9 must haves for an excellent partner portal
TRANSCRIPT
9 Must-Haves for an Excellent Partner Portal
Asset repositoryDeal registration
SimplicityMobile accessMDF Management
Access to training & certification programsAccess to tools that help them market betterAccess to a guided sales processMaking them feel like a part of your team
Selling through channelpartners is a great idea!
Of course it is! And you know it
too...which is exactly why you
chose this model to expand your
business.
But...now that you are working
with multiple channel partners,
you have also discovered that
this model brings a load of
challenges along with it.
Each channel partner isunique; so are theirrequirements.
So, how can you bring them all
on the same page as you?
Answer: A PARTNER PORTAL
A partner portal providesyour channel partners witheasy access to criticalelements that will help themclose deals faster.
Unlike your salespeople, your
channel partners don’t have hands
on access to your sales/marketing
training sessions or brand induction
workshops. They don’t have the
luxury of having a solid sales game
plan chalked out for them every
quarter. A partner portal
compensates these negatives by
providing your channel partners with
easy access to critical elements that
will help them close deals faster.
Your channel partnersdon't have hands-onaccess to yoursales/marketingtraining sessions orbrand inductionworkshops
They also don't havesales game planschalked out for themevery quarter.
A partner portal plays a keyrole in helping you maintainyour partner relationshipsbetter.
A partner portal plays a key
role in helping you maintain
your partner relationships
better. It can go a long way in
infusing transparency into
your relationship with your
channel partners and make it
easy for them to sell more for
you.
Invest in a partnerportal...train your channelpartners to use it and youare ready to go....Right?
Did you know that partner
portals often receive step
motherly treatment from
channel partners? Channel
partners often view partner
portals as a hassleas
something that gets in their
way of selling and no amount
of forcing or coaxing yields the
desired results.
NOTAS SIMPLE AS IT SEEMS
What if your channel partners gave you a list of thingsthey really wanted from your partner portal?
This whitepaper gives you just that...
Asset Repository
Your channel partners have multiplevendors and every one of thosevendors provides them with marketingand sales materials. How do you makeit easy for your channel partners tosearch, identify and use your salesand marketing materials? If you expectthem to pull it out from a shared driveor that email update you sent them, orexpect them to download it from thelink you provided them, thensorry...that’s not going to happen. Ifyou want your channel partners to useyour sales and marketing materials,you need to make it easy for them.That’s the first item to check off yourpartner portal requirement listeasyaccess to an asset repository whereyou can store all your sales andmarketing materials for your channelpartners.
Easy access to an assetrepository where you can storeall your sales and marketingmaterials for your channel
partners
Tip: Your partner portal’sasset repository should alsotrack asset usage andaccess details.
This is a great way to measure theengagement levels of channel partnerswith their leads, as well as a way tomeasure the actual usability of yoursales and marketing materials.
If your channel partners use yourmarketing and sales collateral moreoften, it means it really works for themand helps them connect better withtheir prospects.
On the other hand, an asset repositorythat is barely accessed hints atserious problems, such as poor assetquality or poor partnerengagement/interest levels.
Ensure your partner portal’s assetrepository tracks asset usage and access
details.
Deal registration
Today’s competitive businessenvironment is making profit marginsslimmer than ever. When multiplechannel partners are competing forbusiness, it is your duty to protecttheir interests. Channel conflicts canstrain your channel relationships andcost you valued channel partners. Oneway to avoid channel conflicts is bymaking sure your partner portal allowsdeal registrations. These allow you tocontrol the flow of leads to yourchannel partners. Since every leadhas to be approved by you, thechances of two channel partnerspursuing the same lead drops to zero.Once the lead has been approved byyou, one channel partner can followupwith the lead and the others will moveon to other business.
Added bonus for you: You can use theinformation from the deal registrationprocess as a metric to judge partner
performance as lead registrationnumbers are key indicators of channel
partner success.
Tip: Look for a partner portal that can alert your channelpartners when a lead is assigned to them or when their
lead registration request is approved. It will help them goafter the lead as soon as it falls in their funnel.
Simplicity
Your channel partners have alot going on. They have theirown business to run andmultiple vendor products andservices to promote.
If you really want them topromote you over othervendors, then you need tomake your products andservices the easiest to sell.
One way to do that is byoffering them easy access tostuff they really careabout. Make sure your partnerportal is easy to navigate anduse, and offers clean access tokey marketing and salescollateral and lead metrics.
Sales and marketing materials sothey can share your messaging withtheir leads
Channel sales playbooks so theyknow what to say, how to say itand when to say it to their leads
Lead activity metrics so yourchannel partners know which leadto go after immediately, etc.
Your partner portal should offerclean access to elements such as:
Mobile access
If you want your channel partners
to use your partner portal
regularly, you need to make sure it
is available at their fingertips,
whenever they need it.
