Businesses turn to channel partners when they want to maximize their sales without going to the trouble of developing in-house sales. There can be various reasons why a company may choose the channel partner sales model, but the primary reason may be a general lack of experience in sales or in selling to a particular market segment. However, expecting channel partners to sell successfully without guidance or support is asking for failure. It is important to provide them with the resources they need to help them sell better. You can help your channel partners maximize sales by providing them with a repeatable marketing process.
Here are 5 ways you can help your channel partners sell more.
1) Help your channel partners sell your products
It is your product and you know it best. You are the only one who knows the factors making your product stand out from the rest. Remember: channel partners are not going to understand these features without your guidance, and they will not be making any effort to do this on their own. Instead, they will push products from other vendors that are easier for them to understand.
Solution:
Provide them with every single detail about the product from the day they sign up. Give them guidance that will support them throughout the process and they will sell more for you, faster. Remember, you may not be the only vendor they might be working for. There may be multiple vendors with various products to sell.
2) Guide them through all your marketing assets
You may have the best marketing assets, but will your channel partner know how and when to use them? If they don’t know how to use them, they will just go to waste.
Solution:
Create an Asset Repository that will have all your marketing assets in one place and also keep track of their effectiveness. This will help the channel partner to instantly find and customize the assets they want and will also let them know when and how to say something to their prospect.
3) Educate them on how to treat leads
Do not assume your channel partners know who your target prospects are or their concerns, objections, and needs. If they don’t understand a prospect’s pain points, they won’t be able to explain how your product or service solves them.
Solution:
Educate them about every hurdle they might encounter and how they can overcome them to finally get a sale. Provide them with a playbook that consists of a detailed map of every sales step needed to help channel partners to sell easily. Ensure that the details include everything from knowing how to deal with a prospect at any stage through converting each lead into a sale.
4) Nobody likes generic marketing assets
Avoid generic marketing assets. These will lead to channel partners re-working your materials to meet their own specific needs, and potentially damaging your branding in the process.
Solution:
Generic assets are not effective enough in a world where personalization is expected. If your assets cannot be customized, your channel partners will opt for selling the products from vendors that offer customized sales and marketing assets. Help your channel partners maximize sales by providing them with personalized marketing assets. Provide them with an asset management system that helps them find and customize assets that can be used at every stage of the sales process.
5) Follow the trend: Update your channel partners through mobile
Channel partners need materials that can be accessed from anywhere, i.e. right from the office to the road.
Solution:
Connect with your partners instantly by sending messages, videos and updates to their mobiles.
