mendez, Director of Channel Marketing IBM gave attendees a peek at how Watson uses machine learning and AI to match IBM content exactly to where its technology partners are in the deal cycle, which was incredible — and brought us full circle on AI in the channel.

David Portnowitz, Chief Marketing Officer at Star2Star Communications built upon the partner-first philosophy he defended at lunch. He noted that it is vital for suppliers to better qualify their channel partners. There is no getting around spending money and resources to get the results you are seeking from channel partners, he said. So, make sure you’re getting the most from your investments by carefully qualifying partners before dedicating those resources to them.

Cameron Avery topped off the discussion by pointing out that your channel technology and programs should cater to different types of partners. “There are those who want to do it all themselves, and they should have self-service options,” he said. “And for those who need more direction, you will need to provide focused Channel Engagement services and support to increase engagement, drive activation and build pipeline.

From technological innovations to practical suggestions for improving partner engagement now, B2BMX was a true source of insight for channel marketers. I can’t wait to return next year and hope you’ll join us. Let us know what kind of sessions and topics you would like to see covered at B2BMX 2020. We’ll see you there!

The post Big Insights from B2BMX appeared first on Zift Solutions.

Similarly, one size does not fit all when it comes to channel incentive programs. What one likes, another will dismiss. Different rewards motivate different performers in different ways. Additionally, what kind of incentives are you offering? They should vary based on the products or services you’re promoting, the complexity and length of the sales cycle, product value and the state of the market.

Successful incentive programs usually have several traits in common, which we’ll break down for you. Let’s go over what qualities your incentives program should aspire to.

Simplicity

Let’s start this off with an example. If you had to pick between two different tech solutions to manage incentives, which would you go with: Something comprehensive but complicated? Or something that clearly presents all incentive options in a glance? Most would go with the latter. Partners are drawn to systems that are easy to dive into, document their progress toward meeting targets, and whose campaigns are most accessible. The point is, people like simplicity in technology whenever possible, even when it actually houses a lot under the hood.

Consistency

Good incentive programs don’t revise the rules for qualifying for certain rewards every year. Frequent change won’t build loyalty. Keep your rules consistent so partners know where they stand, and so they can plan accordingly.

One Size Fits Some

Make sure you’re getting your proportions right. Incentives should match the amount of time and effort necessary. Smaller rewards for smaller efforts, like training and sales calls, and larger rewards for undertakings like certifications and major sales wins make sense and leave partners satisfied with the reward for their input.

Granularity

Well-planned incentive programs drill down to the individual level, and to all (or, at least, most) of the touchpoints between partner and end-user. This level of detail allows vendors to encourage every step taken in the sales cycle. It also gives vendors more data points when assessing and modeling the best sales strategies per market, or which partners are most active.

Milestones

Partners want to know where they stand in your program — often, they want to know how they stand in relation to other partners, too. Assigning points to activities like demos and sales calls not only gives partners a way to score themselves that encourages a little friendly competition, it can reward activities without substantially increasing cost of sales. Rewards, and channel-wide recognition, should also be given for passing tests or earning certifications that strengthen your partner’s expertise in your brand — and paying directly to individual sales reps or teams wins more loyalty than paying the channel organization at large.

Easy Access to Resources
This one is a given, really, but it’s worth mentioning as a reminder for you to check. Are your sales sheets, scripts, proposal templates, competitive analyses, market trend datasheets and websites supporting your channel readily available for partner use? Partners need this to make their business case to prospects, and, even more importantly, you should make these assets customizable if possible.

Want to learn more ways to develop a healthy, thriving channel partner ecosystem? There’s way more than just incentives programs out there. We outline seven clear steps in our eBook, 7 Steps to Growing a Profitable Channel Partner Ecosystem with PRM. And be sure to tell us what successes or challenges you’ve had with your channel incentives programs! We’re all ears.

The post More than Carnival Prizes: Qualities Your Incentives Program Should Shoot For appeared first on Zift Solutions.

But, each and every time Zift contributes to an analyst report, I find myself singing the theme song to an early-80s sitcom, Square Pegs. I loved this show and adored watching the bright super-nerds Patty Greene and brace-faced Lauren Hutchinson trying their damnedest to join the “in” crowd at Weemawee High.

