This is excerpted from Michael Silva's excellent comment in the How Much Information Do I Have To Give To A Manufacturer? (Resales Application) discussion:
My experience is that while that most manufacturers call their dealers "partners", only a small number actually consider them as such. The remainder treat their dealers simply as customers, and could care less about what they do or who they sell to as long as the purchase orders keep coming in.
As a consultant, I have been surprised at how quickly many manufacturers are willing to throw their so-called partners under the bus in order to win a project. Is the partner who represents a product in a given area not acceptable to the client? "No, problem, which integrator would you like us to make a dealer?" is the response from many manufacturers.
For manufacturers who do truly treat their dealers as partners, it is understandable that they would want to know a little more about the company's operation and business model before they make them a dealer. In a way, it is a little like investing in a business or hiring an employee - you want to do a little due diligence before you enter into the relationship.