The IT and telecoms channel is an increasingly competitive place, with sales journeys becoming more complex as technology evolves and procurement processes change. The purchase funnel can be a useful model for channel companies to consider when looking to increase their sales and go after new opportunities.
In the purchase funnel, prospects and customers move from: awareness, to interest, to desire, and then to action. Identifying prospects and customers at each stage and sharing the right information to keep your solution or service in consideration is critical.
“Every sales journey needs a structure, and the funnel is simply a visual metaphor to illustrate how resellers market to a wide audience,” explained Elizabeth Sparrow, founder of Blabbermouth, a marketing agency with specialism in the channel market.
Sparrow added that wide audience shrinks as contacts transition from potential customers (marketing qualified leads) to probable customers (sales qualified leads), to actual customers.
The purchase funnel can also help channel companies shape the buying process. Alex Finn, global partner manager, Evolve IP, said, “The purchase funnel is an ideal sales model for the channel which helps optimise the buying process to deliver effective long-term results.
“We need to look at the start and end point, so the right support is provided for our partners at the right time which ultimately leads to the right solutions for their customers.”
The purchasing journey can be varied, but some of those nuances are becoming less pronounced as more sales are made online. Hilary Oliver, chief customer offer at Tollring, said, “The theory of implementing an effective purchase funnel is often very different to what happens in practice. However, with the growing use of digital marketplaces, it is becoming an increasingly useful and relevant model.
“Marketplaces now enable resellers and MSPs to capture tangible digital touch points throughout the customer journey. With a more detailed understanding of where each customer is on their purchase journey, the channel can offer the right marketing materials and support to help customers progress through the different stages of a sale.”
Growing your business
The Channel is adept at building long-term relationships with businesses in their area or field of expertise, and navigating those relationships through the lens of the purchase funnel can help maintain connections. Finn, from Evolve IP, said, “The purchase funnel is built on developing long term relationships based on loyalty, and customer retention by becoming a trusted advisor.
“It’s not a one-off instinctive purchase but a more sophisticated and considered approach based on many factors and moving parts. The journey is not a straight line; it can fluctuate up and down. For us, it’s about being there every step of the way, based on proactive and reliable support.”
The online world is offering new possibilities for channel companies looking to keep on top of those efforts. Oliver, from Tollring, said, “By monitoring customer digital touch points, resellers can identify customer needs throughout the journey, to ensure the right information is delivered at the right time, to streamline the sales process.”
She added that this is where the support of vendor suppliers can be invaluable. Oliver explained, “Vendors can be an excellent source of materials that are specifically designed to help customers on their decision-making journey. This can include everything from content marketing, social media stories, personalised email campaigns, ebooks and webinars through to demonstrations and trials.”
There is no silver bullet for the exact activities that might work at each stage of the funnel, but Sparrow, from Blabbermouth, explained how resellers and MSPs can develop a consistent approach. She said, “How companies structure their funnels varies significantly depending on their products, target customers, and many other factors. Yet the three stages – attract, nurture and close – stay the same.
“They each hold the same objective: to push contacts down to the next stage efficiently. The target audience and the strategy required is what changes. Through attract and nurture, automation is key ensuring sellers focus on closing sales rather than keeping leads warm. As is providing valuable content, such as case studies and whitepapers that emphasise product value. Then, with a scalable nurturing process resellers can spread their product and brand messages further and wider, more efficiently pushing prospects into the close stage.”
Sparrow emphasised how resellers can close more sales. She said, “Resellers should consider how to make the process consistent no matter the seller’s experience and skill level. Adding structure and sharing best practices from across the team to standardise the process ensures everyone has the same steps to success. In turn, this also creates a smoother sales cycle, and a more memorable and valuable customer experience that maximises the probability of a sale.”
Complex sales journeys
Channel companies are ready to face the challenge of business-to-business (b2b) purchases being more complex than sales journeys in the consumer world, and there are a few approaches that can help.
“Consumer purchases can be more instinctive, spontaneous and even emotional,” explained, Finn, from Evolve IP. “The b2b purchase funnel is much longer and carefully considered, one that involves more research, evaluation and negotiation of terms. There are also multiple decision-makers involved across different departments.
“Their investment in a particular solution will have a daily impact on business performance for five or even 10 years, so they need more time to reach that point. When it’s a consumer product, they like something at the right price and buy it.”
Partner support
The good news is partners can and are supporting resellers and MSPs with moving customers through the funnel. Oliver, from Tollring, explained, “Resellers need to work closely with their vendor partners and draw on their support and expertise to move customers through the different stages of the buying journey.”
Vendors can also offer training support for sales teams. Oliver said, “A vendor’s experts are usually more than willing to share their knowledge and guidance. For example, when Tollring’s partners are looking to sell call recording services, we work closely with sales teams to train them on product positioning and help them tell a real story about how similar organisations use recordings to deliver a return on investment for their business.”
External expertise
There are smart and talented people working in the Channel who can help execute a strategy like this, but it is not always possible to hire people with the right skills. Working with a consultant or an agency can help bridge that gap.
“Since many telecoms resellers have limited marketing resources, working with trusted external experts is an excellent way to extend their marketing capabilities without having to commit to a full-time employee,” explained Tollring’s Oliver. “A little bit of investment can go a long way in this regard. It is important, however, to consider working with specialists that are already familiar with our industry and are proven to be able to keep up with the rapidly changing technologies, business models and sales journeys that our industry enjoys!”
Upcoming changes to employer national insurance (NI) contributions could also push some channel companies towards external support. “Given the Autumn budget and increases to NI costs, resellers have an even keener eye on the cost of internal teams, prompting more decisionmakers to explore the potential of agencies,” explained Sparrow, from Blabbermouth.
Other models
There are other purchasing models that could be better suited to the products and services of a particular reseller or MSP. Revere is a marketing agency with technology expertise, including companies within the channel ecosystem. Fiona McKenzie, the company’s CEO, prefers to have technology brands visualise a wheel, rather than a funnel.
She said, “The purchase funnel model doesn’t serve B2B particularly well, let alone with the added complexities of the channel. Whilst there’s a need to simplify elements and there are benefits to this, mostly from a planning perspective, it’s not fit for purpose.”
McKenzie argued b2b buyer journeys are now longer than in the past, with buyers dipping in and out of decision-making, self-guiding their own progress, creating a shortlist of supplier options early on, and bringing in wider stakeholders before reaching an internal consensus.
She emphasised, “We talk to our clients in the channel about it being a wheel where there is no first step or timeframe, where we can help steer, not force, their process until the buyer makes their choice. There are a number of ways to do this but ultimately it comes down to customer centricity, having a clear joint value proposition and discoverable content for all stages of their journey.”
This feature was included in our January 2025 print issue. You can read the magazine in full here.