There’s a popular expression to “know your customer (KYC),” but in the ever-evolving world of business channels, it’s more important than ever to “know your partner.” If you want your channel partner program to grow, you need to invest in the partner experience.
But where should you invest your efforts so that partners reap the benefits?
How to Improve the Channel Partner Experience
If you’re responsible for channel partner engagement, check out these tips.
1. Use Trends to Navigate Channel Partner Ecosystems
Partner ecosystems are growing at a meteoric rate, with many new partner types added into the mix—including non-transacting partners. There’s more competition than ever for partner mindshare because each partner is working with many brands to meet their customers’ changing needs and expectations.
The various partner roles, especially non-transacting ones, are motivated differently, and programs need to account for that. Since channel resources are slim, leaders are looking for vendors who are nimble and can be an extension of the team, offering the support each partner type and role needs.
Getting the right info to the right partners at the right time is paramount to success. Personalizing the partner experience will help cut through the noise for busy partners and make you easier to work with. New channel technology, a trend in and of itself, can make the personalization process more efficient.
2. Invest in Channel Technology
Technology is a critical piece of the channel partner experience. Brands rely on partners to be extensions of their team for customers, and partners can’t do that without the support of a strong technological foundation. Channel technology can engage partners on a large scale, automate the partner experience and track progress toward goals.
Related: Learn how partner engagement hubs and partner portals can help you capture and maintain partner mindshare, track goal progress and more.
When deciding what technology to invest in, look at what will move the needle in improving the partner experience. Start by looking at the partner journey, end to end, then map desired outcomes to the tools that will get you there.
Set Up Channel Team & Partners for Success
In today’s channel ecosystem, partners need brands to be easy to do business with. The right technology to automate and improve efficiency provides an invaluable framework to meet key objectives and enhance the partner experience.