As vendors struggle to drive higher ROI on their channels, there’s one concept that’s emerging stronger than ever before–the ability of the vendor to bring sales and marketing enablement tools to the partner on a unified platform.
Partners have multiple vendors, with each of them offering them a multitude of sales and marketing tools, partner portals, training materials, etc. In order to drive partner engagement, vendors need to differentiate themselves. Offering a seamless combination of partner sales and marketing tools, partner portal and partner learning management systems is one way to do it. The elements of partner enablement cannot be in silos. Each of these key elements need to talk to each other. Left to themselves, partners are too busy to seek out these elements proactively and use them. Combining them comprehensively into a single platform also offers vendors various benefits, especially from the operational point of view.
Better partner adoption rates
From the vendor perspective, the one-platform concept sees better partner adoption rates, as it simplifies the learning, sales and marketing process for the partners. It saves them time, as they don’t have to log in and out of multiple platforms and everything they need is easily available to them at one place. All of this ensures that partners actually use the sales and marketing tools that vendors are investing in.
More efficient use of content
By using a single platform across the spectrum for marketing, sales and learning, vendors can make more efficient use of the content they create. This concept also applies in cases where the vendor has a multi-channel sales model which includes direct sales teams and indirect sales channels including partners and independent reps. A single platform ensures everyone is on the same page with respect to the sales and marketing messaging and all sales channels have access to the same learning materials. This resolves another challenge of the indirect sales model as it puts the channel partners on the same footing as the direct sales team.
Improved partner insight
Having a single platform for sales and marketing enablement, PRM and training and onboarding of partners provide vendors with end-to-end partner visibility. For example, they know when
- Partners access training materials
- Take online certifications
- Share sales presentations with their clients
- Send out an email campaign
- Apply for MDF, etc.,
This knowledge allows vendors to identify channel partners who are more engaged with their brand and invest more in them, and also take corrective measures to boost partner engagement index where it lacks.
One platform that integrates partner sales and marketing enablement tools into the partner environment can play a key role in improving the partner engagement index of the vendor’s channel network, helping them drive better ROI.
