In working with dozens of enterprise OEMs and ISVs over the years, one of the biggest frustrations we often hear is around the lack of channel partner engagement. Gartner echoes this complaint, stating that, in the average channel program, only 20 percent of partners are engaged and producing.

But if you ask most suppliers, even that number is incredibly optimistic. They’ll even say (mostly off the record) that without their top 5 percent of partners, they might not have any significant channel revenues at all.

Remember that childhood game where your class would line up and someone would whisper something into the first kid’s ear, then they’d turn and whisper it to the next one in line? The goal, of course, was to have the same “secret” come out at the other end. However, what was often revealed would barely resemble the original comment.