Your role in alliances should be that of an enabler, and not simply as one who hands off items from one place to another. You ought to the conduit through which things happen, not merely a link from one person to another.
Allow me to explain.
So often in alliances, and especially in more traditional channel roles, we believe that if we are getting one person connected to where they want to go that we have been successful. It is not unlike taking an order as a salesperson in a high-volume business. There's a customer that reaches out to you looking for something specific and you provide that thing as quickly and efficiently as possible. Why gum up the works with anything additional, right? If you provide rapid service than you are assured of high marks from your customer and will get the repeat business, right?
Unfortunately, no. It doesn't work that way. There has to be a way that you can provide a lasting, meaningful relationship with your constituents without gumming up the works. If you are just passing a person off to the resource or contact to which they want to go, then you are missing out on a few critical things that should be central to your role:
- You aren't providing any real value
- You aren't strengthening the relationship
- You aren't ensuring future business
