Episode 11 - Automate Partner Management

Transcript

Sales partners expect more from their providers these days but as we all know there many complexities to building a successful channel strategy. Providers that are winning the channel game have adopted agile and innovative solutions to control their message, push their sales strategy, and provide the right tools, all while responding to constant change in their business and in the marketplace.

Convey is a big believer that every channel program should be automated, have a digital strategy and the right technology tools for their partners.  And we believe strongly that having a PRM or partner relationship management system is a must-have for all channel programs.  Unlike a CRM that is designed primarily for direct sales, a PRM brings a channel program the following benefits.

PRMs streamline partner onboarding. If you bring on new partners constantly, using a manual process to onboard them wastes lot of internal resources versus a PRM solution that is more efficient.
 
PRMs manage education and training.  A PRM provides programs the ability to execute a well-defined learning plan to make sure partners know which customers to pursue, the markets they exist in, the right sales process and good basic product knowledge.  PRMs keep this training online and constantly available.
 
PRMs offer communication & marketing support.  They have tools to manage documents, communications, and other marketing assets in one online location. This ensures that partners can find the right information at the right time, allowing them to sell more effectively.
 
PRMs help you get the ROI for marketing or sales expenses.  Incentives are an essential element to drive partner performance. PRMs enable you to gauge what motivates them so you can reallocate funds based on what’s working or not.
 
PRMs automate how you get the word out about new products. Having a well-designed PRM solution lets partners know what’s new and provides the ability to give real-time feedback on products. This ensures that launches can go off without a hitch.

And last but not least, PRMs increase partner satisfaction.  Partners do not have unlimited resources and time, so when you offer a more efficient and beneficial way to do business with you, partners will naturally look to you to provide them with solutions for their customer base vs. your competition.
 
In today’s microcast we are going to focus on the tools inside the Convey PRM system that automate your program, increase your team’s efficiency and make it easy for partners to do business with you. 

Let’s start with how Convey streamlines partner onboarding.  
 If you participate in Convey’s Channel Program, you may be maintaining a catalog that is viewed on our master agent portals.  But those master agents are not going to give you their partner list.  Getting partners to become members of your portal allows you to develop personal relationships with and engage directly with them.  

Convey’s PRM automates how partners become members in the first place by turning on an automated application process. Partners fill out the application, adding information that you find valuable.  The PRM can approve partners immediately providing login credentials or have an approval process for you to screen the application and approve or deny it.

If you add the partner to the member database directly, Convey delivers a welcome email automatically that you can customize message including a password set link.

Convey’s portals are designed to provide education and training.

It’s our philosophy that training and education can take many forms, all of which are supported by our portal technology.  Portals are divided into content catalogs, so you can choose to conso