Success Stories: Global Sales Channel Formation
Clients from private and government settings have relied upon me to recruit and retain matrices of channel partnerships of a highly specialized nature, at differing price points and capabilities. This extends well beyond sales and marketing outlets, to encompass joint ventures, pre-acquisition investment, and intellectual property and patent rights negotiation.
Startup on a Shoestring
As a global strategies private sector advisor, I engaged with a startup faced with dwindling private funding that was encountering competition and cost pressures as it forged entry into volatile retail and hospitality sectors. This challenge called for a global channel structure comprised of brokers, wholesalers, and specialty retailers across natural personal care, gourmet food, spa, and healthcare sectors.
The phased, affordable, multiyear solutions I created and managed ensured shelf space that displayed an alluring, Hawaiian-origin brand cachet. I drew up an online orientation program for retailers and in-store, point-of-purchase (POP) resources.
The results included placement in preferred retailers that drew consumers with discriminating taste and within industry-leading wholesalers.
Word of mouth quickly reached influential celebrities who shared on-air and print endorsements of the products.
Renewable Energy Trade Mission to Canada
Transferring government mandates to practical commercial solutions can be daunting even for the most enterprising of companies … not to mention tech startups and local governments!
While serving as Principal Commercial Officer for Western Canada, I proposed, promoted, and won a coveted spot on the Foreign Commercial Service's global trade mission calendar for a three-city Renewable Energy Trade Mission to Canada.
Linking energy tech companies from the United States with energy providers, power transmission agencies, leaders from First Nations (Canada's Indigenous people) communities, and government procurement officials fulfilled my agency’s role to grow exports and prove out North America's renewable energy market as laid out in the US Government initiative “North American Competitiveness through Clean Energy Partnerships.”
Defense Industry Capabilities Day in Romania
Romania’s location on the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union has put it in the defense and security spotlight, especially in the months following the geopolitical turmoil caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I managed this sector portfolio in close collaboration with US intelligence and military leaders to ensure successful market entry for US contractors.
To meet sudden and growing demand in early 2022, my team and our industry partners quickly stood up an inaugural Defense Industry Capabilities Day. This quick-response, daylong gathering in Bucharest drew more than 30 US defense contractors with regional government and military procurers and resulted in more than 100, one-to-one business development meetings. My team’s negotiation with host government procurement leaders and dozens of US companies ensured over-capacity turnout and accelerated the success rate for the award of government tenders.
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Tom Hanson
Your Channel Architect
thanson@channelarchitect.world