How do you build your sales funnels through social selling?

Successful B2B businesses understand that buyers now lead the buying process, and sellers need to meet buyers where they are.


What resources are needed for the successful launch & ongoing support of my Partner Portal?

A successful Partner Portal launch requires more resources than expected. It will depend on help from many internal departments.


How do you get mindshare – and sales – when you’re not your channel partners’ top featured brand?

When you’re not one of the usual suspects, it can be hard to get the mindshare and sales you need. So how do you overcome this obstacle?


What is a channel marketing strategy?

Having a documented marketing strategy will help your team stay on the same page.


How do you quantify how well your partner program is serving your business and your partnerships?

You need to find a way to measure the experience and success of your partners as well as your internal stakeholders.


Why are QBRs so valuable for Partners, Channel Managers, and Senior Channel Leaders?

QBRs are the hub-of-the-wheel of any strong partnership. However, they are rarely done, executed poorly, and take lots of effort.


How can I make sure my partner enablement brings a strong ROI?

Investing in partner enablement is necessary in order to ensure your channel understands your solutions.


Three steps to driving partner adoption

Most partners will point you to activity metrics such as impressions, clicks, or number of leads to evaluate their performance.


How can I create a deeper engagement with my partners, and enable my partners to also engage with each other?

If you aren’t engaging regularly with your partners, it can be challenging to know what they are thinking.


What are the benefits of having a documented marketing strategy?

Having a documented marketing strategy will help your team stay on the same page.


Partner Engagement: Why conferences, trade shows, and conventions are key

Absolutely, conferences, trade shows, and conventions are great opportunities for partner engagement.


How do I know my partners are using their marketing funds to accelerate revenue growth?

Most partners will point you to activity metrics such as impressions, clicks, or number of leads to evaluate their performance.


How long does it take to recruit channel partners?

How long it takes to recruit a partner is dependent on a number of variables, such as how easy it is to deliver a vendors proposition.


Should I be giving my channel partners leads?

Giving leads to your channel partners might seem like the perfect solution to your through-partner marketing challenges.


What resources do your channel partners need to be successful?

Start by thinking about what empowers the success of your own direct sellers, then go from there for your partners.


What is “Partner ABM” and how do I know it’s right for us?

Account-based marketing (ABM) “focuses on a few large and important accounts that hold the greatest promise of adding to your bottom line”.


How do I get the best from my partner marketing?

First, never forget that your partners are businesses in their own right. They have their own brand guidelines, datasets, and strategy.


How do I evaluate a concierge service?

Hiring a concierge service is not a trivial decision. They will become plugged directly into your channel revenue.


How can I help channel partners grow my business?

Vendors can help their partners grow their business with ZiftONE in different ways. Here's a quick checklist to follow.


What should be in the concierge scope of work?

Like with all third-party services, defining a scope of work is critical for managing expectations and budgets.


How can a concierge team fit into my channel marketing strategy?

Besides a better go-to-market alignment with partners, there are many benefits to a concierge service like freeing up internal resources.


What is a partner marketing concierge?

A partner marketing concierge is a third-party agency – like Macro – that acts as a natural extension of your team.


Is it appropriate to “poach” my competitor’s partners?

Nobody has an exclusive partnership with channel partners. If they do, you're going to put more into recruiting than you need to.


Who should I be approaching first when attempting to recruit a new channel partner?

Oftentimes, successful salespeople will get an immediate ear when suggesting you.


What does a “good” channel partner candidate look like?

Remember you're looking for. Each channel partner has sales and technical resources, and each resource has customers.


How do I find good channel partners to recruit?

Look at the partner directories for other companies whose products work well with your own.


Is onboarding the channel partner’s responsibility? How do I get involved?

The channel partner will onboard them to their company.


Are there any onboarding best practices?

Onboarding is the most important thing we do with channel partners. If you get it right you've just grown your company.


Who within the channel partner organization should I be offering incentives to?

First the management. Ask them what they want you to do with the SPIF. Some may want you to pay it to them.


