RELATIONSHIP MANAGER – FINANCIAL CHANNEL PARTNERS

QUESTIONNAIRE

I. CATEGORY : MARKET OUTREACH

1. You have just been hired as a Relationship Manager. According to you, what is the most
ideal way to reach all channel partners in the shortest time?

Options :
a. Personally meeting each channel partner is important.
b. Sending individual introductory emails to all at once.
c. Sending whatsapp messages is ideal way to send personalized communication.
d. Phone call followed by a whatsapp message.

2. Quarter is ending in 10 days and you have a shortfall of Rs 25 lakh of revenue. What will
you do to maximize revenue ?

Options :
a. Focus only on top performing channel partners.
b. Try reaching out to maximum partners in any way possible.
c. There is very little that can be done in 10 days, revenue will happen if it has to
happen.
d. You would go to the channel partner with whom you share the best cordial
relationship and push him for more sales.

3. Which one from below is the most innovative idea to engage your channel partner?

Options :
a. Sharing video based success stories of channel partners with others for social media
distribution on his/her best practices.
b. Sending out your voice recording on industry trends to all channel partners on
WhatsApp.
c. Sending mass emails to all channel partners with key information.
d. Distributing company branded gifts to all channel partners.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGER – FINANCIAL CHANNEL PARTNERS
QUESTIONNAIRE

II. CATEGORY : RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

1. You are currently working as a Relationship Manager for last 2 years. Some of your
channel partners have become inactive. What will you do to motivate them?
Options :
a. Run regular contests.
b. Incentivize them via higher payouts.
c. Give them access to the higher management within the organization.
d. Making sure that there is prompt and timely service.

2. How often is it important to set up a meeting with your channel partner to ensure
everything is working fine?

Options :
a. Weekly.
b. Bi-Monthly.
c. Monthly.
d. Quarterly.

3. What do you think is the most important factor for success in a Relationship Manager
role?

Options :
a. Fund Performance.
b. Relationship with channel partner.
c. Better payout than competitors.
d. Being up-to-date with current market and product knowledge.

4. How would you assist the channel partners to increase their revenues?

Options :
a. By providing timely training and marketing material.
b. Regularly visiting the channel partners to understand their requirements and
updating them with market intelligence.
c. Assisting the channel partners on joint calls, wherever required.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGER – FINANCIAL CHANNEL PARTNERS
QUESTIONNAIRE
d. By arranging workshops/seminars for channel partners.

III. CATEGORY : OBJECTION HANDLING

1. You are currently in a meeting with a channel partner, and he informs you that he is
associated with your competition and is not interested at the moment. However, he has
communicated that he would contact you after 3 months. What will you do?

Options :
a. You will follow-up with him every month, just to ensure the account is still active.
b. You will call him after 3 months as that is what the customer wants.
c. You will ask him to just try positioning the product to a few customers to check the
response so that he can make a well-informed decision.
d. You will provide a comparative study of your product with your competition and
help him see the clear value of selling your product.

2. You are trying to set up a meeting with a channel partner but he interrupts you on a call
and asks you to email him all the information. What will you do?

Options :
a. Before hanging up, you will ask him the time frame within which you should be
expecting a response.
b. As communicated, you would send him an e-mail and wait for his response.
c. Before hanging up, you will ask which are the relevant details that he wants you to
include in the e-mail.
d. Give him a quick one-line USP of your product to see if he is interested in talking
further at this moment.

3. How will you handle the situation when the partner association is no longer beneficial?

Options :
a. I will remain associated with my partner as he may become beneficial in future.
b. I will communicate that the relationship is not working for both of us and end the
deal.
c. I will start to reduce the interactions, service, and support with my channel partner,
indicating it is time to end the relationship.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGER – FINANCIAL CHANNEL PARTNERS
QUESTIONNAIRE
d. Since he is not performing, there is nothing to handle or communicate regarding the
end of this relationship .

