What is “Quota Share” for Channel Sales Reps?
Channel sales reps, non-exclusive dealers, channel partners, or sales agents might sell anywhere from ten to twenty different brands. Knowing the percentage share of their sales quota that your brand’s products account for is important to knowing how much effort you need to put into raising awareness.
A small “quota share” means a small heart and mind share, and you will have to take action to entice channel sales reps to sell your brand over others. Promo offers will need to become more valuable and communication campaigns more engaging if you’re going to capture a disengaged rep’s attention.
Quota Share Example
Dell 20%
HP 12%
Microsoft 12%
Cisco 10%
Avaya 8%
McAfee 8%
Palo Alto 6%
VAR Services 10%
Other 14%
__________________________
TOTAL 100%
Consider this chart to the left as an example of a tech sales reps quota share between different brands. If a particular brand controls 20% or more of the channel sales rep’s portfolio, that means they control a high amount of attention and influence on how that rep operates. That brand will likely garner more awareness and come to the rep’s mind more often during sales than a brand with a quota share of under 10%.
In our example, a channel rewards program from Avaya, Palo Alto, or McAfee should offer a higher reward % and put more budget towards their communications campaign than a similar program from Dell.
Increasing Brand Awareness in Channel Sales
If you find that your brand has a lower quota share, or are unsure of your brand’s quota share but understand that you’re not the top brand in a channel sales rep’s mind, it’s time to ask yourself: “why are desired performance levels not being achieved?”
For example, if sales of a certain product are not as high as you estimated, perhaps it’s because sales reps or channel partners don’t fully understand the product. Sales reps won’t sell what they are not comfortable with. It may be time to add an educational element to your communications plan.
Here are a couple of ways to promote your brand and its products to channel sales reps to increase your quota share.
Educational Campaign
Do your sales reps fully understand what you’re selling? The best salespeople are the ones that have all the answers and know exactly how a product or solution can benefit their customers. The amount of education can be judged on the current quota share your brand controls. A higher quota share may only need to send out some documentation or a sales kit (see our blog post on designing an effective sales kit) on how to frame the benefits of the product.
Brands with a low quota share could take their educational campaign on the road and go directly to channel reps to network face-to-face and go through a detailed training course. This usually takes the form of a “lunch-and-learn,” but if you’re looking to stand out and be remembered, it’s time to get creative. We’ve had great success with Avaya in their ‘Edutainment Roadshow’ series where they instructed reps on their new healthcare vertical using an ‘escape room’ format where all the clues had something to do with their products.
Channel Rewards Program
Creating a channel rewards program that generates excitement and competition could be the spark that lights the fuse for generating a great deal of awareness from reps.
Offering a higher commission is enticing, but a channel rewards program provides a vehicle for constant communication with reps and creates a level of gamification that helps boost your quota share. Check out our Channel Partner Rewards Guide for a step-by-step walkthrough on how to structure programs, select motivational rewards, and streamline fulfillment.
At Brightspot, we pride ourselves on our ability to create programs that stand out in the minds of participants and drive execution to the finish line while remaining flexible to the client’s and participants’ needs along the way. If you’d like to chat about what you’d like to accomplish within your channels, feel free to drop us a line for a no-pressure consultation.
