4 Ways Vendors Can Boost Channel Partner Engagement

by Marketopia | Mar 28, 2017

As you move through Quarter 1 to Q2, you’re probably looking for ways you can improve your results and build off your current momentum. It’s the age-old question that often haunts even the most experienced team. But, with resilient persistence, and some helpful tips, the solution can become clear.

One of the biggest challenges facing vendors is fighting off backdoor competition. We’re talking about when a competitor sweeps in the backdoor and scoops up your clients. Not only does this hurt your business financially, but it means there’s a hole in your brand loyalty. Here are four things you can do to close the gap and retain partners.

Maintain consistent communication.

Being transparent and providing a channel for conversations is essential to building credibility and channel partner loyalty. By calling your partners on a monthly, even bi-weekly basis, you’re giving them a convenient way to discuss any issues they’ve been experiencing. You can never have too opportunities to demonstrate your expertise and provide peace of mind for your partners.

Be available when they need you most.

Along with boosting communication channels, it’s important to be available if your partners run into any problems. In the midst of disaster, every second counts. Providing a level head and reassurance—paired with your team quickly finding and fixing the problem—helps calm them down and de-escalate the situation.

Make channel partner engagement more personal.

From online video engagements to in-person consultations, the conversation is easier and more efficient when the partner can see you. Forbes found that more than half of a message interpretation is from facial expressions and body language. By conducting video engagements or in-person consultations, you’ll be able to pick up on their needs and maintain more effective conversations compared to email or phone calls.

Set clear expectations from the get-go.

Often times, relationships go south because both sides were never on the same page. Make sure you have a comprehensive onboarding process that makes it easy for partners to work with you and spells out all the ways you’re helping them in detail. Also, having assigned account managers to handhold new partners and ensure they ramp up quickly goes a long way to helping them see immediate value.

When it comes to channel partner engagement and loyalty, it’s important that your communication, support and added value are timely and effective. For a deeper dive into how Marketopia can help you improve your results, retain clients and more, check out our vendor-specific solutions. Have a particular issue around marketing or sales enablement? Contact Marketopia today.