The keys to a great partner program

In the many years that I have worked with technology companies, as well as on startups of my own, I have always considered the channel business model as a key element for a technology company to secure a revenue stream and diversify risk.

Seasoned technology integrators as much as newcomers in the field of service and consulting business, can look at the value of aligning behind a brand, a product, or a business model that enhances their value proposition, sometimes even creating a differentiator from their competitors.

Whether a business evolves as a value added reseller, or as a professional consultancy firm, having the support and best practices knowledge from the product manufacturer can provide with specialized training and expertise in a short period of time.

Partners can be crowded in a particular business space, making competition fierce and relentless. Sometimes it is quite the opposite, and given certain conditions channel partners enjoy a sort of exclusivity for a specific brand or cutting edge product in the market, at least for a while.

Nevertheless, the channel partner model is a B2B enterprise sales structure that has matured in such a way that original product manufactures often shift their entire commercial model into an exclusively through channels sales organization, with great success, I might add.?

Let me share with you what I have found to be the key drivers to developing a great partner program:

Great product

It comes to no surprise that a solid product builds traction in a short period of time, is able to generate revenue, and drives value for a strong and loyal customer base.

Escaping this type of success is something else.?With a great product it is often the case that high volumes of demand can place crushing pressure on a business that could eventually be terminal.

Having a reliable and successful product often means that you can also handle an awesome help desk, for a top of the line customer experience.

Channel partners should quickly align with your business culture and deliver as close to par as possible when it comes to setting customer expectations and service delivery, something that is achieved with a solid partner onboarding process.?

Feature reach partner portal

Investing on a channel partner portal is a sound decision, as it helps optimize the many lanes of engagement for marketing purposes, it supports sales enablement, and goes from lead management to fulfilling customer orders, all the way to tracking support and customer feedback.

Needless to say, the partner portal is also a great platform for building a community around your content, sharing of best practices, and even a marketplace of sorts where partners can collaborate and tag along for added business gains.

Flexible and dynamic business model

One of the many drivers of success in the channel partner business model has to do with your ability to create distinct options to accommodate the many partnership profiles, based on vertical industries, regions of the world, or even channel partner’s skills and maturity levels.?

A dynamic channel partner business model is able to address changing conditions in the market, from your competitors actions to trends driven from customer’s own evolution.

Creative marketing

It is amazing to see how much effort is placed on channel partner marketing by traditional brands, enhancing their value proposition as they build top of mind that allows customers to appreciate the brand associated with a specific company.

Marketing your partners value proposition often comes back in ways that range from increased partner commitment, superior customer loyalty, and added revenue.

In summary, great products sell themselves up to a certain point, and from there on they need a team of like oriented participants to take their value proposition beyond the limits set by the market forces surrounding their initial endeavor.

Channel business partners are there to help you succeed, while being successful themselves!