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Forecastable Blog

Forecastable's Education Center -- The best advice on building partner programs that produce forecastable revenue.

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A channel sales manager and a reseller's account executive reviewing a joint deal pipeline on a laptop in a bright office, a printed partner tier sheet on the desk, deep navy and warm amber palette

Channel Sales: What It Is and How It Works

What is channel sales? Short answer: Channel sales is the model where you sell through third-party partners, resellers, distributors, agencies, or technology firms, instead of relying only on your own direct sales team. The partner owns or influences the customer relationship, and you gain reach you could not build alone. It trades some margin and […]

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Editor's Picks

B2B SaaS Marketing Partner: What It Is and How

What is a b2b saas marketing partner? Short answer: A b2b saas marketing partner is a company you run joint marketing with, co-branded campaigns, joint webinars, shared content, and co-marketing to each other’s audiences, to create demand neither of you would generate alone. It can be a technology partner you integrate with, a channel partner […]

Behavioral Incentives for Partners: A Guide

What are behavioral incentives for partners? Short answer: Behavioral incentives for partners are rewards tied to the specific actions that lead to revenue, such as completing certification, registering deals, or bringing a qualified opportunity, rather than only to a closed sale. They exist because the closed deal is a lagging result, and it pays partners […]

Partner Incentive Program: Design One That Produces

What is a partner incentive program? Short answer: A partner incentive program is the set of rewards, tiers, and payout rules a vendor uses to pay partners for the behaviors that produce revenue. It works when it pays for the specific actions that lead to pipeline, and it fails when it pays for signings, logos, […]

A channel sales manager and a reseller's account executive reviewing a joint deal pipeline on a laptop in a bright office, a printed partner tier sheet on the desk, deep navy and warm amber palette

Channel Sales: What It Is and How It Works

What is channel sales? Short answer: Channel sales is the model where you sell through third-party partners, resellers, distributors, agencies, or technology firms, instead of relying only on your own direct sales team. The partner owns or influences the customer relationship, and you gain reach you could not build alone. It trades some margin and […]

Read Article
A channel manager explaining the partner sales motion on a glass whiteboard to a colleague in a bright office, a printed deal registration flow on the desk, deep navy and warm amber palette

What Is Channel Sales? Definition and How It Works

What is channel sales? Short answer: Channel sales is a model where you sell through third-party partners, resellers, distributors, agencies, or technology firms, instead of relying only on your own direct sales team. The partner owns or influences the customer relationship, giving you reach and trust in exchange for some margin and control. It is […]

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Two professionals review charts in a modern conference room with a large screen displaying sales graphs and a city skyline outside the window.

Sales Channel: What It Is and How to Choose One

What is a sales channel? Short answer: A sales channel is the route a company uses to reach and sell to its buyers, whether that is a direct sales team, a network of partners, a self-serve website, or a marketplace. Most companies use more than one, and the mix determines their reach, their margins, and […]

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A revenue leader and a sales operations manager mapping direct and partner sales channels on a glass whiteboard in a bright office, a printed channel mix chart on the desk, deep navy and warm amber palette

What Is a Sales Channel? A Clear Definition

What is a sales channel? Short answer: A sales channel is the route a product takes to reach buyers, whether that is a direct sales team, a reseller, a marketplace, or a technology partner who brings you into deals. It describes who does the selling and how the product gets from vendor to customer. Every […]

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An account executive and a sales manager building a close plan on a whiteboard, a dated list of steps to signature with owners named beside each, a printed deal timeline on the table, deep navy and warm amber palette

Close Plan: What It Is and How to Build One

What is a close plan? Short answer: A close plan is the dated, step-by-step sequence that a seller and a buyer agree to follow to get from the current stage of a deal to a signed contract, naming each step, who owns it, and when it is due. It replaces the vague hope that a […]

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A sales rep and a buyer reviewing a sales close plan on a laptop in a deal review, a dated list of approval steps shown on screen with owners on both sides, a manager taking notes nearby, deep navy and warm amber palette

Sales Close Plan: What It Is and How to Use It

What is a sales close plan? Short answer: A sales close plan is the rep-owned, dated map of every step a deal has to clear to get from the current stage to a signed contract, used inside the sales cycle to keep the deal moving and to make the forecasted close date hold. It is […]

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A seller explaining what a close plan is to a buyer across a table, a printed dated list of steps to signature between them with owners marked, a laptop showing the target close date, deep navy and warm amber palette

What Is a Close Plan? Definition and Example

What is a close plan? Short answer: A close plan is the dated, mutually agreed list of steps a buyer and a seller will take to move a deal from its current stage to a signed contract, with an owner and a due date on each step. It answers the question of what specifically has […]

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A frontline sales manager coaching a rep through a deal review.

Frontline Sales Managers: The Forecastability Lever

The layer where forecast accuracy is made or lost, and why most revenue orgs under-invest in it.

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A diverse group of coworkers collaborating around a table, reviewing documents and a laptop with smiles and engagement.

*Sales Managers:* Winning Partner-Involved Deals Through Situational Tag Teaming

Knowing how to leverage partners to win deals opens the door to endless opportunities. As a sales manager, fine-tuning the tag-teaming approach – strategically choosing which partners to bring in and why – can significantly impact your sales cycle. Being on the front lines lets you see how wins happen across the organization, build relationships […]

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Two professionals shake hands over a table with printed charts and a tablet nearby.

*Frontline Sales Managers:* How to Know Which Partners Can Help or Hurt Your Team’s Deals

As a frontline sales manager, your team’s success can hinge on your ability to identify partners who can make or break your deals. The best way to gain this insight is through the experiences and observations of your sales reps. They know which partners stand out as valuable assets and which pose barriers to closing […]

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