A professional development program for tomorrow’s top channel sales professionals and executives
What is the Pathway Program?
In today’s rapidly changing technology environment, understanding both the future and fundamentals of the channel is imperative for vendor employees and solution providers who want to advance and become leaders in their company and the industry as a whole.
To date, education initiatives have been a patchwork quilt of corporate sponsored training, “one of” online seminars, over-focused or unfocused leadership retreats, and expensive correspondence courses that may feature good information, but lack professional recognition acknowledgment.
The Canadian Channel Chief Council’s Pathways program changes all that. Built on eight core competencies identified by industry champions, participants are challenged to explore the priorities and then demonstrate an advanced understanding of each area. Workshops and mentorship opportunities will be available to help ensure each candidate’s success.
The Competency Pillars
To achieve certification and earn the Channel Chiefs Trust Mark, participants must demonstrate superior understanding in the areas of strategy, finance, managing change, channel building, marketing, talent management, leadership, and operations. Understanding the fundamentals of the issues at play will open the door to advanced thought leadership opportunities for candidates and strengthen the entire channel community.
The pillars that need to be understood by today’s sales professionals and executives
Strategy
What is the channel? Why do you need it? How can you leverage your channel to find customers, uncover new leads and grow your business?
Finance
Pinpointing budget for channel build, enablement, and activation. Managing the bottom line. Channel forecasting.
Marketing
Why marketing is becoming a key competency for the community. Understanding how to market through partners and with them.
Channel Building
Sustainable recruitment practices for new and existing channels.
Operations
Understanding and navigating operational best practices across all partner delivery methods.
Managing Change
Guiding the transition between traditional and new models.
Leadership
Expertly scaling your business strategically through other companies is a unique attribute for channel leaders
Talent Management
The ability to hire and manage channel professionals with the DNA to sell with others is critical for the success of your channel ecosystem.
Exploration of the eight pillars can take up to 24 months, allowing participants to progress at their own pace. The learning continuum is focused around the candidate’s own company and tailored to ensure maximum impact for both vendor and solution sides of the channel. It is only by ensuring the highest levels of understanding are achieved that the Channel Chief accreditation will become the required industry standard for progressive companies.
There are two Pathways designations. Accredited Channel Management Chief for channel leaders in existing senior roles and Accredited Channel Manager for channel players who wish to develop into a more senior role.
Mentors
Participants are assigned to a peer group that is led by a working Channel Chief. Pathway candidates are required to attend four group mentoring sessions per year but are also encouraged to attend focused breakfast sessions and complimentary workshops. Candidates and mentors work collaboratively to develop a “check-in” system that is suitable to their joint circumstances.
Benefits of the C4 Pathways Program
In addition to the official accreditation, the career-enhancing connections and professional development opportunities that are central to the Pathway program, participants can take advantage of other benefits. They include:
- Active learning and engagement through involvement with industry committees
- Complimentary access to research funded by the Canadian Channel Chiefs Council
- Discounted registration for relevant industry workshops
- Improved peer-to-peer communication
- Certification through exam of six core pillars leading to Trust Marks
Certified Channel Chiefs
Trust Marks
Trust marks are awarded based on testing conducted around the eight pillars. Trust marks are an indication of business acumen, technology knowledge and both hard and soft skills. Companies and individuals use trust marks to build customer confidence. Some firms report trust marks leads to higher conversion rates. The awarding of trust marks will be tailored to the specific skill sets and positioning of the participants. Successful candidates have exclusive use of the C4 Trust mark and can use it on their LinkedIn profile, business cards and corporate promotional material.
The Final Exam
The Pathways final exam is 90 minutes in length with candidates appearing before a panel of at least three senior industry leaders. Our prestigious examiners include:
Corinne Sharp
Donna Wittmann
Pathways is a premium professional development and accreditation program for channel executives interested in pursuing leadership roles. The $695 fee includes all instructional material and access to Pathway educational resources such as white papers, videos, webinars and Canadian Channel Chief Council research. Discounts are available for current members or companies signing up more than one individual.
To register or for more information, contact
Corinne Sharp
csharp@itwc.ca