4. Amongst the following options, which of the factors result in a sales objection ?

Options :
a. When the channel partner is unsure about their association with you and your
organization.
b. When the channel partner is unable to understand your sales pitch.
c. When you are not able to provide clarity on features and benefits of your product.
d. When the channel partner is not keen to promote your products right now.

IV. CATEGORY : SERVICE SELLING

1. Your channel partner calls you and starts shouting at you, as the service request has not
been fulfilled which was raised yesterday. What will you do ?

Options :
a. You will apologize, check with the operations team and revert back to the channel
partner.
b. Inform the channel partner that the request raised by him has a turnaround time of
2 working days.
c. You would push the operations team to get the request fulfilled by today itself.
d. You would listen to the channel partner quietly as there is an expectation mismatch.

2. Your company is taking more time than required to deliver marketing materials that
your channel partner had ordered sometime back. Now he is losing patience. What
action will you take?

Options :
a. You will blame the marketing team for not doing their job on time.
b. You will escalate the matter to your seniors.
c. Arrange marketing materials from other channel partners to solve the issue.
d. Showcase your disappointment before the channel partner about the company’s
incompetence for not being able to deliver orders on time.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGER – FINANCIAL CHANNEL PARTNERS
QUESTIONNAIRE

3. Your Channel Partner has given you a document for submission. While submitting the
form, you realize that he/she had not ticked the payout option on the form. What will
you do ?

Options :
a. You will search the previous history of the channel partner and then select the
desired payout option.
b. You would inform the channel partner and then tick it yourself.
c. You would take the document back to the channel partner.
d. You would call the channel partner for the correct option and would keep the
conversation documented.

V. CATEGORY : TRAINING / SUPPORT

1. How will you motivate your channel sales partners on an ongoing basis?
Options :
a. Offering them a higher percentage of payout on every deal made.
b. Go on a sales call with them to help them close the deals.
c. Talking with them regularly and sending useful information from time to time.
d. Regularly meeting and training them on product, process and market knowledge.

2. What is the most efficient way to train and develop channel partners?

Options :
a. Meet all channel partners personally and provide hands-on training.
b. Organize an event/workshop so that you can collectively train partners at once.
c. Send digital videos and content on whatsapp / social media to maximize audience
reach and convenience.
d. Sending out mailers with regular updates is more than enough as partners are highly
knowledgeable.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGER – FINANCIAL CHANNEL PARTNERS
QUESTIONNAIRE

3. When is it extremely important to provide training to your channel partners?

Options :
a. At the start of the relationship when they are new to the product and the system.
b. Specifically when the market is down as they require stronger support in tough
markets.
c. When the market is on an upswing, as it is important to capitalize when the time is
good.
d. A little bit of regular training is important as it will help the partner become better at
sales and service both.

4. Your channel partner has closed multiple deals across multiple products and is having a
compliance issue. What will you do?

Options :
a. Help him get connected with the right person in the call center and help him solve
his queries.
b. Service fulfillment is the responsibility of the channel partner and it is his duty to
ensure compliance.
c. Personally help him solve each and every query so that he is trained once and for
all.
d. Since the channel partner has closed many deals, you will make an exception for him
and do everything yourself and resolve all issues.

VI. CATEGORY : PLANNING AND ORGANIZING

1. How will you plan to manage all your relationships?

Options :
a. On the basis of ease of geographical location; easy to reach is easy to meet.
b. On the basis of the revenue generated by the channel partner.
c. Meet every channel partner as and when time permits.
d. Only meet the top performing channel partners and have telephonic discussions
with the rest.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGER – FINANCIAL CHANNEL PARTNERS
QUESTIONNAIRE
2. According to you, which is the most important task to make your meetings highly
productive ?

Options :
a. Ensure that all marketing materials and product brochures are available during the
meeting.
b. Gathering market intelligence is important as that is what the partners want the
most.
c. Preparing beforehand is the key to a successful meeting.
d. Setting a pre-defined agenda will ensure none of the important points are left out.

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