Introducing "Channel Therapy"

Some channel partners celebrate their coaches. Others prefer Peer Groups. Still others attend conferences. Yet the majority don't seek help building their businesses from anyone. Let's change that!

May 20, 2025

In this issue I’m launching a new continuing series in techChannel:Results simply named “Channel Therapy.”

There are many people and companies out there that offer help to owners and executives in the techChannel. Borrowing from NIST-speak, there are two conditions of these resources, and several modalities.

Channel Therapy Conditions

You will find each channel therapist existing in one of these two conditions:

Qualified

Many of the people who run various channel therapy resources have spent years working in our channel. They know what they’re talking about because they’ve been there and done that.

Fleecers

This is probably where I start getting myself into trouble again.

The sheer size of our channel, the number of partners working in it, and the complexity of our business make it a very attractive target to “consultants” and others who have never spent a day working in it. Some apply general business management theories, “common-sense” solutions, and generalized marketing that is often far too retail-oriented to benefit techChannel businesses today.

Over the years I have come to see these people as fleecing our colleagues, offering no value in return for substantial fees. In some cases they can demonstrate early results but only because they’re comparing what they have partners do with the fact that they were previously doing nothing. In a short while the improvement fades away.

Channel Therapy Modalities

Did that heading sound NISTy enough?

Let’s start this section by repeating what we said at the outset. It’s likely that the overwhelming majority of our techChannel colleagues are not taking advantage of any of these resources. We don’t see them at shows. We don’t see their name in the Comments section of popular IT blogs. They’re out there doing their best to build their businesses on their own.

And that’s just foolish.

The smartest businesspeople I have ever met know the value of accessing great advice and guidance. They are careful in vetting and selecting their advisors, and then they turn to them to help steer the ship. Each of those who do have definite preferences as to how they prefer to access this value:

Coaches

Most of the best coaches spent years working in the techChannel and have either retired or determined to take a more independent route to success for themselves and their clients. They have plenty of hands-on experience and clients can depend upon them to help pave the most direct path to increased success.

Evaluate coaches by checking their reputation with their clients. Beyond that see how much time they spent in what kinds of roles in the channel. Look to them if you prefer a one-to-one working relationship with your advisor.

Peer Groups

There are many peer groups available to channel owners and executives. Most often, these groups are produced and often hosted by extensively experienced channel partners. Those who prefer peer groups talk about the value of the conversations they get to have with others who are facing the same challenges as they are. The best hosts keep the train on the tracks and prevent unproductive skirmishes.

Conferences

It seems that today’s software vendors don’t feel their company is complete until its hosting an annual conference, or even a quarterly one. The diminishing number of publications serving the techChannel also produce conferences, expos, and other kinds of shows. If you talk to their most senior executives in their least guarded moments they’ll acknowledge to you that they make no money from their “books” anymore. Vendors are buying less and less advertising. The shows bring substantial revenue, especially if you can attract the larger, better vendors.

The biggest mistake channel partners have always made is failing to plan for their attendance at shows and conferences. Speaking as someone who has frequently presented at many conferences don’t fool yourself into thinking that’s the greatest value available at shows. Some are valuable, some are just pitches, but the more valuable activity is the meeting and greeting with other channel professionals. I’ve often said that the most valuable session at a show was the evening pub crawl.

There are enough shows in our channel to make it possible for anyone to be attending a show somewhere every working day of the year, and some weekends! If you cannot express the value you gain from attendance clearly and completely, its probably just another boondoggle. Now, sometimes there’s nothing wrong with a boondoggle every now and then. Lets off some steam.

Schools & Universities

Just like the famous “university” we’re all aware of that ended up paying out millions back to their unserved or inderserved students, it’s easy to call yourself a university. It’s much harder to qualify.

We live in a business that deserves respect commensurate with lawyers, accountants, doctors, and other professionals. A real university for the techChannel would convey an accredited diploma that would support formal licensing. But unlike Lucy who kicked off this column, the IT doctor is simply NOT in.

What You Can Expect Here
and How You Can Help

This segment, Channel Therapy, will highlight many coaches, peer groups, conferences, associations, support groups and other resources that are successfully helping your peers around the world to increase their profit and grow their businesses. Each issue you’ll hear from the people who run those resources telling you why you should consider availing yourself of their assistance.

Your Help is Key

Up to now, the majority of the thousands of subscribers to this free newsletter have been people who DO show up in the community. They already take advantage of many of the resources we will showcase. They’ll definitely find value in learning about other valuable resources.

But a big part of the goal for this feature is to reach “the great unwashed” partners who are not yet aware of the value the channel community makes available to them. Most MSPs, CSP, and other ITSPs know others who fit this description. We ask you to recommend that they subscribe to this free newsletter to learn what’s actually out there waiting for them, if they simply look to learn about it.

The other help we enthusiastically encourage is to tell us about resources you’ve found valuable that we should highlight in this feature.

Thanks in advance for your help!

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