Don't expect your channel to create demand for you

When you’re selling through some kind of sales channel – a partner, an agent, super markets, stores, OEMs, value-added resellers, etc. – it’s common to want them to increase sales for you, that is, to create demand.

But demand creation is always going to be your job. Demand creation, also called lead generation, is the process of getting people interested in your product or service and get them to make an initial contact: Go into a store looking for your product, get on the phone with your reseller, etc. You can’t leave that to your sales channel, no matter how badly you would like to.

The sales channel can convert leads into paying customers, if you have set it up right so the leads that your demand creation activities generate match the capabilities of the sales channel. They may add value by handling the relationship, adding services on top, and all kinds of other things.

It’s especially common for technician-come-entrepreneurs, such as programmers, photographers, writers, etc., to want ot hire an agent to do the heavy lifting of generating more sales for them.

But in order to increase demand, you must have a clear positioning, a credible and compelling story to tell. In short, you must get your marketing straight so people will know when to buy and when to recommend you.

And that’s your job. No-one can do it for you.

(But I have a program in the works that can help you. Stay tuned.)