Why the left half means "You Control Your Destiny"?

The answer lies in the right half.  Too many Channel Partners in the right half means that all the time you are either solving problems, or looking over your shoulder for moves by your competitors.  Therefore, your destiny is NOT in your hands.


On the other hand, if more of your Channel Partners are in the left half, it means that you are either building stars of the future, or handling stars without being over-burdened by competitive thoughts.  Thus, you are in better control over your destiny.

Is the STARkGrid like a Horoscope?

This question stumped me - but also got me thinking.


Like a horoscope, the STARkGrid too is based on stars and uses a combination of boxes.  Your current grid profile is a result of your past actions - and suggests where you might be headed if you do nothing proactive - and also suggests proactive approaches to improve your future.


Here the similarity ends.  The stars used here are not the stars related to your birth - they are names for different profiles of Channel Partners. 

How does the STARkGrid help in allocating responsibility to Channel Managers?

Let us say that in a Channel Manager's grid box, the major proportion of Channel Partners are of type Shining Star or Co-Star.  This means that in the grid, 'competitive' box score would be high. This is an indication that the Channel Manager needs to fight a lot more for business from the channel. If, by nature, the person is not a tough competitor, then he / she may not be able to deliver optimal results.

When the employer sees a mismatch between the Channel Manager's personal profile (based on experiences / appraisal) and the Channel Manager's Channel Profile (based on the grid), then it is an advance warning that either the Channel Manager's performance will be sub-optimal, or he /she is likely to move on.


By using the grid for optimal allocation of Channel Partner responsibilities between Channel Managers, the company can get the best results out of its channel.

Why Channel Segmentation?

Literature on marketing management wax eloquently about market segmentation / customer segmentation.  As regards Channel Management, the different kinds of channels are written about - but less is mentioned about segmentation WITHIN a channel.


Experienced and Savvy Channel Managers recognise the differences between Channel Partners who work with them.  Accordingly, they customise their approach to Channel Partners. 


STARkGrid (www.STARkGrid.com) gives form to what these effective Channel Managers have been doing. It provides a framework for Channel Managers to assess their channel, segment it and adopt customised strategies for each channel segment.

Besides, by consciously creating channel segments, and grouping Channel Partners under the most appropriate channel segment, the organisation is able to work towards scalable solutions for each channel segment - instead of depending entirely on customisation by individual Channel Managers.

STARkGrid Presentation

You can download the presentation at www.advantage-india.in/STARk/downloads.html

Need for STARkGrid Channel Strategy

Product manufacturers and service providers need to use multiple channels to tap into the immense market potential for their offering. Channel Managers are challenged in handling Channel Partners, especially when they sell multiple brands and other competing products.  How can Channel Managers get the best out of their Channel Partners?

In a 3-factor model with 2 levels of measurement, an individual Channel Partner can have one of 8 profiles.  Each of these 8 profiles calls for a different competitive strategy.  Thus, by segmenting Channel Partners into these 8 profiles, the Channel Manager is able to use competitive strategies that are most appropriate for individual Channel Partners.

The distribution of Channel Partners within the STARkGrid of 8 boxes throws up stark details of the strength of each Channel Manager's channel.  It also helps the Channel Manager assess the fitment between his / her personal profile, and the profile of the channel they manage.

Re-assessing the grid strength every 6 months provides useful insights on where the Channel is transitioning; and whether the results of any pro-active strategies are visible.

Finally, the grid gives a stark message to Channel Managers - Are they in control of their destiny? Or, are competitors controlling their destiny?

Visit www.STARkGrid.com for further details.