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Microcast

Gaining an Edge

This year Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide will not be making an appearance in the college football playoffs thanks to Auburn\u2019s stunning victory in the Iron Bowl.\xa0 But you can count on Coach Saban to be there just about every other year.\xa0 He has many secrets to being at the top including the undying support of his university and the alumni, a huge budget and good coaches.\xa0 We have focused our college football MicroCast series on why he has been so successful, and today\u2019s episode is about Saban\u2019s willingness to use technology to get an edge.

A few years ago, Alabama began using a GPS system to track the performance and workload of its players.\xa0 Without getting too technical, this GPS system tracks a player\u2019s top speed or acceleration in practice with his past performance.\xa0 Saban is looking to see if that player is getting worn out during the season.\xa0 Alabama lost to Clemson in the final minute of a national championship game, prompting Saban to consider that his team was tired.\xa0 Once he started using the GPS system to crunch the number, the data showed that the Tide had a performance drop off in post season, so Saban adjusted practice to keep his players fresh. \xa0

So, if we take a play from Saban\u2019s playbook and use technology to get an edge in our channel program, what technology should we be looking at and how can using that technology help us recruit better, run our program better and get more deals?

Start by using the data to be analytical about the ROI for each partner you work with.\xa0 I\u2019m sure Saban\u2019s GPS was relative complex, but once he used it after losing to Clemson, he won the national championship the next year after adjusting his strategy.\xa0 Your program likely has quite a bit of data that you need to use to determine what adjustments should be made in your partner strategy.\xa0 Look at the number of referrals and quotes to closed deals to see if the partner is sending in junk or real opportunities.\xa0 Look at what it is costing you to recruit and support a partner and adjust if the cost is too high.\xa0 Geolocate where you have the best partner traction and spend more time going to those locations. If you are in the Convey Channel program, run a catalog report to see which partners are engaged and what they interact with.\xa0

Create digital experiences that engage partners when you\u2019re not with them.\xa0 You\u2019ll never have enough staff, money or time to go everywhere and that\u2019s where digital experiences come in.\xa0 Technology, particularly Convey\u2019s Channel program and partner portals, enable you to educate partners online, be present when partners are doing their research and starting their journey to find the right services and ensure that they are aware of your latest and greatest financial incentives.

Use technology to automate your processes.\xa0 Channel programs have a lot going on, never enough money and almost always are understaffed.\xa0 One way to get around this dilemma is to invest in a partner portal to make your staff more efficient and do more with less.\xa0 If you were using one of our portals, we would automate partner onboarding, managing your data, regular messaging and outreach and provide assets for marketing and campaigns.\xa0 Without automation, your program will never grow and may even have a hard time being relevant and surviving.

Leverage technology to make sure partners show up.\xa0 Saban believes that a full stadium is essential to keeping player morale up and winning games.\xa0 However, when the Tide is far ahead by halftime, students tend to leave, and the stadium starts to empty.\xa0 Technology has stepped in to encourage students to stay longer with an app called \u201cTide Loyalty Points\u201d.\xa0 If students stay through the 4th quarter, they earn points toward priority access to post-season games. &nb