The Ultimate Blueprint toChannel Partner Engagement Discover 7 Ways to boost partnerengagement

Measuring channel performanceHelping channel partners see the path to success Making it easy for channel partners to sellBringing the tools and assets to channel partners Being easily available to your channel partnersImpressive partner reward programsTweaking your PRM program to suit your varied partner base

 

You know that partner relationships arethe bedrock of a successful channel salesmodel and that for your channel salesmodel to function as you want it to, youneed to have a solid relationship withyour channel partners. At the start of thisrelationship is partner engagement,keeping your partners engaged with yourbrand, getting them to share yourenthusiasm and vision, and having themcommitted to selling your product orservice. However, sometimes partnerrelationship management can seem likean icy road where you skid at every step.

Often, the causes for poor channelpartner engagement can be chalked upto your channel partners being too busy.When channel partners deal in multipleproducts, they may not have the time tofocus on your brand in particular. Also,when they have multiple vendors, channelpartners naturally tend to gravitatetowards the brand that offers the mostrevenue or sells most easily. A thirdreason could be that your channelpartners don’t share the same brand,marketing and sales vision as you. This istypically the case when the channelpartner is not educated about your brand,and company values or goals in general.Whatever the reason, this whitepaperoffers you a blueprint for successfulchannel partner engagement.

Is PRMYourICY ROAD?

Multiple vendors

Brand favoritism

Lack of brand understanding

 

Let’s start by identifying the 7 key elements for improvedpartner relationships

Measuring channelperformance

Helping channelpartners see the path to

success

Making it easy forchannel partners to

sell

Bringing the tools andassets to channel

partners

Being easily available toyour channel partners

Impressive partnerreward programs

Understanding your channel partner’s psyche and tailoringyour PRM program for them

Now that the basics have been sketched out, let’s talk about the variouselements of a partner engagement blueprint.

 

If you want to fix poor partner engagement and performance levels,

you need to be able to identify them first. And, that requires measuring

channel performance. You can’t fix what you can’t measure. However,

vendors often don’t know what their channel partners are up to. Did

they take the latest certification program? How did they utilize the

MDF? How many deals did they really close? Sometimes vendors are

clueless about their channel partner’s activities and just assume they

are doing fine. Whereas in reality, the channel partners couldn’t be

more lost! This is a big piece in partner relationship management that is

surprisingly ignored by many. You cannot fix what you can’t measure. If

you want to determine the performance of your channel partners, you

need to have metrics to rate their performance. Monitor and measure

your channel partner’s performance and based on that, coach them

—offer them the right training and tools to help them do better.

Measure! Measure! Measure!

Tip: In order to be able to measure the engagement levels of yourchannel partners, get clear visibility into channel partner activities.

You need tools that tell you exactly where and how your channelpartners spent the MDF allotted to them, what marketing/salescampaigns your channel partners engaged in, how effective theywere, how they are faring with opportunities, how many leadsthey registered, etc. In short, you need detailed reports thatidentify how each channel partner is performing, so you can takeremedial measures. Invest in a tool that offers you a 360-degreeview of your channel partners so you know, at any given point oftime, what your channel partners are doing and more importantly,how they are doing. Once you set that up, you need to monitortheir performance consistently and coach, guide and supportthem until they are ready to fly on their own.

 

Just as in any other relationship, trust plays a major role in channelrelationships as well. For your channel partners to sell your productor service wholeheartedly, they need to be convinced of its valueand that it is saleable. Show your channel partners the path tosuccess by walking them through the initial deals. Close one or twodeals for them, show your channel partners how it is done andwatch them believe more in you, your products and your salesprocess. By doing this, you not only convince them that yourproduct/service is easily saleable, but also win your channelpartner’s trust and confidence by proving that you are truly theirpartner in success.

Help your channel partners see thepath to success by guiding them

This one is a no-brainer. Making it easy for your channel partners tosell your products and services will make them push your brand aheadof competitor’s. We discuss 10 ways you can make this happen.