Organizations looking for solutions to their business challenges often rely on industry analysts from leading firms like Forrester, SiriusDecisions and Gartner to gather insight and direction prior to implementing a technology. They are considered the experts — the cool kids, per se. They determine who’s in and who’s out.

More Than a Little Unconventional

Zift works hard to ensure that they (and those who rely on their research) have the most current and comprehensive information about our products and services. Over the past several years, the channel technology (ChanTech) market has exploded. Analysts are working hard to categorize new offerings and providers. But Zift rarely fits into a specific category, even among channel-specific B2B technologies — hence, that ‘Square Pegs’ feeling.  And, like my beloved Square Pegs Patty and Lauren, Zift is more than a little unconventional.

There are multiple analyst reports focused on Through Channel Marketing Automation or TCMA (in which Zift is classified as a Leader), Partner Relationship Management (PRM), Channel-focused Learning Management (CLM) and more. But these highly segmented reports don’t cover the broader scope of what Zift provides, or what today’s channel leaders actually need to drive engagement, growth, and revenue.

Pure-play providers may fit neatly into these little boxes and pre-defined categories, but Zift does more. We see and fulfill the broader need for Enterprise Channel Management, which goes way beyond all those siloed solutions.

Zift’s approach to innovation may make us a square peg, but it keeps us and our customers in a leadership position. We know channel leaders are tired of purchasing, implementing and managing multiple disparate applications and point solutions to support their channel programs. Our focus is to deliver an integrated platform that spans the entire channel lifecycle. This is where we are investing heavily — over 27% of our revenue is invested in R&D. We are always looking ahead.

However, we are not only planning for the future. Today we are combining key TCMA, PRM, CLR functionality and more through the Zift platform. But we know even great tech doesn’t do much on its own. So, we also connect our users to the Channel Success, Engagement and Creative Services real people working in the channel require now.

Let’s face it: Today’s complex channel challenges aren’t going to be solved by a single-faceted solution. And Zift simply won’t be typecast. (P.S. For the record, turned out that super geeky early 80’s Patty from Square Pegs grew into the late 90s It-Girl and fashion icon, Carrie Bradshaw.) Patty, Carrie, and Zift: all innovators. All just a little ahead of their time. (Betcha’ the analysts will catch on and catch up soon…)

The post Square Pegs or Future Icons? appeared first on Zift Solutions.

I chose to evacuate and spent last week in Zift’s Cary, NC offices, comforted by my inland colleagues as I awaited news of friends, loved ones, and my own historic home downtown at the coast. Thankfully, my friends and family weathered the storm safely. But I heard through the grapevine that a portion of our roof failed during the storm, windows were broken and the front door cracked. So, I knew I was facing some hard work when I returned home Friday.

Tools & Supplies I Didn’t Know I Needed

I left the Zift offices loaded with supplies, well wishes and “What can we do’s?” from Zifters. They packed my car with cases of bottled water, PB&J fixings and more. Among the donations I received was a “Hurricane Bucket” filled with things I didn’t even know I would need. Clothespins and a rope to secure tarps or hang clothes to dry. Pre-diluted fungicide and spray bottles to stop creeping mold in its tracks. Reusable gloves, wet wipes, Lysol, and air fresheners (Things and people get pretty stinky when the power is out — and those floodwaters are far from fresh). A few surprise butterscotch candies were also tucked into my Hurricane Bucket for comfort along with cinnamon to sprinkle across doorjambs to keep the ants away! (Who knew?!) As I worked my way through my house using the tools and supplies my lovely Zifters provided, I couldn’t help but think: This is what Zift does for our customers every day.

While your channel program may not have been ravaged by Mother Nature, I bet there are things that need tending — are broken — or, at least, not working as well as you would like. And, like me, you may not know exactly where to start the clean-up. Zift does.

Like a storm damage mitigation team, Zift’s Channel Center of Excellence is staffed with experts ready to swoop in and assess what’s working and what’s not — then make a plan of action to get any program back on track fast. They have the proven expertise, insight and purpose-built tools to take on the most complex challenges. Zift’s dedicated Channel Success and Engagement teams are boots on the ground — armed with knowledge and know-how to get programs and partners working collaboratively to achieve more than they could have imagined. An array of Zift support professionals are always on call for clean-up and our Creative Services team can polish up any campaign — and even optimize it for use on the Zift platform.  

