A successful partner marketing strategy begins with a successful partner program design, but it certainly doesn’t end there. The two are inextricably entwined, and neither is set in stone. The best are agile enough to accommodate changing markets, partner needs and customer preferences without being frenetic. Partner marketing is an ongoing pas de deux between program design and program deliverables, between brand and route to market, between source and support.
If that sounds complex, it certainly can be, especially as your line card and markets diversify and competition for partner share of mind intensifies. But there is a method to the madness. Partner marketing strategy takes wing on a foundation of meticulous research, equal dedication to process and agility, well-considered incentives and rewards, and an unwavering commitment to partner education and enablement. The aforementioned “5 Ps” are partner marketing how-to shorthand. Read on to discover the best ways to marry partner marketing strategy and partner program design, along with essential “to partner” and “through partner” tips.
What is partner marketing? Partner marketing uses the resources and expertise of business partners to market and sell your products or services to more end customers. There are two sides to the coin: what you do to make your partners more successful, and what they do to drive revenue for mutual benefit.
Questions at the core of partner marketing best practices
Whether your partner marketing program is well-established or you are in the throes of creating one, there are a handful of essential questions that can help you make the most of this valuable resource. All should be revisited at least annually to stay on top of partner challenges, preferences and opportunities. Among them:
- Which partners am I engaging (area of focus, geography, product/service knowledge, etc.)?
- How does my partner marketing strategy support the needs and aspirations of my partner community?
- How do I approach “market to” end customers vs. “market through” partners to end customers?
- How are partner program levels built (targets, incentives, rewards) to entice participation and growth?
- How will I address two of the biggest partner marketing challenges: education and execution?
- What should I provide to help my partner community achieve their business goals—and mine?
Partner marketing strategy and program design through a ‘5 Ps’ lens
In this blog, we’ll explore the questions above and partner marketing best practices through the lens of these five “Ps”:
- Purposeful
- Plausible
- Possible
- Pleasant
- Profitable
We’ll also keep in mind two partner marketing motions:
- To partner – Raising awareness of your brand with target partners; positioning your products and services with the partner community; educating partners about products, services and the partner program itself, etc.
- Through partner – Providing data, information, assets, co-branding opportunities and support to the partner for use in marketing to end customers
Let’s get started!
Make it purposeful
When it comes to partner marketing, you know what’s in it for you: more reach, more sales. But what’s in it for them? Your preferred partners have likely built businesses as purveyors of many companies’ line cards. Why should they sell your products and services instead of your competitors’ offerings? It’s said that salespeople are “coin operated,” meaning that they go all-in on what they’re incentivized to sell. While monetary rewards are a big part of any partner program, they’re not the only thing. Partner marketing best practices center on value, which comes in many forms. In addition to cold, hard cash, what else drives your partners? Access to experts and executives to bounce ideas off? Preferential support from technicians or opportunity-closing gurus? Market development? Environmental, social and governance (ESG) alignment? Find out, and act accordingly.
Partner marketing how-to #1: Make it purposeful
- Meaningful – Understand what makes your partners tick and build it into your partner program
- Ethical – Know where your partners stand in terms of ESG and wrap rewards around it
- Powerful – Some incentives resonate with partners more than others; double down on those
Essential “to-partner” angle
- Research – Keep a finger on the pulse of what resonates—meaningful, ethical, powerful—with thorough research and thoughtful feedback loops that inform your “to partner” marketing program to ensure it stays relevant and stands apart from your competitors’ partner programs.
“Market through” tip
- Presentation – Being purposeful extends to the way in which you want your partners to present your products/services to end customers. They, too, have expectations around ethical brands and meaningful offerings. Again, research is essential. You may not be able to make the stars fully align, but getting closer to brand/partner/customer alignment can generate more opportunities for all involved.
Make it plausible
Yes, you’d like to sell more widgets. Lots of them. To lots of people. And so off you go, setting targets, determining what triggers which partner rewards. You can set all the pie-in-the-sky targets for partners that you want to, but what’s realistic? Clarifying your goals, then determining what you’ll do yourself vs. what you’ll rely on partners for, is the foundation of a solid partner program. Know why you’re engaging them, and make sure you’re doing it in a way that makes sense to them. If you want them to sell Service A, do they have the knowledge to do so yet? Why, how and when do they advance to higher partner program levels?
Partner marketing how-to #2: Make it plausible
- Capable – Find out what partners know, then develop a solid plan to bridge any skill, information or knowledge gaps
- Mindful – Know what’s on their line card and how they’re incentivized to sell it, and structure your program accordingly
- Coordinated – Be clear about upsell and cross-sell opportunities, bundling, advantageous product pairings, etc.
Essential “to partner” angle
- Education/information – Ensure partners are well-versed in what you want them to sell. Don’t stop with features and benefits. Make sure they understand your offering within the larger context: market trends, competitors, integrations, innovations, etc. Confidence can move mountains—and products.
“Market through” tip
- Truth – Storytelling is great, right up until you believe what you’re told and find out things aren’t quite as they appear. Unless you’re going for an obvious, tongue-in-cheek stretch of the truth, plausibility is essential to building trust with end customers. Your partners don’t want to be explaining stretches of the imagination, and you don’t want them turning to a competitor. Be memorable but appropriate in your partner marketing assets. Be clear. It’s a lot easier in the end.