What is a “SPIF”?

A Sales Performance Incentive Fund (SPIF) rewards salespeople for selling your product. These are usually "bonuses" offered.


How else can I incentivize channel partners besides direct cash payments?

Cash is good short term. Support growing their services business has long term beneficial impact.


Do channel partners expect me to have an exclusive engagement with them within their markets?

Those that expect it are the ones you should not accept into your channel program because they can limit your business unfairly.


Should I be looking to conferences, trade shows, and conventions as opportunities for partner engagement?

Absolutely. Great relationships are built on shared experiences. Shows can be an opportunity to connect in-person.


How do you know when you’re engaging effectively with channel partners?

You know you're partners when you've become friends. You are on a first-name basis.


What is the relationship I should try to establish between my company and my channel partner’s company?

We call them "partners" for a reason. Partners share a tangible interest with us. We make money when they make money.


What resources are available to help me with channel enablement?

There are companies that offer channel enablement services.


How important is channel enablement?

You waste invested time and money when you don't enable partners. It's like expecting a battery operated toy to operate without batteries.


What’s the difference between enablement and training?

Enablement always includes encouragement. You want to build your partner's enthusiasm about selling your products.


Is channel enablement mainly a sales function?

It would be if all you wanted a channel partner to do was sell your products. Without marketing that would be, at best, difficult.


What is the definition of “channel enablement”?

Enablement programs go beyond training about those products and focus on what you want your partners to do; namely sell them.


How do marketers use partner relationship management to their advantage?

The most important first action any marketer takes is targeting. They want to direct messages to those who will take best advantage of them.


How do I get my partners to embrace digital?

As with most things, your best approach is education and enablement, with a careful focus on what they will get out of the learning.


How can I make it easier for our partners to work with us?

Be in constant contact with those partners who show promise. Be extremely available both over media and in person.


How can I tell if my partner is representing my brand in the best way possible?

The requirement to do so must be clearly spelled out in your partnership agreement.


When should you stop doing business with a channel partner?

It's more than likely they'll stop doing business with you long before you stop doing business with them.


How do I identify high-performing vs. high-potential channel partners?

Those who put your resources to great use are showing you their potential.


Should I invest my resources in already high-performing partners or high-potential partners?

Great performance is how your channel partners should be earning more attention and resources.


How many of my channel partners should I expect to use the platform?

Anyone who is not using the platform is simply not fulfilling the definition of a channel partner.


How do I convince my channel partners I won’t steal their leads?

A channel partner who refuses to share information with you has probably been poached by another vendor at some point.


Can I run my channel in Marketo?

Marketo is a marketing automation system, or a customer experience management solution as they refer to it.


How can I manage partner commissions and incentives?

Carefully. Many partner executives and owners will not appreciate you paying commissions and incentives directly to their salespeople.


When is it time to change my PRM?

As with many things, the time to make a change comes when you determine that you aren't getting what you need from your current platform.


When is Zift not right for me?

There are a few reasons why Zift may not be right for you, starting with the amount of money you're willing to spend.


ZiftONE

The Channel Management Platform bridging the gap between suppliers and partners.


At what point do I need a PRM?

No matter what size or shape of program you have, you will need a platform to manage your partners.


Build my own PRM system?

This approach can result in the exact system you want with practically no compromises for vendor limitations.


What is an all in one PRM solution?

A comprehensive all in one platform will generally cover the entire journey your program will take.


What is a pure play or best of breed PRM solution?

These solutions generally address your needs for launching a partner portal and many of administrative requirements.


What Are the Different Types of PRMs?

You may have heard of different systems. Ultimately, there is a wide range of product capabilities to consider.


What pricing considerations should I take into account when selecting a PRM?

Channel programs come in all sizes, so your approach to managing your partner community may be different from another supplier’s approach.


Can I build my own PRM system?

There is always a tendency to consider “build it yourself” or building a solution inside an existing enterprise CRM


How do I increase partner mindshare?

