MDF for distributors
You sit in the middle. Make it count.
Distributors manage MDF for vendors and put it to work through resellers. Do it well and you become the partner vendors trust with more budget. This is how.
Two sets of expectations. One budget.
Vendors want the funds spent on the right activity, in the right markets, with proof that it worked. Resellers want approvals that are quick, rules that are clear and claims that get paid.
The distributors who get the most MDF are the ones who make both sides’ lives easier.
What works for distributors. And what doesn’t.
✓Do
- Plan the period’s MDF with the vendor at the start, not the end
- Match funds to resellers with the capacity to execute
- Run joint activity that brings several resellers into one room
- Keep a single, standard proof-of-execution process
- Report back to the vendor in terms of pipeline and revenue
- Flag unused funds early so they can be moved
✕Don’t
- Sit on funds until the last month of the period
- Approve activity you know a reseller can’t deliver
- Accept proof that won’t survive a vendor audit
- Treat MDF as a margin line
- Report activity without outcomes
- Change the rules halfway through the period
The habits that earn more budget. Vendors notice.
Be the easy option
Clear guidelines and fast approvals mean resellers use the funds.
Own the reporting
A consistent results format makes your case for next period’s allocation.
Pool where it helps
Combining smaller allocations into one strong event often beats five weak ones.
Close the loop
Follow up leads with the reseller and the vendor so the pipeline is visible.
The execution partner you can hand it to.
We work with South Africa’s IT distributors on vendor-funded events and campaigns. We bring in the audience, run the activity and deliver proof of execution that satisfies the vendor.
That frees your channel team to manage the vendor relationship while the activity is handled end to end.
MDF questions. Answered.
Can a distributor use MDF for its own events?
Often, yes, if the vendor approves it and the event promotes the vendor’s products to the right audience. Joint events with several resellers are common.
Who is responsible for proof of execution?
Whoever ran the activity collects the evidence, but the distributor usually checks it before it goes to the vendor.
How do distributors win bigger allocations?
By spending on time, showing pipeline outcomes and making the vendor’s reporting easy.
Keep reading.
MDF explained
How MDF works, the cycle, the rules and why claims fail.
Read the guide →For vendors
Allocate MDF with a clear goal, set partners up to spend it well and measure pipeline.
Read the guide →For resellers and partners
Get activity approved, run it properly and get your claims paid.
Read the guide →