When a partner asks for a lower price what is he saying?
- He is selling a commodity.
- He is presenting a couple of quotes.
- He is not selling your stuff exclusively on this deal..
Granted in many cases, network IS a commodity. And so is Internet Access! And clients indeed DO buy on price. Customers also have unrealistic expectations about price. (Seriously unrealistic.)
I am working on a 10GB Wave deal now. It is a commodity to my client. To me, for the most part, too. Who cares which carrier as long as they are lit in both data centers and can hit the price point? And then deliver said service.
In the case of UCaaS, we may look at it like a commodity, but it isn't as standard as a private line being delivered. Lots more moving parts. No standards. Too many features and check boxes to hit. If it is being sold on price, it's because no one knows why UC(A) over UC(B). Who's fault is that?
When a partner asks for special pricing, he wants to sell your company. Channel Managers should gather some feedback. Use that feedback.
