Channeltivity

Every channel partner runs their business differently. Catering your offering to the way they work can help them feel valued and prevent them from competing with one another for the same opportunities. Some ways to minimize conflict? → Providing exclusive products or bundles to specific channels.?This encourages customers to use the intended channel (without competing against other channels offering similar items). → Offering exclusive product lines.?That way, partners can focus on their specific markets without feeling threatened by each other. → Implement a minimum advertised price (MAP) policy.?This sets a baseline price for which products can be sold to stop partners from giving customers extreme discounts that other partners can’t match. → Institute channel-specific incentives.?Internal sales teams, distributors, and partners all have different motivations. Play into those wants and needs by offering comp kickers, better margins, or exclusive access to product betas or marketing opportunities. Need some ideas to jazz up your incentives? Check out this list of?partner program tweaks: https://lnkd.in/gv96xdJt

If you’ve ever participated in vendor selection before, you know a lot of discussion happens around specific features and functionality. And, of course, you want to know that your partner portal will do what you want it to do. But knowing what features and functionalities will best support your specific needs requires some significant pre-work. And there may be other tangential things you need to take into account that you may never have considered. So, if you're in the market for a PRM (or any other partner-related tool), be sure to check out Trish Rilling, Anthony Luzza, and Sarah Muzquiz's expert advice on what to prioritize in an evaluation. Get their tips here: https://lnkd.in/gpyg8yPk

With so much on your plate, it’s easy to neglect partner portal content. But the thing is, refreshing your content is one of the best ways to keep your partners informed about how your company and program are evolving — and that allows them to sell or implement your products more effectively. May we suggest a little spring cleaning? ???? We've built a checklist out for you! It covers your: ?? Portal Home Page ?? Partner Program Guidelines ?? Library ?? Co-Branded Collateral ?? Training Check it out: https://lnkd.in/gMru9u73

If you’re like most partner professionals, you’re always on the hunt for that ‘one partner program tweak’ that will dramatically change the course of your career. We hate to break it to you, but there’s no ‘hack’ that’ll magically transform your partner program. ?? There are, however, a *series* of tweaks you can make to ensure your program grows and evolves sustainably. And we know they work because real people have had real success with them. Keep reading to learn why it’s critical to keep enhancing your partner program and recommendations from people who’ve scaled partner programs before: https://lnkd.in/gv96xdJt Matt Driscoll at Spur Reply George Klippel at Ateme Brian Wichinski at Cloudian Inc

One way to avoid channel conflict this year? Standardize your onboarding process. Giving any partner preferential treatment (unless you’ve specified how you’re doing it in your tiering standards) is a recipe for channel disaster. Write a standard operating procedure to keep the process consistent. At a high level, a partner joining your program should trigger: — An invite to a one-on-one meeting with their partner manager,?who runs through the same presentation for every partner under their purview. You might also consider filling out a?joint business plan?to solidify your goals for the relationship. — An invite to your partner portal.?Make sure they have the same permissions as every other partner in their category and tier. Create a video to show them around the portal, pointing them to training courses, marketing assets, and deal, lead, and referral rules. — Enrollment in ongoing email marketing sequences?to remind them of perks, SPIFFs, and?channel co-marketing?opportunities to?increase partner engagement. Trish Rilling?at Grititude has another tip,?“After every conversation, recap everything via email. Be sure to outline all the topics that were discussed while also including next steps needed to keep everyone on the same page.” Want more pointers? Check out our guide to channel conflict: https://lnkd.in/gVFt-Qap

Is it time for a partner program audit? Maybe it is, but you're overcomplicating it. Really, the goal of your audit should center around 3 core themes: Are we giving partners the right rewards? Are we giving partners the right support? Are our partners getting value out of our partnership? This breaks down into more granular checks, like re-evaluating your: - Partner onboarding process - Training and certification - Co-marketing/channel marketing - Standard partner business plans - Deal and lead flow - Deal and referral commission structure - Partner agreements - Tech stack (especially your?Partner Portal) Go through all these, and we're sure you'll come up with some ways to improve and refine your process. ?? Looking for something even more in-depth? ?? We have a blog you can use to further guide your audit: https://lnkd.in/gFcrT4J7

Hiring a partner enablement manager in Q1? As you evaluate your candidates, make sure they: ?? Understand your product.?They need to know how to convey the product’s value prop in ways every type of partner gets excited about. ?? Like to work cross-functionally.?Even if they’re a product expert, they’re going to need to work with Product and Customer Success to perfect technical trainings, Product and/or Partner Marketing to get your messaging down pat, and Sales to ensure smooth handoffs. ?? Are numbers-minded.?They should always be keeping track of what’s working and what’s not. Need more advice on hiring partner enablement talent? Check out our blog, featuring advice from Brian Wichinski and Kathleen Clarke: https://lnkd.in/gFBRvCY2

Tasked with purchasing and implementing?“the best partner portal” for your org this year? *No pressure or anything* ?? To help alleviate your worries, we asked 3 seasoned partner leaders (thanks Trish Rilling, Anthony Luzza, and Sarah Muzquiz!) for their advice in choosing the best partner portal for your program. At a high level, they recommend: ?? Taking a hard look at your existing partner base ?? Knowing your internal resources going in ?? Putting together a list of what you really need ?? Thinking through any ancillary features you might want (implementation assistance, integration help, knowledgeable reps, timely replies) ?? Seeing a demo Increase the chances of getting the right portal for you — check out the rest of their advice: https://lnkd.in/gpyg8yPk

Transitioning from sales to partnerships is nerve-wracking — just like assuming any new role is. But there are ways to make it a little less scary. Talking to people who’ve done it before, building up new skills before you make a change, and being equipped with the right tools as you start your journey can put you a little more at ease. And we’re giving you a headstart. We spoke to several folks who’ve made the switch and can help you understand why a role in partnerships can be beneficial to your career, and what you really need to know if you want to be successful. Get inspired by their advice: https://lnkd.in/gPkkE8Ej Big shoutout to our contributors - thank you! Richard Dalder Brian Futral Bryan McKinstry Brandon Swain

As you plan out new partner content and rewards this year, always put your relationships with reputable channel?partners first. ?? Are they worth the time and effort partners have to put in? ?? Is there enough low-hanging fruit to get partners selling your product or service from the get-go? ?? Will they care enough about winning a sponsored happy hour to bring in qualified deals, or is there another incentive they want more? Mihaela Filip advises: "Think about the various levels of maturity you’ll have in the channel. Some companies may be relatively new to the channel and want a basic starter package with more hand-holding. Others may have several channel relationships already and want to do co-sponsored activities out of the gate. It’s important to get to the point where you have something for everyone." If you’re having trouble choosing the right tactics, preview your channel marketing strategies with a few trusted partners and get their feedback. And give our channel marketing blog a read: https://lnkd.in/gd_c6nK4