July 11, 2005

My first project as Director of Marketing is for a channel partner or VAR of Tom’s company.  A VAR (value-added reseller) is a company that takes an existing product, adds its own “value” usually in the form of a specific application for the product (for example, a special computer application), and resells it as a new product or “package.”

Tom asked me carve out some time before next Friday, to review the Sales and Marketing Action Plan for a key VAR deal. Before I start on August 1, he has multiple deadlines, so he wanted me to have the opportunity to review key action items, providing input as needed.

Objective of the Action Plan

Tom and his VAR want to create roadmap of sales and marketing actions that will product optimal results for the partnerships over the next six months. They have a specific goal for gross revenue. I’ve reviewed the draft plan that includes the marketing tactics. They appear to have done a good job in identifying key action items:

1. First draft of sales and marketing plan
2. Review of sales and marketing plan by stakeholders
3. Create and prepare tools
4. Target audience: national accounts and existing accounts
5. Target audience: large qualified prospects and existing pipeline
6. Target audience: new prospects - larger provider
7. Other: Finalize partnership agreement; analyze key competitor’s strategy, etc.

Prep for Call with Tom

I’ll have to get up to speed quickly, so I can be conversant with Tom. I plan on reviewing the VAR’s website to understand who they are and what they do. I have a list of key contacts for the VAR listed in the action plan, so I’ll memorize whom the major players are that I’ll eventually be working with. I’ll also have to review the key competitor’s site and offering. I’ll review the action items that have a due date of this week and next week, so I understand what Tom will most likely want to discuss with me. I’ve noticed an absence of VAR sales training materials, so I should probably put a list together for him. It should be a productive call. I still have to buy a bottle of Schramsberg Cremant to celebrate properly.

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