Make it easy for your channel partnersto sell your products and services

 

A successful onboarding program is the stepping stone for yourchannel partners when they join you and serves as a guide for futureaction. Almost every vendor has an onboarding process in place, buta majority of them find that it doesn't lead to the results they seek.

Create a strong partner trainingand onboarding process

We tell you about 3 elements that can help you takeyour onboarding program to the next level

Trainingplaybooks

Automatedcertification programs

Channel partnerportals

 

When your channel partners sign up with you, they expect muchmore than a bunch of induction presentations and brochures. Whatthey really need are plays for different scenarios or plays forprospects that are in different stages of the sales cycle. Channelplaybooks fit this need perfectly. Create channel playbooks that areeasy to understand and share them with your channel partners.Playbooks should help your channel partners understand the what,when, and how of prospect engagement—what to say to aprospect, when to say it and how to say it so they can respond toleads anywhere in the sales cycle. These are the 3 key questionsthat your playbooks should answer for your channel partners.

Playbooks

What tosay?

When tosay it?

How tosay it?

Tip: Make sure the playbooks are easy to access, use and arealways up-to-date. Remember, the playbook is NOT an asset dump.Your channel partners shouldn’t have to sift through multiplefolders and documents before they find the asset they require.Instead, it should be an organized collection of assets where theycan quickly find what they need.

 

Merely training your channel partners is not enough. You need tomake sure they have understood and can apply the knowledge youshared. One way to do this is through automated certificationprograms. Encourage your channel partners to take certificationexams from time-to-time: upon introduction of a new product orservice line, in the event of product updates, or even in general toensure they are in touch with the features and benefits of yourproducts/services that they are selling. After all, if they are toconvince someone to buy a product or service, they have to beconvinced of its benefits themselves.

Automated certificationprograms

Tip: Set-up 2-way alerts for your training and certification exams.

Have your channel partners get automated notifications when theyare due to take an exam, their certification is about to expire, or anew certification requirement has been introduced. Conversely, youshould get a notification when someone acts or when the results arein. This not only increases the chances of getting a response fromyour channel partners, but also helps you keep track of the mostengaged channel partners. Check which partners are actively relatingwith your brand and which ones just don’t bother. Why invest yourresources in partners who just don’t care to learn more about you?

 

Unlike salespeople, your channel partners don’t have hands-onaccess to your sales/marketing training sessions or brand inductionworkshops. They don’t have the luxury of having a solid sales gameplan written out for them every quarter. A partner portal compensatesfor this by providing your channel partners with easy access to criticalelements that will help them close deals faster. A partner portal playsa key role in helping make it easy for them to sell more for you.

Channel Partner Portals

Tip: Make sure your partner portal covers EVERYTHING that yourchannel partners will need when selling your product or service.

Examples include asset repository, deal registration capability, MDFapplication, access to training & certification programs, access to chatsupport so they can reach out to you instantly, etc. Channel partner portalsare becoming commonplace. If you want your channel partners to use yourpartner portal regularly, you need to make it better than the others. Offertools for collaboration, support and assistance direct from the portal, and ofcourse, make sure it is available whenever they need it. That means makingsure your partner portal is accessible via smartphone and other internetenabled devices. The more hassle-free your partner portal, the greater thechances your channel partners will actually use it.

 

If you thought attracting, recruiting and onboarding the right channelpartners was a challenge, you are in for a surprise. A biggerchallenge awaits: keeping them engaged. Keeping your channelpartners committed to your brand takes a lot more than annual lunchand learns. It takes a lot more than quarterly meetings. Keeping yourchannel partners engaged takes continuous interaction—it demandsstaying in touch at regular intervals: ‘checking-in’ if things are goingsmoothly; offering that much needed ‘pat-on-the-back’ toencourage them; and having ‘the talk’ about your channelrelationship not heading where you wanted it to.

Stay in touch/engage with yourpartners on a regular basis

Tip: Create partner engagement email or SMS drips that keep you intouch with your channel partners automatically, even while you arefocusing on other, more important aspects of your business.

Imagine sending them personalized, automated, regular updatesabout your products/services, upcoming training/certificationprograms, new marketing campaigns, brand positioning and values,etc. Wouldn’t that automatically increase their interest andengagement with your brand?

