Channel growth
How to get more people selling your brand
Find the capable sellers who have not started, learn what is holding them back, and make the next sale easier to approach.
Getting your product into a retailer or partner’s portfolio doesn’t mean their sellers will recommend it. When a suitable customer comes along, what gives someone the confidence to choose your brand?
At Incenify, our work with channel incentive programs brings us back to that question. A program can generate activity while the same people keep doing the selling. Reaching more sellers takes understanding what keeps others from starting.
That challenge exists whether you have an incentive program or are considering one. Sellers put their reputation and customer relationships behind a recommendation. They need confidence in your product and the support behind it. Start by finding out what would help them recommend it to the right customer.
Find out who is actually selling
Start with sellers who have access to your product and customers it could serve. Use sales records and conversations to distinguish people already selling your brand from people who could sell it but haven’t started. If you already offer sales rewards, also look at who claims them and who sells without claiming.
Ask about a recent customer need your product could have served. What did the seller recommend, why, and what would have helped them consider your brand? For those who sold it, ask what helped them make that recommendation. If a reward was available, did they claim it? Where rewards are available, a seller who passes over your product needs different help from one who sells it but abandons the claim.
Help sellers take the next step
The obstacles differ between retail and B2B. Start with what keeps the seller from taking the next step.
Retail
Imagine a home-audio salesperson helping a shopper choose a soundbar. The shopper wants clearer dialogue, is worried about setup and wonders what will suit their room. Even if your brand offers a reward, the seller may recommend a familiar option because they can answer those questions with confidence. Their reputation is part of the sale.
Give that seller a chance to listen, work through setup and ask questions. Use the experience to discuss which customer needs the product meets and where another option would fit better. Then have them explain a recommendation in their own words. A short guide to questions about the customer's TV, room and listening habits can help them use what they learned.
If confidence is already there, check whether your product comes to mind during the shift. A brief reminder may be more useful than another training session. If you offer a sales incentive, also ask staff to explain which sale qualifies and what they will earn; any confusion tells you what to simplify.
If sellers need to claim a reward, walk through a claim during normal work. Can staff find the required sale details, submit them without repeated entry and see when payment is due? Fix the step that is costing them time.
Give B2B partners confidence to recommend you
Imagine a partner considering your product for a long-standing business customer. They understand the offer, but are unsure how the product will fit the customer's existing setup or who will help if implementation runs into trouble. If a reward is available, it sits alongside a larger concern: will this customer trust their next recommendation?
Start with one relevant opportunity. Work through what the customer needs to achieve, what the partner can already demonstrate and what evidence is missing. Arrange a focused demonstration or trial around those unanswered questions. Bring in a technical specialist when needed, and agree who will support the customer before and after the sale.
Then follow the opportunity through the partner's handoffs. If you offer an incentive, does it reach the person doing the selling? Can they explain who qualifies, which milestone earns the reward and who submits the evidence? If several people contribute, make their responsibilities explicit rather than leaving each to assume someone else will act.
Leave the seller with a clear next step and a named contact for help. If a reward is available, make the payment timeline clear too. If the opportunity stalls, ask what is still unresolved for the customer or the partner. That answer should determine whether you provide more evidence, clarify delivery responsibilities or, where relevant, simplify the incentive process.
In both paths, make the next sale easier to approach: a question answered, a product experienced, a responsibility assigned or an unnecessary step removed.
Test the change against sales
If you offer a reward and sellers trust the product, understand the offer and can participate easily, the reward itself may need attention. Test a higher payout with the same discipline as any other change.
Choose a reachable group, one observed barrier and one response. Track how many people make a first sale and how many sell again over a period suited to the selling cycle. Compare sales with a credible baseline or similar group, accounting for product availability and customer opportunity.
Use that result to decide what to repeat, improve or stop. The next conversation with a seller is a practical place to begin: what would help them recommend your brand to the next suitable customer?
See how this works in Incenify.
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