Put Channel Partners in the Driver Seat

Over the last year just about every business, across every industry, has experienced unprecedented changes. Add to this the acceleration of digitalization, and the way we all collectively operate has opened new and different opportunities, especially in the channel. So as a Vendor, if there’s ever been a time to develop your Partner ecosystem and reignite your sales channel, it’s now!

When it comes to effectively positioning your solutions with prospects, you must engage and enable your Partners by prioritizing their needs over yours. In other words, it’s time to pull over and let your Channel Partners drive! Here’s how:

1. Take a Partner-Centric Approach 

You already know when your Partners succeed, you succeed. If you want them to flourish, you’ve got to be flexible in how you support them. That means letting them drive demand in ways that make the most sense for them. For example, give them the tools they need to actually execute modern strategies that generate leads, like social selling and developing easy video content. And keep in mind, they’re laser-focused on promoting their own brand, services and specializations. Instead of speeds and feeds, they’re demonstrating their value through positive business outcomes. And you must give them the freedom to do so. 

2. Provide the Right Education 

The operative word here is “right”. Are you educating your Channel Partners on the RIGHT way to strategically drive demand in today’s marketing landscape? It’s your job to teach Partners how to grow relationships with online audiences by offering valuable thought leadership within their industry. Help Partners understand: 

• Optimal digital strategies for reaching today’s buyers.
• The do’s and don’ts of content marketing.
• When, where and how to serve the right content at the right time to the right decision-making role.

Partners need education on all of the above, in order to to sell business outcomes first and prove they understand customer pain points. What’s more, they need marketing coaching on the value of personalized content that aligns with prospects’ goals depending on where they are in the sales flywheel. 

3. Rethink Your Sales Processes

Sadly, many through-channel demand generation strategies no longer align with the modern buyer experience. Partners need your help rethinking the sales process to build momentum. HubSpot tells us, the most effective way to grow business is by building meaningful, lasting relationships with prospects and customers. So, rather than having a defined beginning and end to your sales funnel, encourage Partners to follow HubSpot’s circular Flywheel model which includes three primary phases: 

• Attract: Leverage strategies like social selling so Partners can earn buyer’s attention and help them find solutions that align with their goals without bombarding them. 
• Engage: Position Partners as a trusted industry advisors by providing highly personalized content that speaks directly to your target’s pain points. 
• Delight: Enable Partners to provide customers with the ongoing support, education, and services they need to succeed throughout their journey. 

The flywheel truly represents how taking a people-first approach and humanizing the sales process can help grow you and your Partners businesses. And it starts by helping Partners understand the importance of providing prospects and customers with unmatched sales and customer experience.  

Want to learn more about improving Partner enablement this year? That’s what we’re here for!