Demonstrating how your products can significantly increase the sale of partners' own services makes your product more attractive.


What is a partner engagement manager?

Partner engagement managers are the tactical connection between partners and enablement resources that help them gain expertise.


How can I engage larger channel partners?

Most partners are open to considering any vendor-partner who is willing to provide new servicing opportunities, training, and more.


Should I integrate other systems with my PRM?

Ultimately, every company should integrate as many of their systems as possible no matter what they are.


Can I integrate other systems with my PRM?

As long as your PRM offers available APIs, you can integrate with any system that surfaces similar APIs to enable connectivity.


Which organization should own partner portal and marketing tools?

Marketing, so long as your marketing organization clearly recognizes that Sales is their customer.


Why shouldn’t I consider a low cost provider?

"Free advice is usually worth the price." Remember that everything is always based on value.


Should I implement a PRM before I launch my new partner program?

It's always best to prepare the platform before you launch the program.


How long does it take to implement a PRM?

Time must be allocated for data normalization and transfer from a variety of sources. Users must be trained.


How do I integrate my channel with other systems?

Quality PRM systems offer application programming interfaces (API) which enable you to interface them with other systems.


How do I convince IT to help me deploy PRM?

PRM is a strategic platform and the decision to deploy is usually a C-level responsibility.


Should I use my CRM or SFDC to manage my partners?

It's possible to assemble workarounds to use CRM or SFDC as a base, but they will result in higher expense and lower effectiveness.


Are PRM systems secure?

Effective security is achieved through a chain of systems protecting a chain of events. The software application is only one.


How do I recruit channel partners?

One of the worst ways to recruit is open and promote the program to all comers. The best channel is hand-picked.


How long does it take to onboard partners?

You only get one chance to make a great first impression. Take the time necessary to properly and thoroughly onboard partners.


How do I onboard channel partners faster?

Onboarding is the first and most crucial investment you will make in each partner, so time should be taken to onboard thoroughly.


How can I use a PRM to manage channel conflict?

Channel conflict becomes your problem when two or more of your channel partners are turning to you for help in pursuing a sale.


What if my partners refuse to upload contacts?

Ask yourself why you want those contacts. Do you plan to call on them yourself?


How do I make my partner portal sticky?

The stickiest partner portals are designed with partner experience and partner engagement front of mind. They are built from the partner up.


What should I ask when choosing a PRM?

You want your PRM to enable you to keep track of partners' efforts to sell your products and services as unobtrusively as possible.


Should I be giving my channel partners leads?

Demand generation is a major cost for channel partners. Defraying some of that cost by providing valid leads is a great way to help.


How do I scale my partner program?

As with anything else there are two ways to scale; scale up or scale out.


How do I get started with the channel?

Develop a program that will help your new channel partners understand why they would want to partner with you.


How much does a PRM system really cost?

PRM pricing ranges widely with many charging between $5 to $50 or more per seat per month.


Do I need a PRM?

Look at it this way: How many partners will you have? How many salespeople will each partner have on average?


What can I expect from a channel partner?

Effective channel partners become a proactive part of a vendor's "family."


What is the difference between CRM and PRM?

CRM systems are designed to help manage every stage of the building and maintenance of relationships with customers.


How do I get my channel partners to use a PRM system?

Adoption is best promoted by showing users the value they'll receive.


How do I incentivize channel partners?

Helping partners promote and sell their own services around your products will be the best, most effective incentive.


How should I develop my channel partners?

There is no "cookie cutter" for channel partner development. Each channel partner is different, and strives to be so.


How should I train my channel partners?

Channel partners are best trained as members of your own company. They must learn the strategy behind your products and services.


There is a ton of investment in technology on the direct sales side. What technology do you need to manage your channel program?

You have an opportunity to leverage systems to consolidate partner data in your Partner Relationship Management (PRM) system.


Should I let my channel partner use my logo?

You should have your rules for use of logos and marks in your partner agreement and a publication readily available for them to consult.


How do I know my partners are using their MDF to drive more revenue?

