Channel Focus 2025 recap: How to evolve your channel partner incentives

Channel partner networks continue to grow rapidly, so it’s important to keep up with the latest trends if you want to maximize your incentive results.  

That's why three of ITA Group’s channel experts—Ellen Linkenhoker, David Chodak and Riley Johnson—joined fellow channel leaders, innovators and program builders at Channel Focus 2025 to explore how AI, program agility and personalization are reshaping incentive strategies. Now, they’re sharing what they learned to help you reimagine partner engagement, enablement and motivation within your own partner networks. 

Here are the four key trends they observed, plus key takeaways so you can begin implementing changes today. 

Trend 1: AI is revolutionizing channel incentives  

AI is forcing business practices to rapidly evolve, and the channel space is no different. AI’s effects are already being felt up and down the channel.  

But in many ways, AI is still aspirational. More partner enablement is necessary to keep partners trained on best practices to stay competitive, and to keep up with how fast new products are coming to market. 

While AI is effectively automating processes and eliminating administrative burdens, it still requires a massive investment which can affect how it’s adopted. In many cases, its use necessitates a higher ROI and successful case studies to prove its value and get buy-in. 

Key takeaways 

• Use AI wisely, such as evaluating which partners you should prioritize when investing in incentive programs (because revenue and certifications alone aren’t enough). 
• Don’t underestimate the value of human touch when differentiating yourself from the competition. The positive effects of personalization and in-person events will be amplified as your competitors increasingly use AI. 
  

Related: Top channel trends: AI will improve program customization 

Trend 2: Reimagine incentive program design to navigate channel complexity  

 What worked for incentives three to five years ago won’t work today. More partner types have entered the market and speed to market has drastically increased.  

Today’s incentive strategies must account for:  

• Increasing complexity of multi-tier partner ecosystems  
• Tension between corporate vs. individual motivation  
• Necessity to reward long-term outcomes over short-term transactions  
  

Incentive programs must scale with these market changes, so they can’t stay transactional or portfolio based. Business outcomes matter more and give you the flexibility to adapt to the market, meeting challenges with more agility. 

Key takeaways 

• Organize sales teams by industry instead of region to provide the technical expertise and program architecture partners expect.   
• Evaluate your incentive program’s effectiveness on a frequent schedule and adjust as necessary. Remember, waiting 3–5 years to optimize is too long given how fast today’s market moves. 
  

Related: 5 ways to simplify complex incentive programs 

Trend 3: Smarter segmentation addresses the needs of diverse channel partners 

 Channel organizations must support many partner types, each with different levels of marketing and technical capability. The most successful programs tailor messaging resources, marketing support and incentive models to match where each partner is on their journey.  

To begin tailoring the experiences of diverse partners, you first need to understand each type and their needs. What motivates them? What de-motivates them? Use voice-of-the-partner surveys to find out. 

Leading incentive programs use data to identify high-potential partners (based on many metrics, not just revenue) and then focus on them. Investing in these partners, while still providing accessible pathways for emerging partners to grow, will increase market share, even in crowded industries.  

Key takeaways  

• Leverage AI to identify which partners to prioritize and what behaviors to reinforce.  
• Research, research, research! Use voice-of-the-partner surveys to find out what motivates (and de-motivates) partners, especially the top-potential partners.  
• Offer physical items, training, status upgrades and access to resources as rewards. Many partners in attendance reported they’re less motivated by cash-only incentives.  
• In the tech industry, incentivize and engage sales engineers for better overall program growth. 
  

Related: How to drive channel incentive program engagement through segmentation 

Trend 4: Platform dashboards prove impact and generate buy-in  

Channel program leaders are increasingly frustrated trying to get buy-in from C-suite leaders who are hesitant to approve big long-term investments. In many cases, this leads to inefficient back-and-forth attempts to prove ROI.  

The solution? Platform dashboards that give greater visibility into visibility into key metrics and progress toward key performance indicators (KPIs). This data not only shows success but also illuminates areas for potential improvements over time.

Key takeaways  

• Implement specific dashboards for suppliers and partners so everyone involved in the program understands how the program is generating results for them and their teams.  
• Create sets of dashboards segmented by audience (e.g., C-suite leaders, program designers, partners) so each group can easily access the important data related to their KPIs.  
  

Related: Request a demo of ITA Group’s channel platform  

Start evolving your channel incentive program today 

With the pace of change accelerating, incentive structures, dashboards and messaging need to evolve continuously to stay aligned with partners’ needs, emerging technologies and new routes to market.  

From redefining enablement to reimagining incentives, Channel Focus 2025 provided many insights into the future of channel success. And our experts are ready to help you navigate that change, so that your ever-evolving program gains you the increased market share and engaged partners you’re looking for.  

Ready to evolve your channel incentives? Let’s talk.