The Channel Buzz

Want to know the #1 thing strong partner ecosystems have in common? Not more partners. Not more integrations. Not a fancy partner portal. Alignment. Ienura Whitener said it perfectly: “Everyone should be rowing in the same direction. Otherwise, you won't get far.” Leadership. Sales. Marketing. Partnerships. If everyone has a different definition of success, your partners are going to feel it. You can't just SAY you're a channel-centric organization. You have to operate like one. 🎙️ We get into what that actually looks like on the latest episode of The Channel Buzz: Stop Recruiting Partners. Start Activating Them. https://lnkd.in/gsN65H2c

Everyone wants the GSI partnership. But here's the question... Would a GSI want to partner with your company today? That's the conversation we're having on this week's episode of The Channel Buzz. Rainie S. has seen both sides of the table—spending nearly eight years inside a Global System Integrator before leading GSI partnerships from the software vendor side. She shares what companies often overlook before pursuing these high-value relationships. One comment really stuck with me: "Signing the partnership is just getting in the door. Actually activating that partnership is where the real work comes in." — Rainie In this episode, we discuss: ✔️ How to know if you're truly GSI-ready ✔️ Why signing the agreement is only the beginning ✔️ The role executive buy-in plays in long-term success ✔️ How AI is changing the consulting landscape ✔️ Why the strongest partnerships are built—not announced Rainie doesn't just explain how to land a GSI—she explains what it takes to keep one engaged long after the paperwork is signed. Before you pursue your next GSI partnership, spend a few minutes with us. https://lnkd.in/ga3QfEX6

🌵 I'm pretty sure I could kill a cactus. Which is exactly why I probably shouldn't be comparing marketing to gardening. But the more I thought about it while recording this week's podcast, the more I realized it's actually the perfect analogy for building visibility. You don't plant seeds today and expect flowers tomorrow. You plant. You water. You nurture. You keep showing up. Eventually, people notice. The same is true for your business. Too many companies treat visibility like a light switch—they turn it on when they need registrations, leads, or referrals, and switch it off when things get busy. But recognition doesn't work that way. It's built through the small things you do consistently: 🌱 Sharing insights 🌱 Hosting webinars 🌱 Recording podcasts 🌱 Telling customer stories 🌱 Joining the conversation Those moments add up. One day, people stop asking, "Who are they?" and start saying, "I've seen them around." 🐝 Buzzworthy Insight: Visibility compounds before opportunity appears. 🌱 What's one visibility seed you're planting this week? (Bonus points if you're better at keeping plants alive than I am! 😄) Check out the full Channel Buzz episode, too. https://lnkd.in/gPN48rwk

A jeweler puts his client Rolodex in the safe every night... ...and leaves the jewelry sitting out. Sounds backwards, right? There was actually a very good reason for it, and it became one of my favorite moments in my conversation with Alissa Amundson from LumApps. It's a simple story, but if you work in partnerships, channels, or the ERP ecosystem, it'll probably make you think differently about where you're investing your time. Sometimes the best business lessons don't come from a framework—they come from a great story. Check out the full episode of The Channel Buzz. Spotify - https://lnkd.in/eXHgfZD4 Apple - https://lnkd.in/e8Tbwkys Amazon - https://lnkd.in/eHAJaKBy

What if buyers have already made up their minds before they ever reach your booth? It's a question more exhibitors should be asking. By the time someone stops to talk with you, they've likely already: Googled your company. Asked colleagues for recommendations. Read reviews. Searched LinkedIn. Even asked AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude for Business about your solution. They're not showing up to discover you. They're showing up to decide whether they can trust you. That's one of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Megan Martin, CMP, DES, MPA on the latest episode of The Channel Buzz. As you start planning your H2 conferences, this perspective might change how you think about booth conversations, demos, and event ROI. (link to episode is in the comments) Thank you, Megan Martin, CMP, DES, MPA, for joining me and sharing your knowledge and expertise.