Zifters have continued to reach out since I’ve been home, asking what else I need — what else they can do for me and my community. Because that’s what Zifters do. We step up and provide real solutions when others are struggling. We get fired up when we have the opportunity to pitch in — and we are there when the going gets tough. If my Zifters can help me and my beloved Wilmington recover from a hurricane, just imagine what they can do for your channel program and partners.

Tell us what you would want most in a hurricane bucket to straighten out your channel program in the comments section below. And if you want to help out those affected by Hurricane Florence, consider making a donation to Direct Relief or helping us Re-Open Sub Stop, a Wilmington classic, and family-owned business severely damaged by the storm.

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Ah yeah, ten-four Pigpen, for sure, for sure.
By golly, it’s clean clear to Flagtown. C’mon.

Yeah, that’s a big ten-four there, Pigpen. Yeah, we definitely got the
Front door, good buddy. Mercy sakes alive — looks like we got us a convoy!

–C.W. McCall – Convoy

My husband is a trucker through and through. It’s all he ever wanted to be. He had a Convoy birthday cake when he was five — and it’s still his favorite movie. He got his CDL as soon as he could, drove cross-country for a decade, and started TALL Trucking a few years ago. He’s on the road more than he’s home, with more than 2 million miles behind him and that long white line stretching out in front of him.

Powerful mythology surrounds truckers and the trucking industry in general. Whenever I talk about Tom or TALL Trucking, people lean in. They want to know his CB handle, what kind of rig he drives, what he’s hauling, where he’s going — and even if they can go for a ride.

Rarely does my own world of channel marketing and management crossover with Tom’s trucking universe. So, I was excited to see a great new article in DemandGen Report‘s Industry Insights that did just that.

Classic American truck manufacturer and longtime Zift customer Mack Trucks is tapping into the genuine interest, heritage, and nostalgia that surrounds trucking today in their new RoadLifeTV campaign and Configurator, an interactive experience where prospects and customers can actually build their own truck.

“We link out to the Configurator where [viewers] can go and spec their own truck to start a conversation with a dealer,” said Neil Tolbert, Director of Marketing Communications for Mack Trucks. “That is then passed through Zift to those dealers directly for them to follow up on those leads with us. It’s pretty early in terms of numbers, but we’re getting them about five leads a day. For us, that’s pretty good.”

Read the full story to see how Mack is thinking outside the box and using Zift to deliver authentic stories and interactive experiences to present the company’s offerings in a relatable way that captures customers’ and prospects’ attention — and puts the hammer down for their distributors’ sales. Then, for something fun, let us know in the comments: What would your CB handle be? (P.S. The Rubber Rooster is already taken.)

READ THE ARTICLE

The post When Trucking Meets B2B Marketing appeared first on Zift Solutions.

What Happened at
SiriusDecisions Summit 2018
Doesn’t Have to Stay There…

If you read my last blog, you know I have some strong feelings about Vegas, which was host to SiriusDecisions Summit last week. Let’s just say, I’m still recovering.

Between work and sessions, there were cigars, a broken toe, and a dance-off to some Michael Jackson jams with a total stranger. In keeping with the mantra of “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” the details of those stories (and a few more) will be staying safely back in Sin City. But, don’t fret. I can still share some juicy details and serious insight from this year’s Summit with you.

Sirius Couple Alert: Lisa & Frank

Lisa Stifelman-Perry, Director of Partner Marketing Operations and Experience for Qlik, had everyone buzzing after her Zift-sponsored Case Study session. In the midst of detailing how Qlik aligned people, processes and functions to deliver a world-class partner experience (and snag SiriusDecisions’ Channel Program of the Year in 2017), she introduced Frank.

“Get your phones out, and take a picture of this dude,” she encouraged session attendees. “If you don’t already know Frank personally, you will soon, unless you do something different, fast! And believe me, this guy’s a real jerk!”

On the big screen was the image of a Channel Technology Frankenstein, which illustrates the monster created when you try to mix and match too many disparate solutions to run your channel ecosystem. Many folks stopped by the Zift booth to tell us their own ChanTech Frank horror stories — and were delighted to learn how Zift Channel as a Service could get rid of him once and for all.

