Channel conflict – where your resellers compete with each other, or even directly with you – can seriously damage growth. A robust deal registration process is a cornerstone of preventing this, ensuring your reseller network feels valued and incentivised to pursue opportunities. It’s not just about paperwork; it’s about building trust and clarity within your channel.

Many Australian SMEs underestimate the power of a well-defined system. Here’s what effective deal registration looks like, focusing on the elements that truly minimise friction and maximise sales.

• First-come, first-served with clear rules: The simplest approach is prioritising the first reseller to register a qualified opportunity. However, ‘qualified’ needs definition. Is it a confirmed need, a budget allocated, or just initial interest? Be specific.
• Territory protection (where appropriate): For some products or services, resellers benefit from defined geographic or vertical market territories. Deal registration can enforce these boundaries, preventing overlap. This is particularly useful if resellers have invested heavily in building relationships within a specific area.
• Deal size weighting: Larger potential deals should carry more weight in the registration process. A reseller bringing a significant opportunity to the table deserves priority, even if another registered interest earlier for a smaller project.
• Regular deal review and cleansing: Don’t let registrations sit dormant. Implement a process to regularly review registered deals, confirming their status and removing stale opportunities. This keeps the system accurate and prevents resellers from holding onto deals they aren’t actively pursuing.

Beyond these mechanics, transparency is vital. Resellers need to understand *how* the system works, *why* decisions are made, and have a clear escalation path if they believe a registration has been unfairly handled. A dedicated portal or CRM integration streamlines this process, providing a central source of truth. Investing in a user-friendly system now will pay dividends as your channel grows, potentially avoiding costly disputes and lost revenue in 2026 and beyond.

To minimise channel conflict and unlock growth, start by mapping out your current deal registration process (or lack thereof!). Identify the gaps and prioritise implementing these key elements. A well-managed channel is a profitable channel.