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Channel Smart | Ecosystem Acceleration

Business & Economics Podcasts

Channel Evolution, Indirect Routes-to-Market, Alternate and Shadow Channels. Yep, the channel landscape gets super complex very rapidly. Navigating your business through that complexity can be daunting. That’s where we come in – we help tech vendors, distributors, and channel firms succeed where others fall short. Subscribe to our bi-monthly pod, hosted by our CEO Janet Schijns, with forward-thinking industry guests, and learn from the best. Janet has built three five-star award-winning channel programs, and she’s here to share nuggets of real-world knowledge. So whether you’re just starting out or looking to retool your existing channel program, the time spent listening to our pod will serve you well. Time to control, alt, and most importantly, compete!

Location:

United States

Description:

Channel Evolution, Indirect Routes-to-Market, Alternate and Shadow Channels. Yep, the channel landscape gets super complex very rapidly. Navigating your business through that complexity can be daunting. That’s where we come in – we help tech vendors, distributors, and channel firms succeed where others fall short. Subscribe to our bi-monthly pod, hosted by our CEO Janet Schijns, with forward-thinking industry guests, and learn from the best. Janet has built three five-star award-winning channel programs, and she’s here to share nuggets of real-world knowledge. So whether you’re just starting out or looking to retool your existing channel program, the time spent listening to our pod will serve you well. Time to control, alt, and most importantly, compete!

Twitter:

@JSGNow

Language:

English


Episodes
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The Long Tail Advantage

4/3/2024
In this episode of Channel Smart, our CEO, Janet Schijns, sits down with Channext's VP of Revenue, Alex Whitford, for a dialogue that explores why the "Long Tail" is the fastest way to grow an organization's channel revenue. They tackle: We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:39:40

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Authenticity In Partner Marketing with Gregg Linde

1/23/2024
In the latest episode of Channel Smart, we welcome JSG's President, Meredith Caram, who sits down for an insightful discussion with Gregg Linde, Head of America's Field Marketing at Check Point Software Technologies Ltd, Partner Marketing refers to strategies and practices focused on collaborating with business partners to enhance mutual growth and success. It's about creating and nurturing a symbiotic relationship where the company and its partners collaborate closely to achieve shared marketing and sales objectives, leading to growth and success for both parties. Gregg draws on his own experience in different roles to discuss how to be authentic in partner marketing. Meredith and Gregg explore: Knowing All Sides:Aligning PartnerSolution Marketing v.s. Product Marketing: We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:15:39

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Navigating the 2024 Channel: Top 5 Strategies for Vendors and Partners

1/10/2024
The podcast "Navigating the 2024 Channel" hosted by Janet Schijns, CEO of JSG, offers deep insights into the tech world's evolving trends for 2024. It focuses on practical strategies for vendors and partners, covering topics like exploring new routes to market, revamping partner programs, and leveraging AI in program automation for vendors. For vendors, suppliers ISVs and providers, Janet discusses: For partners, she discusses: We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:13:09

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Social Selling with Quebec's Rising LinkedIn Influencer, Simon Robert

10/26/2023
In this latest episode of Channel Smart, JSG Director of Social Media , Vlad Krause, is joined by JSG’s CMO/COO, Barb Goworowski to interview Quebec’s Rising LinkedIn Influencer in the IT space, Simon Robert, CEO of MD Informatique. Social selling is the process of using social media platforms to connect with potential customers, build relationships, and generate leads and sales. It's a powerful tool that can help businesses reach a wider audience, establish thought leadership, and close more deals. In today's digital world, social selling is more important than ever for B2B businesses, and Simon Robert shares how adopting and adding Social Selling practices to his business strategy transformed his brand and widened his funnel in a matter of 3 months. He underscores these three areas for social selling success: Your First Impression OnlineKnow Your Customer:Outreaching and Engaging your prospects: We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:26:10

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Journey into Channel: An MSP Perspective

10/24/2023
In this latest episode of Channel Smart, we welcome back Janet Schijns, the CEO & Co-Founder of JSG, who sits down for an insightful interview with Steven Karachinsky, the CEO & Co-Founder of ZIRO. Often, the channel journey is narrated from the perspective of Telecom and Solution Providers. As the newest darling of the MSP world, Steven shares the unique MSP perspective of the channel ecosystem, shedding light on the challenges they face as newcomers, and offering valuable advice to those venturing into the channel landscape: We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:41:59

