By Chris Smith, VP of Technology
In particular, think about how your partners use your PRM system:
A popular PRM feature is the ability to access the portal as another user. We call it the ‘impersonate’ feature. (We originally called it ‘masquerade’ – but we kept humming ‘Phantom of the Opera’ songs on team meetings.) This cool little feature allows an admin (probably you or one of your colleagues) to click a button on the profile of any user in the system and essentially “become” that user.
Everything you see is exactly what that user sees. This is a fantastic way to evaluate your partner’s experience, both the good and the bad. You can verify what they have access to see and download (and what they don’t) as well as troubleshoot problems they’re having so you can better understand where they’re having difficulty. Walking through the portal in their shoes is incredibly valuable to know you’ve set permissions correctly and created an experience they will enjoy.
At the start of this fresh new year, I’d like to challenge you to evaluate your PRM from your partner’s point of view. I don’t think you can improve anything until you’ve experienced it firsthand. Dig in and perform every task they perform in your portal. View every page, run every report, read every in-app message and email sent to your partners. Don’t ever forget that your PRM is for your PARTNERS first. It’s likely their first impression of your partner program and their primary interaction after joining your channel. Go experience your PRM firsthand from their perspective. I’m sure you’ll find some areas you can improve on in the new year!