MSP and vendor relationships require more cross-functional involvement and coordination than traditional partner relationships. There are many factors that go into said relationships, and not everyone gets the recipe right. Base level, each party must make a concerted effort to understand, to some degree, the intricacies of each other’s business. But it definitely goes deeper than that.

So, what is it that good vendors do that is most valuable to partners?

A lot of partners value vendors developing a genuine relationship with them, where mutual success is as much on their minds as it is on the partner’s. That is, after all, what a true partnership is, right? It’s not simply making money off of the other; it’s working together to achieve a common goal of success for both organizations.

This is paramount. A vendor who is a partner is important, yes, but one of the most significant distinctions is spending time to develop an understanding of the unique elements of the partner’s business. That’s not to mention being flexible and creative, and being direct and honest.

These are valuable characteristics to partners, as they make a point to adhere to them themselves. This means, of course, that a vendor must also be receptive to feedback and be able to work with the partners to improve their own business. So, how to address any gaps here?

Roundtable Partners Weigh In

Channel Futures once again invited partners to join its MSP Roundtable at the 2022 Channel Partners Conference & Expo. The inaugural roundtable took place last November, featuring several key partners. 

This spring’s MSP Roundtable participants were:

In the last of this three-part series, see our slideshow above to find out what participants had to say about MSP/vendor relationships. You can find part one on the supply chain here and part two on the talent shortage here.