New Vonage Channel Chief to Partners: ‘We’re Not a UCaaS-Only Play’

… truly understand what drives decision making at all levels and models in the sales partner space. My reputation for being transparent and honest in all situations allows me to go back to partners I have known for decades, and build programs with them that they know will be based on my firm belief in what we are presenting to them.

CP: What’s at the top of your to-do list?

CA: The first thing I will do is reach out to as many partners as possible to get their opinions on where we sit in their business plans so that we can refine our go-to-market as needed – quickly and with agility – to accommodate their vision of what success looks like in the partnership. If we understand what success looks like for our partners in their relationship with Vonage, we can build relevant strategic and tactical plans that will be impactful and relevant.

CP: What are the biggest issues facing your partners and what will be your role in addressing them through the Vonage partner program?

CA: Our partners face the same challenges all partners face. The good news is that most of those challenges present opportunities. Certainly, the pandemic presents unique challenges. We have all had to change our engagement models, and our customers are facing uncertainties that make long-term decision making difficult. All of this is happening in the midst of what has been a huge transformation for the channel related to the solutions our customers are demanding and the requisite skill set needed to execute in this marketplace.

The good news is Vonage is positioned to service those needs. Whether it is working with our partners to deliver fast, agile, and scalable work from anywhere and business continuity solutions, or if it means helping them assist their customers with the completion of their digital transformation with our end-to-end integrated communications suite, we are here and ready to assist our partners.

CP: What do you hope to have accomplished a year from now?

CA: Vonage has a great program; we just need to accelerate. Over the next year, my focus will be on ensuring alignment with our partners to guarantee Vonage is delivering a program that drives business within our partners’ definition of success so we can all achieve our goals. We have the solution set, we have a great and supportive partner base, and we work in an integrated sales engagement model that has eliminated channel conflict. We are poised for growth.