Channel partners are essential for scaling your business, reaching new markets, and increasing customer satisfaction. But finding, recruiting, and onboarding the right partners can be challenging and time-consuming. In this article, you will learn some of the most effective ways to attract and retain channel partners that align with your goals and values.
Before you start looking for potential partners, you need to have a clear idea of what kind of partner you want to work with. This will help you narrow down your search and focus on the most relevant and qualified prospects. When considering a partner, it's important to take into account criteria such as the size, industry, and location of their target market; their level of expertise, experience, and reputation in your niche; the compatibility of their vision, culture, and values with yours; and the type and level of support, training, and incentives they expect from you.
Recruiting and onboarding channel partners effectively involves defining partner criteria, developing a compelling value proposition, identifying potential partners, providing training and support, offering incentives, fostering collaboration, monitoring performance, and continuously improving the partner program.
What is it that you need from your partners? How should they operate, how experienced should they be? How should their structure be built up. Think about the objectives you need to satisfy that compel you to go channel partner searching and also think about how best can you optimise the value of that partnership.
Effectively recruiting and onboarding channel partners involves defining an ideal partner profile aligned with strategic goals, complementary skills, commitment, geographic reach, and market influence. Targeted outreach, incentive programs, and engagement initiatives help identify potential partners, while clear documentation, onboarding sessions, and ongoing support ensure a smooth integration process. Emphasizing communication channels, technology integration, and performance metrics contribute to building strong, mutually beneficial partnerships, fostering long-term success in the collaborative relationship.
To begin, it is essential to clearly outline the characteristics and attributes you seek in a partner. Consider factors such as industry expertise, market reach, resources, and values that align with your own. Additionally, assess the potential partner's reputation, track record, and commitment to innovation and growth. By defining your ideal partner profile, you can ensure a strategic fit that complements your strengths and addresses your weaknesses. This clarity will guide your search for partners and increase the likelihood of forming mutually beneficial relationships that drive innovation and success.
The foundation is defining your partner profile. If your goal is to sell massive amounts into the enterprise sector, your small local reseller is most likely the wrong choice. That doesn't mean working with small partners is any less helpful for other fields. Another question you should ask yourself is: How agile should my partner be? If you want fast decision making on changes in strategies, a small local reseller might be exactly what you look for! In my company we work with a mix of both to serve as many end customers as possible.
Once you have defined your ideal partner profile, you can start searching for potential partners that match your criteria. You can use referrals from existing partners, customers, and industry contacts; online directories, databases, or platforms; social media; blogs; podcasts; webinars; events; trade shows; conferences; cold emails, calls, or messages to reach out to them. After generating a list of partner prospects, you need to qualify them by asking questions about their goals, challenges, needs, and expectations as well as verifying their credentials, references, and track record. This will ensure they are a good fit for your program.
Using existing partners or end customers as data source is the most reliable data you will get. Of course that also depends on the industry you are in. We also try to check where most potential end customers buy and then strategically approach that partner. The most important thing for me is that the goal is a long term partnership and not just a "quick deal".
To persuade your partner prospects to join your program, you need to create and communicate a compelling partner value proposition that highlights the distinctive features and advantages of your product or service, as well as the support and incentives you provide. You can demonstrate this through various channels and formats, such as landing pages, webinars, case studies, emails, calls, and meetings. Additionally, you should share success stories and testimonials of existing partners to further illustrate the benefits. By doing so, you can show your prospects how partnering with you will benefit them and their customers.
This one can be vastly different per industry. For the IT channel the best value proposition is value add and enablement. Pitching the value you add and (free) enablement you provide is a good start. Another huge opportunity is tell your partner the leads you can bring them.
Once you have convinced your partner prospects to join your program, it is essential to formalize the partnership and determine the terms and expectations of the relationship. To do this, you must negotiate and sign a partner agreement that covers the roles and responsibilities of each party, the scope and duration of the partnership, performance metrics and targets, compensation and payment methods, as well as legal and ethical obligations and liabilities. It is recommended that you consult with legal and financial advisors to make sure your partner agreement is clear, equitable, and compliant with all applicable laws and regulations.
Strong channel partnerships based on mutual benefit are key for growth, with success rooted in well-negotiated agreements. Focus on: (1) Strategic alignment and clear expectations to ensure alignment on goals, roles, and responsibilities to avoid misunderstandings. (2) Comprehensive and equitable agreements covering partnership scope, performance metrics, and legalities, balancing value for both sides to build trust and commitment. If you are a B2B SaaS company, look into leveraging cloud marketplaces like AWS and Azure for accelerated distribution of your applications. Always keep relevant compliance certifications in mind such as ISO 27001 or TISAX (automotive industry) to build a future-proof delivery sales and delivery organization.
After signing your partner agreement, it is important to train and onboard your new partners in order to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and tools required for selling and delivering your product or service. This should include product or service training to explain the features, benefits, and use cases of your offering, as well as sales and marketing training that covers the best practices, strategies, and tactics for promoting and closing deals. Additionally, technical and operational training should be provided to cover the installation, integration, and maintenance of your product or service. Furthermore, you should provide partners with access to a partner portal or platform containing resources, materials, and support. Finally, a feedback and evaluation system should be implemented to monitor their progress and performance.
That is the most important thing! Give your partner all enablement and tools in order for them to succeed. Stay in constant touch and visit the partner regularly. Help the partner to get their business started by forwarding leads of end customers to them and then visit them together.
The last step in recruiting and onboarding channel partners is to maintain and grow your partner relationships. To ensure your partners are engaged, motivated, and loyal, you need to communicate regularly and consistently with them, provide ongoing support and assistance, recognize and reward their achievements and contributions, solicit and act on their feedback and suggestions, create and implement joint marketing and sales campaigns, introduce new products or services or upgrade existing ones, and explore new markets or segments or enter new regions. Recruiting and onboarding channel partners is a complex process that requires planning, execution, and optimization; by following these effective ways, you can increase your chances of finding and retaining the best partners for your business.
Once partners are onboarded, it's important to offer continuous support, resources, and guidance to help them succeed. This includes regular check-ins, training sessions, access to marketing materials, technical assistance, and any necessary tools to ensure that partners have what they need to effectively promote and sell your products or services. By offering ongoing support, you can strengthen the partnership, address any challenges that may arise, and foster a collaborative and productive relationship with your partners.