Dell looks for growth with partner programme enhancements
Supplier keen to use improved rewards and simplified processes to garner further channel growth
Dell has cut the ribbon on a number of channel programme enhancements designed to support the firm’s growth ambitions.
The supplier is expecting more support around generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), greater rewards for selling servers and storage, and increasing the benefits for delivering Apex-as-a-service offerings.
Alexandre Brousse, leader of channel sales for EMEA at Dell Technologies, said the firm was making Partner Programme 2024 enhancements based on channel feedback and to support growth ambitions.
“It’s all about growth,” he said. “It’s all about how we can grow our core business with partners or where we can build a new market.”
Dell is coming into a fresh year with some channel momentum after moving last August to make the storage business partner-first. Brousse said its current and future storage customers were now going indirect.
He added that there had already been positive signs, even though it had only been six months since the change. “We see an increase in collaboration, office visits, planning meetings, pipeline collaboration, et cetera,” said Brousse.
Against that background, the firm has revealed its latest programme enhancements. There are increased rewards for bringing in fresh customers, particularly on storage and servers. There is also a continued focus on Apex to get more partners involved with the as-a-service model.
Sustainability recognition
Some fresh competencies have been announced to encourage adoption of GenAI and edge computing, plus a recognition that sustainability is an area that would benefit from being recognised as an area of partner expertise.
On the client side, there are more rewards for those selling peripherals and displays as part of efforts to improve customers’ working experiences.
Improving partners’ experiences with the vendor is the final main plank of the enhancements, with more streamlined processes to make sure those bringing on board business get it registered quickly. Efforts have also gone into making online experiences better for the channel.
Brousse said those partners that engaged with more aspects of the partner programme and the vendor’s portfolio would see the most success.
“We have a very large portfolio of solutions and a very many ways to bring it to the customers – it could be on a Capex model and Opex model,” he said. “Those who are actually [selling] multiple products from Dell are growing faster than the partners selling only one line of product.
“Our job is to work with the buyers and say, ‘OK, let’s see what you sell to these customers, and how we can work together and partner together to sell more together’.”
Growth support
Denise Millard, chief partner officer at Dell Technologies, took to the blogosphere to outline the programme change, underlining the importance of arming the channel with growth support initiatives.
“Partners are critical to our success,” she said. “Over the past four quarters, our partners contributed approximately 50% of our net revenue, and more than 60% of all new and reactivated buyers. With this foundation of strong partnerships, we have an opportunity to further grow and modernise the core business in the year to come.
“The Partner First Strategy for Storage, announced in August, made over 99% of customers and prospective customers “partner first” for storage and quadrupled the number of accounts eligible for storage Partner of Record status,” said Millard. “We’re seeing even greater collaboration between Dell sales team members and partners as a result. In the new year, we’ll build on our growth strategy by further incentivising new business acquisition, setting clear expectations and working hand in hand to deliver for our joint customers.”
Programme enhancements
- Higher Profit Potential for Dell Apex Infrastructure offerings with the streamlining behind the Storage+ and Server+ product categories.
- Increased Client+ and ProSupport Plus earning potential for those tiered partners that hold the right competency and hot revenue targets.
- Project Harmony becomes Partner ProServices, open to eligible partners that integrate Dell Services into their branded offerings, manage the entire customer engagement process and leverage the vendor’s expertise when needed.
- The chance to earn more with Dell PowerFlex, Dell’s software-defined infrastructure offering.
- Fresh competencies: Data Science & AI, Edge Solutions, and Sustainability & ESG.
- More streamlined online partner experience, including more self-serve capabilities around configuration and ordering.