 

Vendors often fail to provide their channel partners with a guidedsales process. When a new channel partner is recruited, they areprovided with a bunch of documents related to the product/servicethey are to push. They are never really given a clear roadmap oraction plan on how to sell. Lacking that, channel partners findthemselves grappling with questions such as what to say, when tosay it and how to say it to their prospects. Such selling is not veryeffective, ends up being quite generic and often ignores the USPs ofthe product/service. The lack of a guided sales process andinsufficient training and guidance for channel partners hinders leadclosure leading to poor channel performance. Offer your channelpartners a guided sales process—a clear action plan for selling. Theyare more likely to be successful when they have a roadmap thatcovers every possible milestone on their way to a sale.

Tip: Channel sales playbooks–discussed earlier–play a role in thecreation of a guided sales process.

Offer your channel partners aguided sales process

A playbook helps connect your content to the buying stages. It letsyou map your sales assets to the relevant point in the buyer’sjourney and gives your channel partners easy access to all the salesand marketing assets they need when reaching out to their leads.Create playbooks for different plays, different sales cycle milestonesand even different prospect personas, and pain points. Once yougive your channel partners the answer to the when, what and how ofselling, you will make it a lot easier for them to close leads.

 

So you have shared all your marketing and sales content with yourchannel partners. That’s great! But, are you still confused why theyare not able to do as good a job at marketing and selling yourproducts as you expect them to? Well, that’s because they are notable to really connect with their leads. The marketing and salesassets developed at the corporate level may not have the desiredimpact at local levels.

Tip: Personalized sales/marketing materials that are co-branded toreflect your channel partner's local brand are a great way to makethem feel like they are a part of your team.

Give your channel partners personalizedmarketing and sales content

If you want your channel partners to really use your sales andmarketing collateral, personalize them for their local markets. Thiswill also make your channel partners feel like they are truly a part ofyour team by making them your brand partners. Help them engagein local marketing, building their local brand presence as they pushyour products. Examples include co-branded marketing & salesassets, joint social media marketing campaigns, localized marketingfor product promotion webinars, etc. Localized marketing can helpdrive more leads at the partner level, which translates into moresales for you.

 

Take some work away from your channel partners without adding toyours! Use sales and marketing enablement tools that help you createlead generating marketing campaigns, landing pages, microsites, etc.Run marketing and sales programs on-behalf of your channel partners.

Help your channel partners behind thescenes by generating leads for them

Content syndication tools, centralized local marketing tools and toolsthat let you market on behalf of your channel partners will help you runthe show and drive leads for your sales channels at the local level. Thiswill also keep your brand safe.

Remember, when you are letting your channel partners personalizeyour sales and marketing communication materials, make sure yourbrand standards are not compromised. It is advisable to be surecertain brand elements are ‘off-limits’ to channel partners so thatwhile local elements are present, your key brand image is retained.

 

Use lead scoring, smart segmentation and routing tools to ensureonly the best leads are sent to your channel partners. The better thelead quality sent to them, the better the chances of closure. That will make you their favorite vendor!

Pass on only the best leads to yourchannel partners

Just as you need to stay in touch with your channel partners at regularintervals, your channel partners also have to engage their leads. Leadnurturing translates to lower lead drop rates and higher closure rates.Offer your channel partners the tools and assets they need to nurturetheir leads throughout the buyer’s journey.

Help your channel partners nurturerelationships with their prospects

 

One more way to move your channel partners closer to success isgiving them a complete, 360-degree view of their prospects. Whenyour channel partners know what stage of the sales cycle their leadsare in, it automatically helps them pitch your products and servicesbetter to the leads.

Help your channel partners understandtheir leads better

Tip: Getting a 360 degree view of prospects is great, but what’s evenbetter is getting real-time alerts and notifications about significantlead activity. After all, you can’t expect your channel partners to lookat lead activity reports constantly and a delayed response can costyou the sale.

