Versa Networks’ clearly laid out GTM leads to a fruitful engagement with partners

Venkata SR Datla
Channel Sales Head – India & SAARC, Versa Networks

Partner is an extension of Versa in going into the market and is key to the growth and success in the market. Having a good partner program ensures that partners are having enough certified resources and also gives them direction.

Businesses today have unprecedented reach. A customer from the opposite side of the globe can specify or order a product and have it arrive within a week. Yet accessibility doesn’t automatically translate to sales. Before a customer even thinks about making a purchase, businesses need to have the ability to connect and address their needs. And for that, many choose to develop a channel partner network. Channel partners help gain a foothold in new markets by using regional knowledge to appeal to customers, navigate legislation, and tackle fulfilment logistics.

ABIDING BY A GOOD PROGRAM
Having a good partner program is the most important growth driver. It ensures that the partner is having enough certified resources and also gives visibility to them on the discounts etc. It gives them the direction in which the company wants to grow and helps them with clarity on the go to market (GTM) strategy.  Versa further believes that the health of the partner with respect to business and technical enablement is the criteria to success of any partner program.

“Having a clear cut GTM is the most important aspect of partner engagement,” says Venkata SR Datla, Channel Sales Head – India & SAARC, Versa Networks. “We drive this through weekly, monthly & quarterly calls to ensure that we are communicating clearly to the partner.”

He further continues, "With a lot of customers embarking on the digital transformation journey, we are engaging with partners who work on these projects and help customers in this journey. We also work with a lot of OEMs who complement our solution and give the overall solution which will help the customers. For the year 2024-25, we intend to consolidate our business with top 10 partners who have invested with us in the last 2-3 years to get their teams trained both on the sales and technical side. We have built an extended channel team to give coverage to the next set of 10 partners and drive the last set of long tail partners through our distribution partners. We are also committed to the Make in India initiative as we are getting most of our HW manufactured in Pune, India."

When it comes to partners, Versa Networks is very transparent as trust is the most important factor in doing business together. The success of its partner program shows the value both partner and Versa Networks bring to each other. 

Versa works out the incentives for selling specific products with its top partners and it incentivizes the team which is taking the product to the market and positions it with the customer.