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Maximizing The Effectiveness of Your Sales Team

8/11/2023
In this episode of Channel Smart, JSG's President, Meredith Caram, and Zift Solution's Vice President of Sales, Anthony D'Angelo, join us to discuss how organizations can maximize their sales team's effectiveness during economic uncertainty and meet the changing expectations of their customers, partners, and employees. Meredith and Anthony share actionable strategies on how to enable your sales teams through: We hope you enjoyed the podcast. Feel free to reach us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:22:18

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The Five C's: A New Hiring Framework for Partners

7/20/2023
Janet Schijns, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of JSG, returns to Channel Smart to interview Alexandra Zagury, Vice President of Partner Managed & as-a-Service, Global Partner Sales at Cisco. Together these industry thought leaders discuss the state of as-a-Service and essential focus areas, including the global talent shortage, a challenge for many channel partners. Alexandra provides invaluable insights and specific actions channel partners should take, sharing Cisco's "Five Cs for Channel Talent" framework. We hope you enjoyed the podcast. Feel free to contact us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:22:43

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How Technology & Analytics Are Changing The Channel

6/1/2023
Jasmina Muller, Ecosystems Chief at PartnerTap, joins us for this episode of Channel Smart to discuss how technology and analytics are changing how the channel works. Janet Schjins, CEO and Co-Founder of JSG, returns as host. Jasmina discusses how PartnerTap is taking an ecosystem-wide approach to growth. PartnerTap is a partner data enterprise co-selling platform that gives partners the data they need to scale up co-selling across their channel ecosystem. Most channel selling happens remotely, and if you can’t connect or your computer isn’t up to the task. As Janet says,” The technology needs to work, and you need accessible support.” Remote support is where Intel vPro helps channel leaders accel at their jobs. Security is also a significant concern, and it requires us to have the right hardware, software, and training to ensure we’re protecting ourselves and our data. Jasmina shares how PartnerTap security extends to internal IT decisions, which is why they rely on Intel vPro. It’s an exciting time in the channel, and research shows many changes. It’s not you as a lone ranger any longer, but you as a partner working with other partners to be successful. Jasmina shares that at PartnerTap, we ask ourselves how to help partners with a long-term strategy and sell more together. We hope you enjoyed the podcast. Feel free to contact us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:19:08

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Accelerating Sales at Asponte Technologies

4/30/2023
The Asponte Technology team joins us for this episode of Channel Smart, and we explore accelerating sales through technology, culture, and data-driven testing. Vlad Kraus, Director of Social Media & Data Analytics at JSG, hosts Duffy Fron, Chief Commercial Officer, and Nick Bomleny, Director of Marketing from Asponte Technology. Barb Goworowski, CMO & COO of JSG, also participate in this conversation. The episode opens with Nick sharing how, back in 2020, Asponte saw buying and information-gathering patterns of buyers changing. Reviewing data about buying behavior pointed to a need to change how Asponte approached sales. “We started to see how buyers were changing and spending less time with salespeople and more online,” said Nick Bomleny. At the same time, Asponte Technology was looking at refreshing its entire sales and marketing technology stack, and they also took JSG’s Social Selling course. The social selling course was a catalyst that drove a cultural change. New technology, a culture shift, and a greater focus on data helped accelerate the company’s growth. As you listen to the episode, you’ll hear how this combination led to 600% sales growth and transformed the company. We hope you enjoyed the podcast. Feel free to reach us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:31:06

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B2B Digital Marketing Trends for 2023

12/15/2022
For this year’s last episode, we discuss the digital marketing trends for 2023. Vlad Krause assumes the role of host and interviews Barb Goworowski, COO/CMO at JS Group, and Paul Yantus, VP of Digital Marketing at JSG. Trends discussed in this podcast include: We hope you enjoy the podcast. Feel free to reach us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:52:42

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Bringing Social Media to Life with Intel vPro

