Channel conflict gets all the attention. But that’s not the real issue, at least not first.
The real issue is you’re asking partners to behave like extensions of your team when you haven’t even fed them yet. No pipeline, no support, no shared upside, then you wonder why deals get weird.
Here’s the truth: happy channel, happy life.
If you want channel to scale, you have to lead with partner-first thinking. Not partner-optional. Not partner-eventually. Partner-first.
Feed the Channel Before You Fight Over Deals
One of the first deals I ever closed was in South Africa. My lead. My account. Cold outbound. No marketing. I was new, I was hungry, I finally got the contract. I told my manager, “Let me invoice this, I got it done.”
He said: “Where’s your partner?”
We didn’t have one in SA. I said that.
He said: “Exactly. Go find one. Give them the deal.”
It felt brutal at the time. I did all the work. But I did it. We looped in a local partner, signed the deal through them, and they were thrilled. They turned around and introduced us to five more accounts. Suddenly, we had a foothold in a new market—with someone who had real skin in the game.
That was our go-to-market in new regions. Land a deal, share it with a future partner, and let that trust unlock the rest.
Build the Program Before the Policies
Most companies try to fix channel conflict by writing rules. Deal registration. Tiering. Escalation paths.
That stuff matters. But not first.
First, you need a partner program that creates value. MDF they can actually spend. Training that shortens cycles. Collateral that maps to the way they pitch, not how you sell.
You have to give before you guard.
Teach Sales to Work With, Not Around
Direct reps will always protect their patch. If you don’t explain the why behind “give the deal to a partner,” they’ll resent it.
So show them:
– This is how we break into new regions
– This is how we scale post-sale with no headcount
– This is how we earn referrals from someone else’s pipeline
When they see the long play, they stop obsessing over the short-term split.
Make “Partner-First” a Default, Not a Debate
If your leadership doesn’t believe in partner-first motion, the rest is paperwork. This has to be strategic. Built into comp plans. Backed by leadership. Reinforced in deal reviews.
Channel conflict isn’t the disease. It’s a symptom. The cure? Start by feeding your partners before asking them to carry quota.
It’s not always fair. But it’s how you go from friction to flywheel.
Happy channel, happy life. You earn that by giving first—and making it policy later.
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