Effective channel partnerships have the potential to accelerate your company’s growth by providing access to new customers and scaling your sales operations. In fact, according to CSO Insights more than 60% of organizations that utilize channel programs have said that their partners deliver significant contributions to their annual revenues. But to achieve the desired performance levels, your company must build a structured channel partner onboarding program and provide the ongoing support these partner organizations need to be successful.
The Elements of a Successful Channel Partner Onboarding Program
The goal of your channel partnership is to get your partner’s representatives to drive sales by push your product above the other products they may carry. Developing a successful onboarding program is key to achieving this.
Some of the elements of your channel partner onboarding program can include:
Develop Individualized Joint Business Plans
Work with each of your partners to develop a business plan that includes such things as revenue targets, key prospects, resource requirements, and marketing initiatives. Revisit the plan on a regular basis and make revisions as necessary.
Offers Sales Leads to Help Jump Start and Drive the Partnership
Offer new partners a number of high-quality sales leads to get the partnership rolling. And reward your high-performing partners with an ongoing supply of leads to keep them interested and committed to your company.
Provide the Expertise and Resources Your Partners Need to Close Deals
Rather than expect your channel partners to become experts in your products and services, provide them with the assistance and resources they need to conduct effective sales meetings, get quick answers to technical questions, and configure and propose solutions that are tailored for the customer.
Prepare Your Channel Partners through Comprehensive Training
Providing your channel partners with a structured and comprehensive training program can be a critical element to their success. To be effective, your training program should include initial training to get them started, along with ongoing training to keep them apprised of product or marketplace changes and the latest sales techniques that have proven to be successful.
eLearning for Channel Partner Onboarding
In recent years, as SaaS technologies have continued to evolve, online learning or “eLearning” has emerged as a cornerstone in a company’s efforts to inboard new channel partners. Unlike traditional, classroom-based training, eLearning programs can be developed quickly and delivered to your partners in a timely and convenient manner. eLearning also eliminates many of the costs associated with classroom-based training, such as travel, venue fees, catering, and the printing of training materials.
LMS Portals for eLearning and Channel Partner Onboarding
LMS Portals offers a powerful platform for eLearning and channel partner training and onboarding. Using LMS Portals, our clients are able to launch their own corporate-branded portals to quickly and easily build and deliver valuable training content and courses. And the system includes robust supporting features for student management, messaging, knowledge management, analytics, and more.
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