An Advisory Council is a group of individuals consisting of stakeholders from selected partners, together with your partner management team, who meet to provide vital feedback on product evolution, program policies, market direction and engagement needs. A PAC acts as a linchpin in understanding key segments of your route-to-market and it also provides a customer view through an alternative lens. To understand how products, promotions and programs effect “the masses of partners,” PACs offer a great forum to gather a broad brushstroke of input.
A good understanding of business strategy and where partners play a critical role in the customer sales and services cycle is key in determining which partners (VARs, LARs, MSPs, SI, GSI, Distributors) and who from those partner companies should be represented on the council. Many companies make the fundamental mistake of including only their largest and top performing partners in their PAC: the PAC is not meant to be an affinity or recognition program. Participants should be chosen based on criteria determined from the company’s growth strategy.
“PartnerPath was vital to the development and execution of our Intel Premier Provider Board of Advisors. They provided an unbiased atmosphere where attendees could voice honest feedback and suggestions. – Melissa Seeba-Soler, WW Marketing Manager
Description & Cost of Services Options:
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Develop goals and strategies of Partner Advisory Council
Reasons to develop a Partner Advisory Council
Align the internal expectations
Define Partner Advisory Council program, for example:
1-2-day face-to-face council meeting
Two-hour web meeting quarterly, for the next three quarters
Regional or global PAC meetings
Timing and method for ongoing communications
Recommend council structure and governance
How many partners
The types of partners
Level of individual that participates
Length of service for each company and individual on the council
Roles and expectations of the council members
Benefits to the council members for participation
Roles and attendance of the internal team
Recommend measurements of success and key dependencies
Cost: $26,500 – Lead Time: 3 months before event
Create agenda – meeting topics and timing
Gather input from three key internal stakeholders
Interview three partner attendees for additional insights
Conduct survey with all partner attendees for agenda priorities
Prepare partner attendees to set expectations
Develop communications on meeting agenda
Prepare attendees for any pre-work assignments
Prepare internal attendees
Hold two web-based sessions to prepare the internal attendees on the PAC goals and rules
Develop the partner dossier
Assign pre-work to attendees
Manage time and agenda during the meeting
Ensure presenters begin and end on time
Manage discussion, cross-talk and issues
Ensure breaks begin and end on time
Lead partner feedback and discussion sessions
Approximately two one-hour sessions
Discuss and debate issues
Brainstorm potential solutions
Prioritize potential solutions
Prepare feedback for the internal teams
Produce notes from entire Partner Advisory Council session
Topics discussed
Actions and commitments
Parked item / those not addressed
Specific names of partners discussing each issue is withheld (kept confidential)
Executive summary of partner feedback sessions
Priorities within each feedback session
Cost: $24,800; Does not include travel costs
Lead Time: 4 weeks before the event
Develop action plan
Activities and timeline
Resources and budgets
Key dependencies and roadblocks
Present plan to executive team
Acquire approval and buy-in
Schedule event participation in executive sponsor calendars
Develop participant invitations
Create messaging for internal sales and partner teams
Prepare online capabilities for event information and registration
Communicate via email to partners and account teams (several rounds)
Manage registration processes
Work with partner account teams to finalize invitation list
Manage registration deadlines, reminders and confirmations
Notify sales teams and partner account managers of registered partners
Address all partner and field inquires
Finalize event schedule
Finalize general session, break-out sessions and social activities
Develop schedule of events
Develop contact list – attendees and internal representatives
Manage content
Work with marketing to build presentation templates
Manage review of presentations through designated design contact
Design and prepare meeting binders
Manage internal teams
Meet with teams to plan session and assign roles
Prepare each individual to fulfill their role
Prepare executive sponsors
Send final reminders of role and timing
Coordinate attendee logistics
Develop event confirmation and reminders
Communicate schedule of events, meeting agendas and key questions
Notify of hotel confirmation information and directions
Update event website
Event logistics
Develop and manage hotel rooming list
Manage meeting room set up
Arrange transportation between airport and hotel
Schedule and manage food: welcome reception, breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.
Plan and coordinate reception, dinner and any activities
Event management
Manage day-of-event logistics
Manage last-minute changes, cancellations and substitutions
Address any concerns or issues within day-of event
Follow-up
Build online evaluation pages and short-cut for participants
Create feedback evaluation for participants
Publish presentations and materials for download
Send thank you notes and next step reminders
Transcribe session discussion notes
Provide executive management summary of session input
Measure and report on success of event
Cost: $64,200 – Lead Time: 6 months before event
Determine effort and impact for the top eight prioritized issues identified in the PAC
Identify the expected future state of the issues
Plot effort high to low
Plot impact high to low
Discuss the trade-offs with internal channels teams
Develop consensus on one or two initiatives to tackle
Create activity schedule (RACI) for the key initiatives
Activities and timeline
Resources and dependencies
Develop and manage ‘tiger team’ to complete initiatives
Regular team meetings
Commitments, roadblocks and decisions made
Manage communications and progress reports
Cost: $46,700 – Completion Time: 12 weeks
“Having a third-party moderator really allows for us to openly express our thoughts!” – Mark Melvin, CTO, ePlus (VMware PAC member)
Why Outsource to PartnerPath?
As an outsourced organization, we are free of internal agendas and bureaucracies, releasing us to recommend the best course of action.
Our 25+ years of channel consulting experience ables us to make recommendations about how to effectively plan, build and manage channel ecosystems.
We are dedicated to reaching deep into channel issues and industry best practices. It's our job to sift through the ever-changing and ever-growing number of partner models and make practical recommendations.
As meeting facilitators, we will:
Drive participation through the creation of a meaningful agenda
Entice unfettered feedback in an environment where attendees can provide honest advice without any concern of retribution
Encourage partner collaboration for better prioritization where partners collectively agree on needs
Provide unbiased direction by removing personal or group biases or agendas from council proceedings
Bypass bureaucracies – as an outsourced organization we are free to execute quickly
The result is enhanced partner relationships, improved programs, sound policies and increased sales.
“The information PartnerPath provided was valuable and helpful throughout the entire process. The feedback collected from our partners and shared prior was extremely helpful and strategic and the wrap-up/post data is critical to us as we drive initiatives forward. It will be (and has already been) used over and over in conversations with leadership and partners!” – Rafael Contreras, Area Vice President, Global Operations, Strategy and Chief of Staff at ServiceNow
“Having a third-party moderator really allows for us to openly express our thoughts!”
“The information PartnerPath provided was valuable and helpful throughout the entire process. The feedback collected from our partners and shared prior was extremely helpful and strategic and the wrap-up/post data is critical to us as we drive initiatives forward. It will be (and has already been) used over and over in conversations with leadership and partners!”