That means making sure your
partner portal is accessible on
smart phone and other internet
enabled devices.
The more hasslefree your partner
portal, the greater the chances
your channel partners will actually
use it.
Give your channel partners on-demandaccess to your channel portal
MDF Management
Market development funds are a keyelement in the channel sales model.As a vendor selling through channelpartners, you want to ensure yourchannel partners have sufficient fundsto market your products and services.You also want to make sure yourchannel partners make optimum use ofthe marketing funds.
Having a platform that allows yourchannel partners to apply for MDFFunds, while allowing you to disbursethem on time and letting you see thedetails related to their utilization canwork wonders for your partnerrelationship management.
An MDF fund management mechanismis a musthave for your partner portal.
Added bonus for you: You can use theMDF usage information to see whether
your channel partners are actuallymaking good use of your funds and if it
is really yielding results.
Tip: Check if your partner portal can generate alerts foryour channel partner if the allotted MDF is about to expire.This will ensure timely and optimal utilization of your MDF.
Access to training &certification programs
A partner portal should offer your
channel partners easy access to any
training and certification programs that
you have.
Make sure your channel partners can
take certification exams and watch
training videos or attend training
webinars online via your partner
portal.
Added bonus for you: You can use the data from the training andcertification program section as a metric to judge partner engagement levels.Check which partners are actively relating with your brand and which onesjust don’t bother. Why invest your resources on partners who just don’t care
to learn more about you?
Tip: Check whether your partner portal can generate analert for you and your channel partner if their certification is
about to expire, or if a new certification requirement hasbeen introduced.
NewCertification
Alert!
Easy access to tools that turnthem into super sellers
Your channel partners are more likely to
use your new partner portal if it helps
them sell. Like we said before, unlike your
sales team, your channel partners don't
have the luxury of inhouse training
sessions and marketing teams.
Your channel partner portal should be
able to plug this gap by offering your
channel partners quick access tools that
help them sell.
Channel sales playbook is one such tool.
A channel sales playbook tells your channelpartners what to say, when to say it and howto say it to their prospects. It helps make your
sales process repeatable and is almost asthough you are present on every sales call that
your channel partners make.
Added Bonus: Apart from offering your channel partners aguided sales process, you get to replicate your proven salesprocess via the channel sales playbooks that you share with
them, thus boosting their sales success.
Lead Prospect Customer
Create a guided, repeatable salesprocess and repeat your salessuccess across multiple channel
partners
Easy access to tools that helpthem become a marketingrockstar
One way to increase the popularity
and adoption of your partner portal
is to include tools that make
marketing easy for channel
partners
Often times, channel partners rely
on the corporate marketing arm of
their vendors to market their
products and services. However, it
doesn't have the desired impact.
A partner portal that helps your
channel partners market your
products better will be an instant
hit with them.
Your channel partners will love you if yourpartner portal offers them ways to generate,
segment and nurture leads easily.
Make them feel like a partof your company
Help your channel partners feel
like they are a part of your team by
making them your brand partners.
Help them engage in local
marketing, building their local
brand presence as they push your
products.
Examples include cobranded
marketing & sales assets, joint
social media marketing campaigns,
localized marketing for product
promotion webinars, etc.
Personalized sales/marketing materials thatare co-branded to reflect your channel
partner's local brand are a great way to makethem feel like they are a part of your team.
Tip: A partner portal that offers content syndication is a greatway to help your channel partners engage in localized co-
branded marketing campaigns for your products and serviceswhile retaining control over your brand and messaging.
Create a guided, repeatable salesprocess and repeat your salessuccess across multiple channel
partners
Your partner program isequally important
While investing in a partner portal with
these features will go a long way in
helping your channel partners sell more, a
lot also depends on your partner program.
Your partner program has to offer solid
support that will help them sell your
offering. A channel sales model is not
about recruiting a channel partner and
having them read a few marketing/sales
docs and and then leaving them to fend
for themselves. A channel partner who
believes in your product/service offering is
your best advocate. You need to win their
trust in order for them to push your
offerings.
It is all about hand-holding your channelpartners throughout your entire sales process,
helping them understand yourproduct/service, your vision and messaging,so they feel like they are truly a part of your
sales network.
Who is Mindmatrix?Founded in 1998, Mindmatrix is the most comprehensive channel enablement
software in the marketplace that offers sales, marketing & operationalenablement of partners on one platform
Only Mindmatrix supports sales and marketing teams throughout the entirebuyer’s journey –Lead to Revenue using Asset Management, Sales Enablement,
Marketing Automation and Channel Enablement functionalities.
Channel salesenablement
Channel marketing enablement
Channel operations enablement
W W W . M I N D M A T R I X . N E T
2403 Sidney Street, Suite 150,
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Phone: 412.381.0230
Fax: 412.774.1992
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