In this Channel Partners TV interview, Verizon Business channel chief Mark Tina discusses how the carrier’s decision to create a centralized channel organization will help partners. He also talks about the importance of convergence in today’s telco world and how Verizon’s people are its differentiator.

In his role as VP of Indirect Sales for Verizon Business, Tina oversees Verizon Business' entire channel operations that includes 700 people.

“Verizon has been in the channel business for decades, and we've really built out a lot of great robust resources over the years,” he said. “We made the decision to pull everything under one centralized organization. I lead that organization, and I report directly into our CEO. That is Verizon making a statement that we are doubling down on indirect distribution and leveraging our channel partners to create differentiation in the market.”

When asked about Verizon’s channel priorities, Tina said they “are the same as our company's priorities, so we're very aligned. One of our key priorities is convergence. We've got customers that are looking for converged solutions versus just single products, bundled products. We're very focused on being able to understand what that customer needs and create actual business outcomes, and we do that by leveraging the value that our partners bring.”

He said the key piece of Verizon’s channel “First and foremost, is our people. We are focused on our channel managers and leaders that get out there with our partners. We're very homed in on the feedback that our partners give us. How do we remove friction points, obstacles, roadblocks in order to further enable them? We want to be simple to do business with. We're in a people business, and so the team that we deploy really is a key differentiator that helps our partners to win in their business as well.”

He wrapped up the interview with advice for partners working with Verizon.

“Be open to selling across all segments and not just one,” he said. “Be open to selling full convergence, and not just one product or solution. Also, giving us that feedback, being transparent, having legitimate business conversations about what it's going to take. It's a complex industry, there's a lot of competition, there's a lot of offerings, and our customers have deep needs that we need to cater to. Two-way transparent communication is truly imperative to the mutual success.”

Watch the entire video at the top of the page for the rest of the interview.