Strong partner relationships help you grow your revenue, cut down on what you spend to get new customers, and build the kind of market support that standard marketing just can’t give you.
When your partners feel that you appreciate them, they actually become a part of your brand family. A semiconductor company saw this happen when their loyal distributors put their products first during the chip shortage – this got them about 24% more sales than competitors who only had basic business relationships. If you want to build this kind of loyalty, you might need to create programs with rewards, easy-to-use resources, and standard support.
It all starts with what makes your partners’ businesses tick.
Highly-rated rewards can get your partners excited. But what changes the game is what drives your partners forward. Let’s find out what helps them succeed.
Know Partner Needs
What your partners need is the first step to earning their loyalty. You can’t fix problems you don’t know about. Businesses frequently guess what their partners want. But this usually doesn’t work out well in the long run.
Try some standard surveys to get direct information about what matters to your partners. Keep them focused on the feedback that you can actually use. Partners might get tired of filling out those long questionnaires that don’t seem to lead anywhere. They want to see that their input is making a real difference in how you work together.
One-on-one conversations tell you more than any formal feedback ever could. Your account managers should build real relationships with your partner contacts. These personal connections make it easier for your partners to share what they think. They’ll be more likely to tell somebody they trust about what’s bothering them.
When you look at the performance data, you’ll actually find areas where your partners could be having difficulty. You might see that some partners sell products well but stay away from others – this could point to gaps in training or problems with the products themselves. Data doesn’t tell you everything. But it can give you some starting points for deeper conversations.
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Changes in your industry affect your partners just as much as they affect you. When you stay up to date on the market patterns, you can understand the new challenges your partners may be facing. You might find out that some new laws are making their jobs harder. Or maybe they’re rushing to adapt their business to the technology.
When you customize your support for each partner, you show them that you’re paying attention. Some partners might need more technical training for their teams. Others might need marketing materials that speak to their customers. Support that treats everyone the same doesn’t make anyone happy.
Having open communication channels makes it much easier to find feedback. Partners shouldn’t have to wait for the yearly survey to speak up about their problems. They should know who to contact when the problems come up. Responding faster to their problems builds goodwill over time.
Rewards And Incentives
When you build a strong rewards program, it actually helps your partners feel more committed to working with you. When you show your partners that you appreciate their hard work, they tend to stick with your brand longer. You’ll probably see that they’ll put more energy into selling your products, too.
Not every rewards program gets the same results. The programs that work best usually have different levels for partners to reach. As they sell more of your products, they can move up to better tiers. Make sure that each new level comes with benefits that are worth the extra effort. You should give your best partners the top rewards that you can.
Money-related rewards always catch your partners’ attention. Cash rebates give them a direct gain when they sell your products. The discounts on future purchases can drive more sales, too. These financial benefits connect directly to what matters to any business – making more money. Your partners can see how selling your products helps their bottom line.
Don’t just focus on the money, though! Other types of rewards can build loyalty just as well. Letting your partners see new products before anyone else makes them feel special. The training helps them get better at selling what you offer. The programs that recognize top sellers can get everyone more excited about your partnership.
The most successful reward programs typically combine monetary and non-monetary incentives. Take Cisco’s partner program as a highly-rated example. They give you some financial benefits while also providing training and certificates. The partners generally gain respect in their field as they reach higher levels – this combination of rewards is actually liked by the partners in different ways.
Keep your rewards program easy to understand. Too complex rules can actually turn your partners away. Your partners should typically know what they need to do to earn the rewards. Make the path to benefits accessible for businesses of any size.
The relationships that you build matter just as much as the rewards. You might want to check in with your partners to learn what motivates them. Some of your partners might like rewards based on what their business needs.
Support Training
Your partners need to know about your products inside and out. They can’t sell what they don’t understand. That’s why standard product training should be at the top of your list.
When you train your partners, it actually helps them to succeed. When your partners feel positive about what they’re selling, they can sell more. They also stay with you longer because they feel capable and supported.
Certifications give your partners something to show off to their customers. They prove your partners know what they’re talking about. Buyers look for certified partners when they’re making decisions – it makes certification programs work well for everyone involved.
Your partners need materials that help them to tell your story. Give them templates, case studies, and ready-to-use content. These resources save them time and help them look professional to their customers.
Success stories improve partner confidence. Share examples of partners who have grown their businesses with your help. Real stories about real results will inspire others to follow the same path. They show what can happen when your partners use your training.