12/6/2022
Janet Schijns, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of JS Group, returns to Channel Smart to interview Ashlyn Szilva, Vice President, Partner Ecosystems Strategies & Research, to discuss bringing social media to life for JSG customers. Listen in as Ashlyn shares what her team does and the technology that supports them. Ashlyn’s team creates and promotes social content on behalf of JSG customers. Ashlyn’s team is 100% remote and uses Intel vPro devices to ensure security and remote support. We hope you enjoy the podcast. Feel free to reach us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:21:27

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Social Media & Your business with Vlad Krause

11/22/2022
In this episode of Channel Smart, we’re discussing how to use social media in your business with our guest Vlad Krause, Director of Social Media & Data Analytics at JS Group. Our conversation covers a wide range of topics related to social media and your business, including the ROI of social, social selling techniques, social selling vs. social marketing, and the role influencers should play in your social media strategy. Hear some of the dos and don’ts of social interactions. How to think about who the influencers are that matter to your business. Hear how Tik Tok might make sense for your business. We hope you enjoy the podcast. Feel free to reach us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:38:41

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The Partner Experience with Meredith Caram

11/1/2022
In this episode of Channel Smart, we’re discussing channel partner experience with our guest is Meredith Caram, Chief Revenue Officer of JS Group. We also talk about how to communicate more effectively with partners and customers. Our first topic is competitive differentiation and how it impacts the partner relationship. Meredith states that 50% of partners drop vendors from their portfolio because they failed to differentiate. Partners are looking for vendors who are investing in differentiation, activating partners, and looking for feedback. The conversation discusses important considerations when dealing with partners and what partners are looking for in vendors. The episode touches on the partner experience and various touchpoints where partners and vendors disconnect. The episode concludes with a brief discussion of technology's role in supporting partners. This touches on marketing automation and partner relationship management solutions. We hope you enjoy the podcast. Feel free to reach us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:46:45

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The Evolving Channel with Heather Tenuto

10/31/2022
Janet Schijns is back as the host for our latest episode of Channel Smart. In this episode, we’re discussing how the channel is changing and the emergence of ecosystems. Our guest is Heather Tenuto, Chief Revenue Officer at Zift Solutions. This episode opens with a discussion of alternate/non-transacting partners. Examples of these types of partners are those that refer the sale or provide value in increasing adoption and retention. Suppliers are taking a step back to consider how their customers want to buy and where the various partners fit in that ecosystem. The conversation evolves into a discussion about how not all channels are the same and how alternative channels have emerged and created change. This evolving channel has also changed how suppliers use tools to support the channel ecosystem. The episode concludes with Janet asking Heather what the big change that will happen in 2023 in the channel? Channel leaders will become financial experts because the market demands it. Everyone will need to support their channel initiatives with numbers that show they are working and creating value. We hope you enjoy the show. Please remember to share it with colleagues and subscribe using your favorite podcast platform (i.e., iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc.). We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:21:59

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Partner & Customer Relationships

10/11/2022
In this episode of Channel Smart, we’re discussing partner relationships with customers. Our guest is Kris Blackmon, Chief Channel Officer at JS Group. Kris is a sitting member of CompTIA’s Channel Development Council and a passionate advocate of diversity in the workplace. This episode opens with a discussion about the recent MSP Summit and conversation topics from the show floor. These conversations lead us to discuss the buyer’s journey and how it impacts partners. Focusing on customer success becomes a theme that carries the episode through the episode with Kris sharing her top three areas where she believes MSPs should focus: Be forewarned; this episode is double the length of our average episode, so grab a cup of coffee and get ready to get Channel Smart. We hope you enjoy the podcast. Feel free to reach us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:44:00

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The Changing Channel Ecosystem with Charlie Cox

10/3/2022
In this episode of Channel Smart, we’re discussing how the channel is evolving and the role of ecosystems. Our guest for this episode is Charlie Cox, Senior VP of Channel Transformation at JS Group. Before his role with JSG, Charlie built and led a highly successful technology solutions company with a blue-chip list of Fortune 500 and ISV customers. The episode opens with a discussion about changes brought about by the pandemic, aging out, and new people entering the channel. The conversation quickly flips to looking at how the customers have moved to a consumption model with a complexity requiring leveraging multiple partners, which has precipitated the need for new ecosystems. The development of new ecosystems naturally leads to a conversation on the impact of change on the various components of the channel, including vendors, distributors, partners, etc., and the need for channel orchestration, marketplaces, and channel consolidation. We discuss the accelerating pace of change, the growing volume of ISVs and new solutions, and the number of new partners entering the channel. We also touch on the rising role of Channel Chief within organizations. We hope you enjoy the podcast. Feel free to reach us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:36:53

