In a recent webinar hosted by Channel Focus, four industry veterans—Richard Flynn (Spur Reply), Harbinder Khera (Mind Matrix), Matt Pijut (Inera), and Dave Taylor (Impartner)—shared actionable insights on crafting a partner enablement strategy that drives real results. Far from a high-level overview, this session dug into the nitty-gritty of what works, offering practical tips for businesses looking to empower their partner ecosystems. Here’s what we learned.
Understanding Your Partners: The Foundation of Enablement
Richard Flynn kicked things off by emphasizing that one-size-fits-all enablement is a recipe for failure. Partners come in all shapes and sizes—some need a quick onramp to start selling, while others require deeper certification to unlock their potential. “You need a balance,” Flynn said, “an onramp for newbies and a way to dive into technical depth for the committed.”
Dave Taylor built on this, noting the explosion of partner types in recent years. “Some just want to close a few deals and move on; others are ready to grow with you long-term,” he explained. The key? A capability assessment to understand their goals and tailor onboarding accordingly—whether it’s top-of-funnel marketing support or tools to transact fast.
Matt Pijut added a critical step: “Start with a capabilities assessment to avoid wasting energy on partners who won’t deliver big wins.” By aligning enablement with a partner’s go-to-market vision, you ensure efforts match outcomes.
Personalizing Enablement: Beyond Generic Content
Harbinder Khera highlighted a shift in the partner landscape: lines between referral, co-sell, and influencer roles are blurring. “Your enablement strategy must align with these evolving sales motions,” he urged. That means personalized content tied to outcome-based selling—not just generic training.
An audience question from Elizabeth drove this home: how do you convince leadership to tailor content when resources are tight? Khera’s answer: “Map your direct sales playbook to your partners, then show the ROI with data. Leaders love numbers.”
Who Owns Enablement? Specialists vs. Account Managers
Who delivers this tailored enablement? Flynn pointed out it depends on your audience—large GSIs might need integration with their internal processes, while SMBs thrive with AI-driven portals. Flexibility is key.
Taylor took a firm stance: “Put resources where the money is—80% of revenue often comes from indirect channels, yet direct gets the attention.” He advocates for a specialist team to create content, with channel account managers (CAMs/PAMs) executing it, mirroring customer success models. “Enablement’s an activity,” he said, “but the outcome is sales and satisfaction.”
Driving Engagement with Incentives
Matt Pijut stressed that incentives are a “huge part” of getting partners engaged—but not just at the end. “Offer marketing funds or resources upfront, with a catch: reinvest at least 50% into joint campaigns or case studies,” he advised. This keeps the partnership humming beyond a single deal.
Taylor introduced “micro-incentives”—small rewards for actions like booking a demo or registering a deal. “Big goals don’t motivate; break it into steps,” he said. Khera agreed, urging vendors to incentivize upfront training on solution selling, not just back-end sales.
Measuring Success: Data is King
How do you know it’s working? Flynn suggested four metrics: content usage, ease of access (think AI search), enablement’s impact on sales/customer satisfaction, and partner-driven customer satisfaction (often higher than internal sellers). “Show partners deliver better wins,” he said.
Khera doubled down on data: “Senior management wants numbers—revenue, engagement, attribution.” He described triangulating portal logins, external activity (e.g., LinkedIn posts), and sales data to spot trends and personalize further. “With AI, this is real-time now,” he noted.
Pijut tied measurement to the sales journey: track literature ingestion, customer meetings, deal registrations, and closes—each with incentives to keep partners moving.
Beyond Enablement: Securing the First Wins
Pijut cautioned that enablement alone isn’t enough—partners need support for their first two or three sales to prove value. “Show a good return, then diversify their role,” he said. This builds a partnership that lasts.
Taylor and Flynn both plugged Partner Relationship Management (PRM) systems as a game-changer—offering data, content portals, and orchestration at a low cost. But Khera warned: “Don’t buy a PRM without an engagement strategy, or it’s a waste.”
The Big Miss: Aligning with Leadership
What’s the one thing companies overlook? Taylor said it’s aligning with senior management on KPIs. “Sit down, agree on five or six metrics—sales, renewals, NPS—and prove the indirect model’s worth,” he advised. Khera echoed this, adding partner feedback as a continuous loop to refine the journey.
Flynn urged mapping the partner lifecycle, while Pijut called for investing in partners who’ll grow with you, not just chase transactions. “Get leadership commitment to the long game,” he said.
Takeaways for Your Enablement Strategy
- Know Your Partners: Assess capabilities and goals to personalize enablement.
- Engage Early: Use micro-incentives and front-end training to activate partners.
- Leverage Data: Track usage, impact, and satisfaction to justify investment.
- Secure Buy-In: Align KPIs with leadership to unlock resources.
Missed the webinar? Catch upcoming events like the Women’s Leadership Council virtual meeting (June 13) or the Channel Focus conference in Dana Point, CA (November 11-13), featuring the Women’s Leadership Awards. Register via QR code—details in the webinar replay!