Top Tips for a Successful Partner Enablement Project

In Grow Revenues by Outsourcing Virtual Partner Account Managers, I explored the idea of how much value a Virtual Partner Account Manager (VPAM) can add to your business and drive the success of your channel strategy. Without doubt, maximizing and energizing your channel network can fast track revenues, especially in new services and solutions offerings you are bringing to market.

Five Tips for Success

So, what can you do to ensure a successful partner enablement project? The following tips will help your get on the right path.

1. Select Partners Who Are Excited By Your Solutions

Look for partnerships that have a natural synergy with your own company. Look to engage partners with industry specific knowledge, or a proven track record of adapting to new channels quickly. You want to be able to build trust and respect; a relationship which goes in both directions. You want partners who will tell your story and why they're excited about your products. Essentially, you're looking for advocates who understand and get you.

2. Look for Experience

Check the track record of your partners. You want to engage with a partner who has the numbers behind them and who can demonstrate year-over-year growth and improved incremental revenue. A good partnership is about more than email campaigns. Your partners need a strategy to help you stand out from the crowd.

3. Identify Revenue Potential

Don't overlook revenue potential by underestimating a potential partner. If you're not actively engaging third-tier partners you're potentially losing revenue opportunities. By working collaboratively with your partners, VPAMs can help develop partner business plans and develop new opportunities to grow revenue.

4. Prepare Training Materials and Resources

Be prepared to provide specific training and information about your products so your VPAMs will be able to train your partners. This gives your partners the specific details they need to take your product to market effectively and to develop new opportunities. More importantly, it gives you resources that your partners can engage with in order to get the answers they need quickly.

Ensuring your partner networks have the right content and resources -- including specific information about your products, partners and future goals -- helps to develop strong relationships and builds loyalty while allowing your partner network to better market and sell your product or services.

5. Differentiate Yourself

There's a lot of noise out there. Everyone is pushing something to someone. How many times a day does an email go straight to the trash folder, without you ever looking at it? VPAMs can ensure your partners have access and understanding of your needs to craft truly meaningful sales campaigns. Plan events to help you stand out from the crowd and be open to take risks and try creative solutions.

These five tips will help you deliver a successful partner enablement project, which in turn, will drive revenue, growth and increased wallet share.

More Info

Be sure to check out our other blogs on partner enablement to learn more about how Sales Beacon can facilitate partner enablement for your company.