My friends and family know that I live by that quote. Maybe that’s why I can still do front flips and backflips on the trampoline. Youth is all in the mind. That said, I am struggling to embrace that I have a junior in high school. My nightly reading is about college and all these words that aren’t words: SAT, ACT, GPA. There are a whole lot of acronyms I don’t know, like LAC (didn’t have that when I went to Marquette — a solid LAC) and there is CLEP, LOR, OOS, COA, DOA, DOI, ED, EA, and my favorite, QOL, which of course we didn’t have either when I was deciding on colleges. You just went to a campus, walked around, met some people, and had a conversation! (Don’t worry, I’ve included a handy acronym legend at the end of the post.)

I started to wonder: why are there are so many acronyms? Is this acronym-izing a recent trend, based on being more efficient so we can communicate or text more quickly? Did we have this many acronyms in business a few years ago or farther back? If so, maybe the college process is more business-like now.

I did some research to see if I could find some answers. I went back to the 1990s in my business. I looked at the business process tools available at that time and if acronyms were as popular then. In the ’90s, we had mostly manufacturing tools like inventory solutions, finance, and accounting solutions, human resources and project management solutions. All of these solutions were independent solutions with non-acronym names until the term ERP was created. Enterprise Resource Planning, or ERP, was a term Gartner Group created in 1990 to describe a single system that encompassed all business functions within one platform. The first ERP was created by SAP — of course, another acronym. Go figure!

In the channel space and at Zift, as you would guess, acronyms are abundant: PRM, TPMA, TCMA, CMM, CIPM, CDM, LMS, and LDM. All are independent solutions, and it seems that no one uses the full wording. In talking with other industry pros, I’ve discovered that some don’t even know what some of those acronyms mean because the acronyms are so new. (I totally understand!) And this year Zift fully embraced the acronym game and launched ZiftONE: the first ECM. That’s the first Enterprise Channel Management system, a single system that encompasses all channel functions needed to create a thriving, successful channel program within one platform. 

ZiftONE is to ECM as SAP is to ERP. Isn’t that much easier to understand now? 

Let’s take it a step further: ZiftONE is a SaaS ECM — and the GOAT. 

I’m loving these acronyms now!  Maybe I can learn to love the college application and decision process, too. Fingers crossed.

Acronym Legend

CDM: Channel Demand Marketing

CIPM: Channel Incentive Management

CLEP: College Level Examination Program

CLM: Channel-Focused Learning Management

CMM: Channel Marketing Management

CMS: Content Management System

COA: Cost of Admission

DOA: Director of Admissions

EA: Early Action

ECM: Enterprise Channel Management

ED: Early Decision

ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning

GOAT: Greatest of All Time

LAC: Liberal Arts College

LDM: Lead Distribution Management

LMS: Learning Management System

LOR: Letter of Recommendation

OOS: Out of State

PRM: Partner Relationship Management

QOL: Quality of Life (at campus)

SaaS: Software as a Service

TCMA: Through Channel Marketing Automation

TPMA: To Partner Marketing Automation

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My dad and I spent hours learning how to pack a parachute and practicing how to land. We watched the experts fold and refold a chute and we got on top of hay bales and jumped off and rolled, over and over. We did this for nearly 5 hours. When it was time to get into the plane, I was not nervous or scared. The thought of flying through the air was exhilarating and I felt ready.

The plane climbed to 13,000 feet and then I climbed out on the strut of the single-engine plane, holding on tightly until the instructor yelled: “Go!” I pushed off. What really struck me was how quiet it was. The only sound was my own laughter. I felt as if time had slowed to a crawl. And then about a minute later, I hit the ground running. What an incredible thrill!  

When I think back on this experience now, I am proud of myself for having the courage to pursue the unknown. I’m also struck by how much time we spent learning how to land and how little time we spent learning to fly through the air. What were we to do in the event of an issue? How would we right ourselves in case of a twisted line? What was the best thing to do in case of a malfunctioning altimeter? What if the parachute cord didn’t release when I pulled? We spent time on the beginning and the ending, but not anything else. 

Today, I see this same situation in my work life. At Zift, we provide Enterprise Channel Management software, enabling organizations to drive more sales through their partner/dealer network. I talk with a lot of people and listen to their challenges. I listen on planes and at events, at restaurants and on the sidelines of kids’ sporting events. Often, I hear how much time their organizations and teams spend on reporting and setting goals for how big of a gap there is between goals and results. 

There’s so much time spent on the beginning and the ending, just like when I learned to skydive. Many organizations struggle because they have so many manual processes within channel sales and marketing and sometimes several disparate pieces of technology involved. They are challenged with data gaps, heavy reliance on IT, and low partner engagement. I understand why they have focused on the beginning and the ending — until recently, there has not been one clear and comprehensive solution available to enable channel sales and marketing. 

It’s a thrill to provide a solution with a single platform that truly solves problems and delivers closed-loop tracking for all activities. When our clients’ partners reach and exceed their forecasted goals, it’s exhilarating. Not exactly like skydiving, but close enough. 

Are you a thrill-seeking channel pro looking to improve your channel management skills? Check out our eBook, “Top 3 Best Practices for Better Channel Program Management” to find more ways to keep your program results sky-high. 

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