How Outside-In Thinking Fuels Our Channel-First Momentum

With the new year fast approaching, we’ve been busy planning for what’s next. So much about 2020 has been uncertain and unprecedented — two words that now feel redundant, yet required. But one thing is clear: We have withstood the challenges of this year because of our channel-first model. Our channel and ecosystem partners are an extension of our sales, technical and marketing teams. They help us thrive in this new normal, and serve as a force multiplier in delivering successful enterprise solutions to the market.

So when they were faced with first-time challenges during the new normal, we wanted to help however we could. They were suddenly dealing with issues such as pivoting from in-person events to digital marketing, changing their go-to-market strategy, financing and staying relevant during disruption in the market. When we saw the obstacles they were facing, we got to work. Many of our initial conversations focused on how we could help our partners stand out in this crowded virtual world.

The conclusion? Adopting an outside-in mentality.

What We Learned and Why It Works

As we listened more to our partners’ challenges, we started thinking about things differently. We spent more time tackling problems from the outside in, rather than using the traditional inside-out approach. This allowed us to see things from a new perspective and provide more opportunities for innovation.

We quickly learned that our partners were looking for guidance on how to best position solutions that would help support their customers during this volatile climate. They also wanted to protect their organizations with the highest level of security without affecting performance. And they wanted relevant content aimed at accelerating the pipeline and differentiating them in the market.

By understanding their biggest concerns and greatest needs, we were able to create long-term value. 

We began by building a number of demand-generation packages our partners could select by utilizing MDF to drive new business. Gigamon solutions are designed to help address various pain points that companies are experiencing right now, so we were able to easily expand on this. By providing tools that quickly and clearly demonstrate ROI, reduce spend and optimize current infrastructures, we’ve seen a big boost in channel engagement, which is now at an all-time high.  What’s more, our sales and technical certifications have seen a 4X increase in 2020, and our partners have become a driving force for new business.

These results prove that when we reversed our thinking about how we approach the channel, we were able to achieve our goals in record time. By adopting this mentality, we also work more closely with our partners and cultivate stronger relationships, and the bond between us has never been stronger.

Creating Value

When we created an ROI Calculator for our partners, their customers were more likely to engage because it eliminated the mystery behind investment in Gigamon solutions. This free and simple calculator made it a breeze for our partners to show (not tell) how quickly their customers could reduce costs while optimizing performance. 

But it’s not just about ROI.

We’ve intentionally created several ways for the channel to connect and communicate. One of our more popular platforms is the Gigamon Community, which is available to both customers and partners. The Community provides real-time interaction with others who are looking to learn, share knowledge, and seek technical resources to help position and deploy solutions. In just two years since its launch, our community has grown to more than 11,000 members.

Moving Forward

The future may be uncertain, but we know that our channel-first model will continue building our resilience to weather whatever it has in store. We remain committed and will continue to support our channel while always taking the time to think outside in.