He says for Dell the most important issue is whether the partner is bringing new customers to the vendor and the vendor is helping the partner grow its overall business. “Growth of each other’s business is the key measure of whether the relationship is working,” he believes. The vendor could be growing because the partner has shifted share from another vendor but if the partner’s overall business hasn’t grown, it’s not working for the partner. Equally, if the partner is growing based on ‘share shift’ from business the vendor already has directly or with another partner, it’s not working for the vendor.
“The win-win is when both parties are growing each other’s business,” Halpin states. “That’s the best foundation for a quality and solid relationship.”
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