 

Today’s competitive business environment is making profit marginsslimmer than ever. Channel conflicts can strain your channelrelationships and cost you valued channel partners. If you want yourchannel partners to work enthusiastically for you, you need to provethat you care enough to protect their interests and revenue. Your leadregistration process, MDF allocation and disbursal process, etc work toconvey the message to them.

Protect your channel partner’s interests

Tip: One way to avoid channel conflicts is by making sure your partnerportal allows deal registrations.

Deal registration mechanisms allow you to control the flow of leadsto your channel partners. Since every lead has to be approved byyou, the chances of two channel partners pursuing the same leaddrops to zero, eliminating channel conflicts. Similarly, by making iteasy for your channel partners to apply for and procure MDF youare putting them on the path to success sooner. You are sending themessage that you want them to succeed and are willing to offer allthe support you can to see them achieve their goals.

 

Offer individualized sales andmarketing support

Your channel partners don’t have a full-fledged marketingdepartment at their disposal. Sure, your corporate marketing team isavailable, but it is often spread too thin to support every need ofevery single channel partner. To resolve this challenge, you can offeryour channel partners sales and marketing concierge services totake care of their more individualized marketing and sales needs.

 

You have to find a way to fit your marketing and sales assets into thesystems they use on a daily basis such as their gmail account,Outlook or even their CRM. When integrating your tools and assetsmake sure it also integrates with any third party portals that yourchannel partners may already have. Examples include their productdatabase systems, war-rooms, cloud based vaults, etc.

When we talk of poor channel performance, the vendors often say,“We have invested in a lot of tools and sales and marketingresources. Why are our partners still not ‘up-there’?” Well, it issurprising to note that many companies have the tools andresources their channel partners need to succeed in selling theirproducts and services. However, those tools and assets never reallyreach the channel partners because vendors expect their channelpartners to proactively look for them and use them. If you want yourchannel partners to really use your sales and marketing tools,programs and materials, you need to make it easy for them to doso! Bring the tools and assets your channel partners need, ratherthan them having to ask you. Because, they never will!

Bring the tools and assets to channelpartners rather than expecting them to

reach out to you asking for them

 

Your channel partners will love you more if you are always there forthem. Be accessible to all your channel partners so you can addresstheir challenges to the best of your ability, always. Offering a quickturnaround also sends the message that you truly care and wantthem to succeed.

Be available for your channel partners.Always.

Tip: Offer your channel partners multiple touch-points to stayconnected with you. Examples include chat, phone, emails, quarterlymeetings, etc. Also, make it easy for them to reach out to you.Ideally, a click on your partner portal should be all that they need toconnect with you for them to achieve their goals.

 

Your salespeople get commission, invitations to company dinners,events, etc. What about your channel partners? Don’t forget to motivateyour channel partners. They are a part of your sales network just like thedirect sales team. Have a value adding partner program in place tomotivate your channel partners to sell.

Have a motivating partner reward programin place

Tip: Make sure you market your channel rewards program. The valueyour channel partners will derive from it should be clearlycommunicated to them. Offer something that they will value and ensurethat the goals are not so high that it seems nearly impossible. You wantto push your channel partners to aim higher, but not set the goals so highthat they give up trying altogether.

 

Once you have a great partner program in place, make sure you fine-tuneit every now and then to suit your partner base. A stagnant partnerprogram will soon stop generating results. Evolve your channel partnerprogram to suit your partner base and the end market so it is a win-winsituation for you and your channel partners.

Understand your channel partner’s mindsetand tailor your PRM program to that

Ultimately, it all boils down to making it easy for your channel partners tosell. Offer them tools and assets that make their job easier. Make surethose tools and assets are easily accessible. Work with your channelpartners and show them how to close a deal successfully. Walking thatextra mile in a relationship just goes to show how much you care andalways strengthens a relationship. The same goes for your relationshipwith your channel partners. If you want your channel partners to chooseyou over other vendors, you need to stand out. Protect their interests, helpthem generate revenue.

Treat your channel partners like an extended sales team, Give them every kindof support they need to sell, make them feel like a part of your organization andwatch them treat your brand like their own.

 

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Phone: 412-381-0230

Fax: 412-774-1992

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