E195 - Channel Leadership Best Practices featuring Denise Millard

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Denise Millard, Chief Partner Officer at Dell Technologies. They delve into the best practices for channel selling, the evolution of partnerships, and the importance of building strong, accountable relationships within the tech industry. Denise shares her incredible 27-year journey from EMC to Dell and her strategic role in fostering partner ecosystems. Learn how Dell embraces AI, marketplace dynamics, and the critical role of mentorship in career development. For anyone in tech sales, this episode is packed with valuable insights and real-life success stories.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Denise Millard's Career: Denise has had an impressive career spanning 27 years between Dell and EMC, focused on partners and ecosystem roles.
• Channel Selling Best Practices: Simplicity and accountability are key—choose 2-3 focal points, align sponsorship, and hold teams accountable.
• Partner Relationships: Successful partnerships stem from mutual trust and alignment, with ongoing communication and support.
• Challenges in Channel Sales: Challenges often arise from a lack of early engagement and understanding of local partner ecosystems by sales reps.
• Importance of Marketplace: Marketplaces provide access to a vast customer base, enhancing opportunities for partners and customers.
• AI Integration: AI is increasingly used to drive demand generation, proposal automation, and content management within the channel.
• Mentorship: Mentorship, both formal and informal, plays a crucial role in professional development. Denise values the advice and support from mentors like Bill Scannell and Linda Connly.

QUOTES

• "When we do [hold each other accountable], we typically see great results."
• "Winning drives that [channel engagement]. So, you know, when you have success, people get excited around seeing the opportunity."
• "Having informal mentors who see you in action and provide real-time feedback is incredibly important."
• "AI has an important role in enabling partners with insights and capabilities."
• "Exercise is a big part of my life—it has physical and mental benefits."

Find out more about Denise Millard through the link/s below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denise-millard-0407b632/

This episode is sponsored by TitanX (formerly Phone Ready Leads), the Audience Activation sponsor of the Sales Community. Sales teams using Phone Ready Leads® average a 21.3% dial to connect rate with key decision makers (A live conversation every ~5 dials), and average ~10 conversations with key decision makers for every 50 outbound dials they make.