Make it possible
Change management comes with its own acronyms, but there’s no reason they can’t live outside of that box. Take the Prosci ADKAR® Model, for instance. ADKAR stands for awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement. Seen through a partner marketing lens, awareness is about, well, awareness. Do they know what you want them to do? Do they know why? Desire shows up in terms of market relevance and program incentives. Knowledge is about ensuring they have the information they need to be successful, and ability is about giving them the tools to do so. Reinforcement is the cure for a misguided “set it and forget it” mentality.
Partner marketing how-to #3: Make it possible
- Systematic – Be disciplined about asking what your partners need to make them more successful
- Open – Keep your ears open for innovative ways of selling your offerings through partners—and propagate them
- Supportive – Be generous with co-brandable assets, market development funds, joint campaigns and other time- and money-saving marketing support for your partners
Essential “to partner” angle
- Process – Your partners don’t want to be scrabbling for information—especially when they’re in front of a customer—and they don’t like surprises that upend their financial applecarts. Take a thoughtful approach to partner program updates and assets. Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine what it would take to make you a successful partner and proceed accordingly. Develop a servant attitude. Communicate clearly and often. Build a robust, partner-centric asset library. Your job is to make them successful (so you can be, too).
“Market through” tip
- Simple – With market-through relationships, end customers “belong” to your partners, not you. That said, it’s your brand. Make it easy for your partners to explain your product, articulate the challenges it solves and differentiate it from your competitors’ portfolio. Give them the tools and information they need to deal with roadblocks, objections and annoyances large and small. Create a “campaign-in-a-box” with everything they’ll need to execute a co-marketing opportunity successfully.
Make it pleasant
Partners have a choice. They also have a voice. Treating them with respect and professionalism goes a long way toward making you their preferred brand in a competitive market environment. Even if your product reaches Nvidia-level dominance, there will come a time when a partner contemplates making a decision that’s in their best interest—one that may or may not include you. If that partnership is of value, nurturing the relationship can tip the scales in your favor. Make your partners’ interactions with you a pleasure, not a slog. And listen intently. Partners have valuable information to share, from product and service expertise to market intelligence and insights from the field.
Partner marketing how-to #4: Make it pleasant
- Easy – User-friendly tools, programs and processes make it easier for partners to sell your products and services
- Standardized – Change for change’s sake is incredibly disruptive; standardize partner deliverables, assets, rewards, incentives, etc., to the degree that you can, and keep last-minute modifications to a minimum
- Proactive – Keep partners apprised of upcoming campaigns, launches, program changes, etc., and give them enough runway to prepare in advance
Essential “to-partner” angle
- Planful – Quarterly business reviews (QBRs) are the gold standard when it comes to syncing brand and partner objectives. QBRs are both sounding board and strategic planning session. They’re an opportunity to educate, assess performance and strengthen relationships. They get both parties on the same page regarding upcoming campaigns and program changes. And they open the door to invaluable customer feedback you may not get elsewhere.
“Market through” tip
- Trust – Extend the trust end customers place in your brand to that of your partners. Build online partner directories to make it easy for end customers to find the type of partner they’re looking for. Use certifications as a marketing tool, with logos partners can use to highlight their expertise in co-branded assets. Showcase achievement with partner awards, a natural PR opportunity.
Make it profitable
Profitable growth is at the core of your financial decisions. The same goes for your partners. A mutually beneficial program is the partnership’s sweet spot. It takes an incredible amount of work to define all the levers, levels, rewards, incentives and multipliers that define a partner program, but that attention to detail makes it easier to recruit and retain partners. Complement monetary recompense with the experiential enhancements aligned to what partners value to create a well-rounded program that comes at profitability from many angles.
Partner marketing how-to #5: Make it profitable
- Robust – Go beyond sales by helping partners save money, grow market share, build expertise, target customers, etc.
- Diverse – Partner expertise and goals differ, so build a framework that accommodates them and encourages growth
- Savvy – Marketing technology changes at the drop of a hat; broaden partner access to routes to market via your expertise
Essential “to-partner” angle
- Partnership – It may seem redundant to call out “partnership” in a blog that’s all about partnership, but it’s worth highlighting here. Why? Because reassuring your partners that you’re acting in their best interest—that you truly want to enhance their profitability—is crucial throughout the relationship. They understand that a balance must be struck between your financial goals and theirs, but when they sense disingenuousness or a recalibration of the playing field, they may go elsewhere.
“Market through” tip
- Model-centric – Partners may go to market in a variety of different ways as it relates to your offerings. Depending on the industry, product and service, there are resellers, managed service providers, distributors, integrators and combinations thereof… and the list goes on. Develop a keen understanding of what end customers expect from those they do business with directly to shape your partner tools, deliverables and support effectively.
Make the most of your partner ecosystem
Partner marketing is a great way to extend your reach and boost sales without having to stand up large-scale marketing operations in-house. With the right program, practices and processes in place, partner marketing is a win-win for your brand and those who sell your products and services to end customers. If you’re ready to implement a partner program, we’ll help you evaluate partner marketing pros and cons, and establish a program that’s meaningful and beneficial to your company and to those who support you in the market. If your program needs a refresh, we’ll dive deep into what’s working and what’s not to recalibrate for greater partner efficiency and efficacy. Elevation offers the partner marketing expertise and experience to deliver exceptional outcomes for all involved. Connect with us for a tailored, results-driven approach.