Juniper Networks is updating its consultant relations strategy to better reflect the role these influencers play in customer decision-making. The new consultants program, under the umbrella of its channel partners program, is aimed “at partners who influence a customer’s buying decisions but don’t actually take part in the sale.”
This is an interesting approach to formalizing and updating consultant relations as part of a sales influencer program. For example, Juniper is looking to the consultants to provide neutral business or industry expertise as part of each customer’s decision-maker ecosystem. They bring in the consultant, or the prospect brings in the consultant. Either way, Juniper formally recognizes and supports the consultant during the sales process. This includes a stated emphasis on protecting the objectivity and independent advice of the consultant.
In a recent article in Business24-7.ae, Samer Shaar, a regional managing director for Juniper Networks explained:
“Independent players like Kallis, General Dynamics, Deloitte and Touche do not specialise in IT solution, but focus on the business concept. The system integrator and alliances come after that. Such an approach provides a business ecosystem that is functional and the neutrality of the consultant is also not lost… This is a trend and will become the next wave although it has not yet gone completely mainstream.”
It’s still fairly rare to see a corporate partners program embrace consultants in this way. Normally, the field organization ends up with the responsibilities — from ferreting out consultants in their accounts to putting together information packets and building relations without any special support from corporate.
It looks like a good approach.
Popularity: 2%
Update, Jan. 19: this event has been canceled.
My colleague Duncan Brown will give the opening presentation at the Influencer Marketing Summit next month in London. His presentation, “Capitalise on influencer marketing to accelerate brand performance and drive sales”, will focus on how to:
- Determine the effectiveness of your influencer marketing by knowing what to measure and when to measure it
- Align influencer marketing with business objectives to drive brand performance, increase business growth, validate marketing cost and optimise return
Marketing Week has put together an impressive speaker line-up for this summit. Brand managers hail from the likes of Cheapflights, BT, Nokia, T-Mobile, and LEGO. Plus, several experts will share insights specific to core disciplines of influencer marketing applied to brand management.
Check it out, and if you are attending, give Duncan a shout.
Popularity: 3%
An influencer program can be a powerful asset in countering sales objections. Here are a few well-proven tips from our collection of case studies:
1. Compile and prioritize specific sales objections. Don’t accept generalities at the outset. You can generalize later. Start with clear, articulate objections. Get a good sense of frequency, too.
2. Identify external influencers who have both the credibility and the message to address each sales objection. Remember, your focus is finding 3rd party influencers with credibility in the eyes of your customer decision-makers. The “right” influencer is one who has the credibility and already has the counter-argument to the sales objection.
That’s an important point and it bears repeating:
Your role is to find the right influencers — not to manufacture them.
3. Design appropriate vehicles for capturing influencer counter-arguments and conveying them to decision-makers as objections arise.
It’s straightforward and sheer common sense.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Popularity: 6%