Behind the scenes, getting ready to record my 150th podcast episode today. The microphone is set up. The platform is open. The questions are ready. The podcast has changed. The direction has changed. The yellow? Still the unofficial dress code. 💛 If I'm being honest, this part is actually the easy part. I love the conversations. Meeting people I wouldn't have met otherwise. Learning from industry leaders. Hearing different perspectives. Helping introduce incredible people to the ERP community. The recording might only last 30 minutes, but what happens after I hit Stop Recording is where the real work begins. Podcast platforms have made producing a show so much easier than when I started. They distribute episodes across multiple platforms, generate transcripts, create captions, and even help identify clips and titles. The technology is amazing. But they don't grow your audience. They don't build relationships. They don't create trust. And they definitely don't promote your podcast for you. After every recording is where the magic happens: Cleaning up the audio Adding the intro and outro Creating video clips Designing graphics Writing show notes Writing LinkedIn posts Creating emails Publishing to multiple platforms Working with guests on promotion Turning one conversation into weeks of content Then you do it all over again. Over the last 150 episodes, I've learned something else...It's okay to evolve. This podcast has had different names over the years. It's had different goals. It's gone in new directions. As I've grown, so has the show. Today, @TheChannel Buzz is about more than interviews. It's about sharing ideas, building partnerships, creating visibility, and introducing amazing people across the ERP ecosystem who deserve to be heard. Looking back, not every episode was perfect. Not every idea worked. Not every change was easy. But every single episode taught me something. I'm incredibly grateful to every guest who has shared their story and every listener who has taken the time to tune in, comment, share an episode, or send me a message. Because at the end of the day...It's never been about recording a podcast. It's about creating conversations that spark new ideas, meaningful connections, and opportunities that might not have happened otherwise. Here's to 150 episodes! 💛🐝

Everyone wants partnerships that drive revenue. But what if the real key to successful partnerships is slowing down first? In the latest episode of The Channel Buzz, Amiee Keenan sits down with partnership leader Ronnie Kher to explore why successful technology partnerships begin with education—not expectations. Drawing on his experience across AI, blockchain, fintech, and insurance, Ronnie shares practical lessons on building partnerships that create long-term value. In this conversation, you'll learn: ✔️ Why partnership strategy should follow your sales strategy ✔️ The biggest mistake companies make when onboarding partners ✔️ How education builds trust and confidence ✔️ Why starting with a few strategic partnerships often delivers better results than trying to scale too quickly One idea stood out above the rest: Education before revenue. When partners understand your customers, your market, and your value, they're better equipped to create meaningful results for everyone involved. Watch the latest episode of The Channel Buzz and join the conversation. Apple https://lnkd.in/g-Aukyhz Amazon Music https://lnkd.in/gt344Yas Spotify https://lnkd.in/gn5s5snb

New partner portal. New PRM. New incentives. Many companies keep looking for a quick fix when partner performance stalls. But as Bart Dirksen explains in this episode of The Channel Buzz Podcast, most partnership challenges trace back to something much more fundamental: strategy, leadership alignment, and operational consistency. The framework he discusses comes directly from his newly released book, The Partnership Operating System, where he outlines the seven layers that support successful partner ecosystems. If you're responsible for partnerships, alliances, channels, or ecosystem growth, this episode will give you practical ideas you can apply immediately. What's the first thing you evaluate when a partner program isn't delivering results? https://lnkd.in/gqNr2_98

Everyone wants more partners. But what if the answer is actually fewer? In this clip from my conversation with Daniel Eliasi, MBA from Gong, he shares what he'd do if he were starting a partner program from scratch today: Go incredibly deep with a handful of strategic partners. Not just quarterly check-ins. Really understand: • Their business • Their customers • Their pain points • Their wins • What they truly value Because when you deeply understand what makes your best partners successful, you create a blueprint for finding and enabling future partners. One line that really stuck with me: "Invest early, invest often, and decrease the friction for future partners." Too many companies focus on adding more logos before they've learned enough from the partners they already have. The result? More activity. More complexity. And often, less impact. A huge thank you to Daniel for sharing so many practical insights in this episode. Listen to the full conversation if you're building a partner ecosystem and want to create partnerships that actually scale—not just grow in number. https://lnkd.in/eapDHnrS

You open your inbox. Another: “Just checking in…” Then: “Circling back.” And somewhere below that: “Following up on my previous email.” You skim it. Maybe you flag it for later. Maybe you tell yourself you’ll respond tomorrow. But most of those emails eventually end up in the same place: forgotten. Because generic outreach doesn’t build real relationships. In this episode of The Channel Buzz Podcast, Kelly Gindlesperger, MBA shared something that really stuck with me: “The best relationships are built outside of the bullet points for the meeting.” That line perfectly captures what’s missing in so many ecosystems today. The vendors who stand out aren’t always the loudest. They’re not the ones sending the most automated follow-ups. They’re the ones who: • remember details • follow through • stay consistent • genuinely care about the relationship That’s what partners remember. And honestly? That’s what makes partnerships last. (episode link is in the comments)