Don't Let Partners Suck at Marketing

By Diane Krakora, CEO 

Yes, I worded that right. I think vendors are responsible for helping partners succeed in marketing. Most partners have neither the time nor experience to be effective marketers. They need help. And frankly, better partner marketing is in everyone’s best interest. According to research shared at the recent Cisco Partner Summit, when partners bring in their own leads, they close 66 percent more deals and their deals are bigger – by as much as 300 percent.

The 1-million-dollar question is: How do you help partners to get better at marketing?

In our most recent webinar, “7 Ways to Grow Sales through Partner Marketing,” we tackle this very question. Lisa Penn, senior director Global Channel Marketing Strategic Initiatives at SAP, and Mike Moore, VP of Channel Strategy at Averetek were my guests, and both offered their unique perspectives on what makes an effective partner marketing program.

For the most part, vendors understand an effective program encompasses many elements. Marketing Funds, templated marketing materials, content syndication, nurturing programs and marketing concierge services all are now ubiquitous components of several vendor programs. But one major differentiator between programs is the level of hand-holding. Sometimes it’s hard to convince executives that partners can’t do it all themselves; better ROI will come with constant and consistent help.

Here are seven strategies to help achieve that balance and help partners succeed.

1. Teach how to do better marketing: Teaching is at the core of everything, Mike said. However, “It’s not just teaching partners how to do better marketing, it’s teaching partners how to teach. That’s what the modern buyer is looking for from content marketing. People aren’t always in shopping mode but everybody’s always in learning mode. If you (the vendor) are out there teaching partners how to teach and how to share the things that they learn with those customers, when those customers or prospects are ready to actually buy something, they’re going to come back to the people who actually taught them something.”

2. Communicate your marketing plans and expectations: “Driving an education and realistic understanding of what can be done and what’s realistic is critical,” Lisa said. SAP, she noted, developed a marketing plan outline for its internal sales and support groups that the company now is delivering to its partners. “We can say, ‘Yes, Mr. Partner, you need to create a marketing plan,’ but until they understand what that marketing plan is, what the intent is, how to develop it and why, it’s just going to be stuff that’s written on a piece of paper.”

3. Plan for partner marketing campaign alignment to your corporate themes: But don’t make too detailed, Mike said. “If it extends past one page, no one is going to read it. I like simple plans that drive some accountability around what the partner is going to do, how the brand is going to support it, and then doing a simple check-in. We know that all the time put into a detailed plan could be useful if there is a team to support it, but we also know that most of the time there isn’t.” 

4. Fund partner marketing efforts and activities: “The key is in making sure the funds are being used in the right way,” Lisa said. Mike noted any program that includes an educational aspect and real-world execution so partners see the benefit will help them be more self-sufficient in the future. Also, “Programs that make investments in the partner are key,” he said. “Brands that invest in their partners are the ones that are going to build loyalty with those partners.” 

5. Template the tools and materials to empower partners: “The thing about templates, there are some really simple layouts that are effective and drive conversions. And yet, a lot of content market budgets are wasted in design. You really need to focus on the message,” Mike said. “When you look at what converts, it’s really about the message.” 

6. Automate systems to design and execute effective partner marketing: With automation, partners see positive ROI, and that’s half the battle, Mike said. “Having automation gives you control and measurement of data to calculate ROI.” But, he added, another major element is determining what partners really want and how that varies around the world and by partner type. “There is some variety depending on where and what partner level they are,” he said.

7. Reward partners who execute marketing well: More money is one thing, but there are other, non-financial incentives vendors can use to reward partners who are killing it in their marketing efforts. Streamlining approvals and claim processes is one thing; rock stars shouldn’t be made to jump through the same hoops as everyone else when filing their claims or approvals. Or, vendors could preload the partners’ co-op funds before they’re earned. In other words, make it worth their while to be excellent at marketing.

Sometimes marketing is the thing that gets cut, or ignored, when more obvious programs need attention – like deal registration, training and enablement. But don’t underestimate or undervalue partner marketing. It will improve all aspects of your partner program, and your partners’ profitability, when done effectively. Make 2017 the year you tackle better marketing.

Diane Krakora is CEO of PartnerPath with two decades of experience defining the best practices and frameworks around how to develop and manage partnerships.