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Social Selling with Karin Freeland-Aviles

4/11/2022
In this episode of Channel Smart, we start exposing our audience to more of the JS Group’s team. Paul Yantus, Vice President of JS Group Digital Marketing, hosts Karin Freeland-Aviles, JS Group’s Vice President of Digital Go-to-Market & Learning, to discuss social selling. The episode starts with a discussion about how social selling is often misunderstood; people forget or choose not to be social. This leads to spammy interactions that are a real turn-off for the target audience. Karin then shares how relationship building is the foundation of social selling. The rapid move to work at home due to the pandemic put a new emphasis on social selling. Karin points out how decisions makers are online now more than ever. Social sellers need to take advantage of this, and this starts with reaching out and putting customer needs first. Karin and Paul pivot to discuss how marketing and social selling should work together and how vital marketing content can be in supporting social selling. Karin then discusses employee ambassador programs to engage more of the organization in social selling. The conversation evolves into a discussion of the personal makeup of a social seller. How important it is that social media is woven into how they go about their day – not something they do because it’s their job. Karin then shares what companies should do with executives who are not social natives. Paul and Karin conclude by discussing the people they train and coach and some of their experiences – good and bad. Karin states, “you get out of it, what you put into it.” This statement sums up some of both their experiences. We hope you enjoyed the podcast. Feel free to reach us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:40:12

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Device Market, vPro & Channel Trends with Intel’s Sarah Wieskus

3/30/2022
On this special episode of Channel Smart, sponsored by Intel, Janet Schijns hosts Sarah Wieskus, Intel’s Global Sales Director. Janet and Sarah discuss demand and supply chain challenges creating device shortages, the advantages of Intel’s vPro platform, the overall inability to obtain devices (chip shortage, etc.). and related channel challenges and trends. We’ve seen record demand stimulated by the move to work from home. Unfortunately, the supply chain has struggled to keep up with this demand. Janet and Sarah discuss the drive to refresh technology at home and the market impacts. This segment segues into a discussion of Intel’s move to build chips in the US, which will create many new jobs. The conversation evolves into the impact on the channel and how channel partners are changing how they go to market. Sarah discusses how this has impacted Intel and her team specifically. She now sees her global team more often, which has led to greater creativity and innovation. She also shares the many challenges and concerns of supporting users in diverse home environments. The conversation shifts to the Intel vPro platform and how it helps support enterprise end-customer needs, specifically while working remote. To qualify for vPro certification, platforms must have the right technology, security, remote management, and more. vPro comes in all form factors, making it easy for IT to understand where the enterprise standard is set. Janet and Sarah then discuss some of the use cases for vPro and how it creates business advantage. The podcast shifts to Sarah sharing Intel’s perspective on the role of the channel in addressing the changing market. Sarah shares, “MSPs are hugely important in this space since they have SLA’s they have to meet and want to improve.” vPro offers an opportunity to improve SLAs and positions customers for the upgrade to Windows 11. We hope you enjoyed the podcast. Feel free to reach us for booking, feedback, questions, or comments at info@jsgnow.com. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:26:11

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Channel Growth 2021 Style

8/23/2021
With all the talk of growth in the industry will everyone profit? Listen in to hear Janet Schijns talk about the stumbling blocks for growth and how to address them so you can take more than your fair share of profitable growth in the tech industry. We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:14:03

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Digital Normal Realities | Selling to the Board

7/8/2020
In this session our CEO Janet Schijns shares some startling new data on the disconnect on digital success between the Board Of Directors and the Management teams in Corporate America. What will smart channel firms do to ensure that disconnect doesn’t happen to their solution? Listen in now! We know you will find this episode enlightening and informative. To delve deeper into the world of channel strategy and gain more valuable insights, we invite you to visit our website. For additional information, feedback, questions, or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@jsgnow.com. Tune in to Channel Smart and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of business partnerships.

Duration:00:09:31