Given that you expect ROI, you should be actively working with your partners to identify what they're doing with your investments.


Can I control how my channel partners use MDF?

Unconditionally yes. You're an investor giving them capital to effectively promote sales of your products and their services.


What types of content do I need for my channel?

The two categories of content needed are generally referred to as "to-channel" and "thru-channel."


Should I give my channel partners MDF?

Utilizing Market Development Funds – also known as MDF – is a great way to pay for activities related to your channel.


How do I get our marketing team to help with partner marketing?

Many channel partners don't have marketing staff and often turn to outside agencies who might oversell them to increase fees.


How is channel partner performance measured?

This depends on the management of a channel. Some vendors will measure channel partners just by sales volume.


How do I know if my channel is successful? Not successful?

The channel becomes an extension of a vendor's sales organization and, also an extension of their delivery and deployment operation.


What early signs indicate that my channel is performing well?

In the early going you want to see partners requesting assistance, MDF, scheduling training, and pursuing your CAM for meetings.


How long will it take to see ROI in my channel program?

If your program is well-developed to incentivize and motivate partners, you will find answers in your partner's pipeline.


What does “good” channel performance look like? Do you have benchmarks?

Benchmarks vary widely by many different vectors.


How do I measure return on my channel investment?

Begin with the investment in staff to manage channel partners, which can be attributed 100% to your cost of channel.


Do I have the right product or service to sell through channel partners?

If partners can produce a reasonable profit directly from sales of your offerings, that partnership is viable.


How should channel partners work with my company?

As one team. Properly managed, partners become an extension of your sales engine and should consider and conduct themselves as such.


What are the economics that make partnerships feasible?

Think of revenue as a pie. One big slice is the manufacturer's fully-burdened cost of manufacturing.


How can I get executives to prioritize and invest in the channel?

What will executives invest in? Things that produce a good return. You need to be able to demonstrate that to executives.


Which channel KPIs are the most important to report on and why?

The most important KPIs exist along your sales process. How many leads has demand generation produced?


Why do I need a channel program?

Your channel partner program provides certainty that partners know what they can expect from you.


How do channel partners impact my go to market strategy?

Heavily! You'd be wise to leverage the customer contact your best partners enjoy to inform everything you do: New product features.


Why use channel partners?

Every qualified partner has salespeople with access to existing accounts. Partners can provide immediate access to these accounts.


What does a channel sales manager do?

Channel sales managers supervise the activities of channel sales representatives, which can include assigning them to specific accounts.


What is the difference between channel sales and direct sales?

Channel sales are referred to as "indirect" because the people doing the selling aren't employed by the company that makes the products.


What are the different types of channel partners?

Channel partners vary in market segmentation by size, by vertical industry, by geography, by private, government, and more.


What is a sales channel strategy?

Channel executives are measured on the sales volume produced by all their partners.


What advice would you give a business considering launching a channel sales program for the first time?

Build a compelling business case for prospective partners showing how much additional revenue they can drive through your product.


How can I make my CAMs and/or PAMs more productive?

Their role is to increase their partner's productivity. Helping them do so begins with choosing partners with the potential and enthusiasm for selling your solutions.


What does a channel account manager do?

The best channel account managers work closely with each of their partners to help them manage the growth of their business.


How many partner accounts should a CAM manage?

The actual number depends upon the complexity of your products, the saturation of the available markets, and other factors.


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Zift Solutions Named a Top Channel Marketing Solutions Provider in 2022

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CRO Heather Tenuto Named to the Top 50 Women Leaders in SaaS of 2022 List

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Employee Spotlight: Laura Crawford

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Best Practices for Launching Your Partner Portal

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Zift Solutions Earns a 2022 Tech Cares Award From TrustRadius

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8 Key Elements of a Successful Partner Engagement Plan

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Which Came First? The Question or The Answer?

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Partner Experience with Glenn Robertson, Purechannels

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Expand your budget process this year to include projections of how much time your…


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The Importance of Success Planning in the Channel

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