Channel Advantage, The

Media:	Hardcover
Author:	Lawrence Friedman, Tim Furey
Publisher:	Butterworth-Heinemann
Release date:	01 August, 1999
List price:	~~$39.95~~
Our price:	$26.37 that is 34% off!

Channel Advantage, The

Average rating: Stars

A "Power Tool" for Channel Managers

The Channel Advantage is one of the first books I read on Channel Program Development. I keep it on my desk and refer to it often.
The first time you read this book you'll be introduced to Friedman's and Furey's arguments for viewing the channel as "the" competitive advantage for a sales organization, something more powerful than the brand strategies being cooked up in the marketing departments. For an organization invested heavily in one channel strategy, the authors use a comparison/contrast method to demonstrate the relative merits of different channel strategies: direct sales, VAR sales, telemarketing, and Internet. Without arguing for one strategy over another, the authors will open your eyes to aspects of a strategy you haven't considered. For instance, until reading The Channel Advantage, I've been negative on the Internet strategy, but these guys will show you how to make it work without completely undercutting your sales force.
The second time you read this book, you will refer to p.187 for the chart illustrating Channel Mix and Integration. It visually illustrates a plan for creating the right combination of your channel strategy through alignment of your sales process. It makes the powerful argument that each channel strategy can be used at different times in the sales process, to help move it along and shorten it. The Channel Advantage is a "power tool" that helps you analyze how to invest your limited resources in a "portfolio" of channels and to measure your performance. Read Part One and Part Two one time through, but keep referring to Part Three.
The writing in Channel Advantage is academic, but there's a lot of red meat here. Strongly recommend for the experienced Channel Manager or the Sales Manager who wants to learn more about how channels can add to his/her performance.

Channel Advantage, The - Lawrence Friedman, Tim Furey

A book for effective design and execution

Very interesting book for those of you who really need a comprehensive, thorough, and easy to implement strategy regarding distribution channels. It changed my previous perception about channels as a consequence, and create a new perspective about channels as a source of new business and new alternatives of go to market. In addition, it gives an almost prescriptive list of to-do things in order to create a channel model, and to measure its impact.

Lawrence Friedman, Tim Furey - Channel Advantage, The

Absolutely Wonderful!

Friedman goes right to it. Use the Internet! Don't just use one channel! Multiple channels reach multiple consumers! More customers means more sales! More Sales means more revenue! I'm not entirely convinced Friedman should have said profit--I think the recent stock market problems proves that revenue and profit are two different things. Or not, depending on your auditor.

I used this with Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR: Wired for one reason. Friedman knows how to use the Internet, but Levine's book also has plenty of useful stuff. Why limit yourself?

I think what separates this from other multiple channel advocates is Friedman's unabashed enthusiasm. It's rather contagious, and I found myself smiling more and more. It's nice to smile when reading a business book.

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