If you missed Lisa’s session, make sure to check out her recent Channel Visions video, where she shares some of her key tips for keeping “ChanTech Frank” at bay and creating the perfect partner experience here.

You Call Them Channel Leaders: We Call Them Friends

SiriusDecisions Summit brings together business leaders and channel insiders from across the globe. We got to see pals from all over the world, working in all aspects of the channel, who were at Summit to hone and grow their programs and do more for their partners.  

Our Channel Leaders Dinner gave us and a few very special invitees the opportunity to hear how Rockwell, Alteryx, Cayan and Qlik are reaching new channel heights with help from Zift. While they weren’t able to join us for dinner, we were also incredibly pleased to note that Zift customer Carbonite received the SiriusDecisions Summit Award for Channel Marketing and Sales Customer of the Year. Congrats to Carbonite!

On our last day at Summit, Zift hosted a channel sales and marketing breakfast.  This was yet another opportunity to sit down face-to-face with our channel-focused friends. It was great to hear and reflect on how much Zift and its offerings have changes in the last year to meet the evolving needs of today’s channel leaders.

As SiriusDecisions Channel Operating Model aligns with Zift Channel as a Service, it just made sense that Zift was sought after throughout this event for best practices for recruiting, engaging and enabling partners, optimizing MDF, measuring channel success and more. It was a pleasure to see so many of our customers at Summit and make new friends at the Zift booth inside the Marketplace.

Everyone who stopped by entered to win a Traxxas remote-controlled car in support of Zift’s commitment to Driving Channel Success. We are pleased to announce the winners of this show’s drawing were Brian Gilbert, Director, Global Channel Marketing at SAP Concure and Jennifer Grimaldi, Channel Marketing Manager, Webroot. Your cars are on their way to you!

The post SIRIUSLY, VEGAS! appeared first on Zift Solutions.

I know what you’re expecting. A snazzy little blog about the awesomeness of Vegas. Everyone loves Las Vegas, right?! The Strip! The Shows! The Casinos! That Motto: “Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!” What’s not to love?

Here’s the thing: I’m not a fan. It takes a lot to get this introvert out of her cave in the first place — and Vegas overwhelms me. However, Zift has so much going on at this week’s SiriusDecisions Summit, I can’t possibly stay away. So, I’m Vegas-bound to be a part of the scene — and I’m bringing you along for the ride.

What Makes a Winner?

At the Vegas poker tables, winners have nerves of steel and a good bit of luck. But what makes a real winner in the channel? Lisa Stifelman-Perry, Director of Partner Marketing Operations and Experience for Qlik, will be detailing the SiriusDecisions 2017 Channel Partner of the Year’s journey to channel success Tuesday, May 8th at 10:15 in a Zift-sponsored Case Study session.

Lisa is not only a dynamic speaker set to share winning strategies for world-class partner experiences, she talks about real channel challenges, tactics and solutions, without all the tech jargon. This is one Vegas show I am not going to miss. If you’re going to be at Summit, you shouldn’t either. Come see how Qlik:

• Aligned critical functions (such as sales and marketing) to boost program impact
• Eliminated a one-size-fits-all portal and created a customized user environment
• Integrated people, process and technology to transform the way partner solutions are delivered
• Leveraged data for better decision making
• Increased engagement to driving more revenue through partners

Skip the Buffets – Hit the Channel Breakfast

I’ll be skipping the monster buffets so many Vegas visitors love for the Zift-sponsored SiriusDecisions Channel Breakfast on Thursday, May 10 at 7:30 a.m. This is a great opportunity to start the day strong, talk channel strategies with colleagues, and connect with channel leaders, without all the tourists and flashy sales pitches.

Drive Channel Success

Who needs Cirque du Soleil, Britney Spears or the Bellagio fountains when you can actually learn how to drive channel success? You’ll find Zift at Booth 225 in the SiriusDecisions Summit Marketplace. We’ll have channel sales and marketing experts on site to answer your questions along with great giveaways of Traxxas remote-controlled cars.

Stop by the booth to see firsthand how Zift can help you drive channel success (and tell me what you love or hate about Vegas)! You can also follow me on Twitter to see a few of my own Vegas secrets, haunts and hideaways this week. Can’t wait to show you more!

The post VEGAS, BABY! See You at SiriusDecisions Summit 2018 appeared first on Zift Solutions.