Work From Home Is Killing Opportunity (Return to Customers)

In this episode of The Channel Zone Podcast, Mark Edwards is joined by Mark Sumner, CEO of Robertson Sumner and host of the Channel Chat podcast, to unpack how podcasting, community, and in-person relationships are shaping the UK channel.

Mark shares the candid story behind Channel Chat — launched in 2019 as a business development tool, then accelerated dramatically during lockdown into a major industry platform. The conversation explores why Mark believes “return to office” is less important than “return to customers,” and how proximity to people and conversations creates opportunity that remote working often misses.

They also dig into the UK tech job market: recent turbulence and leadership churn, the rise of private equity investment in services-led MSPs, and the pressure on businesses overly reliant on hardware and renewals. On hiring, Mark outlines the traits he sees in top sales performers — from growth mindset and communication to discipline — and highlights a newer expectation showing up in job specs: real AI adoption and an AI-first mentality.

The episode closes with a look at why live events work in the channel — bringing competitors and partners into the same room to spark collaboration — plus a memorable nod to corporate hospitality and what makes in-person experiences stick.