Your support shouldn’t stop after the first training session. Partners will have questions as they work with their customers. Make sure they can reach somebody when they need help. Fast answers to support questions build trust and loyalty.
Online learning places let your partners train whenever it works for them. Your partners are busy and might need flexible options. Self-paced courses let them learn on their own schedule – that’ll show you’re aware of their time constraints and business needs.
In-person workshops create stronger bonds between your team and your partners. They allow for learning and networking. These events make your partners feel like they belong to something bigger. The connections made often lead to long-term loyalty.
Keep your partners well-educated about new features and products. Markets change fast, and your partners need to keep up. Monthly newsletters or update webinars help them to stay current with what you offer.
Access The Information
When you make tasks easy for your partners, it’s actually one of the biggest loyalty boosters. Your partners manage tons of vendors every day. If you’re the one with tough processes, they’ll probably spend less time selling your products. It’s just human nature to take the path of least resistance.
A reliable partner portal makes all of the difference. Think about it – when your partners can find the price lists and product specs without calling you, everyone wins. They can get what they need faster and your team spends less time answering all of the basic questions – it’ll give you a better working relationship for everyone involved.
Your marketing materials should be ready to use without any serious changes. Your partners usually want social media posts, email templates, and sales presentations that they can use. When you give these resources, your partners can spend more time selling instead of creating materials from scratch. They’ll like the support and remember which vendors make their lives easier.
Real-time inventory and pricing data prevent those awkward conversations with customers. Nothing damages partner confidence more than quoting a price just to find out later it’s wrong. When your partners can check the latest stock levels before promising delivery dates, they can stay away from disappointing their customers – this builds trust between your partners and their clients.
Your training materials should be accessible whenever your partners need them. New staff members join partner organizations all of the time. If they can learn about your products through some on-demand videos or documentation, they’ll likely start selling sooner. Partners like vendors who help them get their teams up to speed without scheduling formal training sessions.
See how frustrated you feel when you can’t find information. Your partners feel that same frustration when they have to dig through emails or make calls to get the basic facts. Every time a partner has to work too hard to access information, they might question whether selling your products is worth the difficulty. Small irritations add up over time and can damage your loyalty.
Build A Partner Community
Building a strong partner community is actually one of the best ways to keep your B2B channel partners loyal. When partners feel connected to each other, they like to stay longer – this sense of belonging can sometimes mean more to them than the financial incentives you give them.
Partner events make a good starting point for building these connections. In-person meetups give your partners more opportunities to exchange ideas and build friendships. Virtual events work nicely, too, when traveling isn’t an option.
Online forums and conversation groups help keep the conversations flowing between events. Partners can ask questions, celebrate wins, and help each other work through challenges. Try to have somebody from your team active in these spaces. When you participate, it shows partners you’re listening to their feedback and legitimately care about their success.
Public recognition helps build community loyalty. When a partner does something noteworthy, share it with everyone. Feature their success stories in your newsletter or during your community calls – this kind of spotlight makes partners feel valued and gives others something to work toward.
The most successful B2B communities blend business benefits with personal connections. Partners should get the help that makes their jobs easier. They should also form friendships that make their work more fun – this combination keeps people involved over time.
Creating a community does take some effort. But the rewards are big. Partners who feel connected are less likely to leave when competitors come knocking. They’ll stay with you through hard times because they value the relationships they’ve developed. They’ll also give you more honest feedback about challenges and show more enthusiasm for new opportunities.
Your job is to start the community, not to control it. Set up the space and set the tone, then let your partners take ownership.
Review Program Impact
Ask your partners how they feel about working with you. You need to know what’s working and what’s not for them. Just send out some short surveys every three months to get all of their thoughts and suggestions.
One-on-one talks work even better for some real feedback! Partners frequently tell you facts in person that they wouldn’t write down. Try to meet with your important partners at least twice a year for a friendly talk. These personal conversations can actually build much stronger relationships.
The numbers can tell you quite a bit about how well your program is actually doing. Keep track of the sales growth from each partner and how long they stay with you. These metrics show you if your loyalty work is paying off.
Take a close look at what other businesses are giving, too. Your partners probably work with your competitors and will naturally compare the programs. When you learn about the other options out there, it helps you keep your program competitive.
Many businesses don’t update their programs based on what they learn from feedback. Loyalty programs should evolve over time. When partners see you making changes based on their suggestions, they feel like you actually listen to them.
Take IBM as an example – they revamped their partner program after feedback. They made facts much easier and focused on what partners wanted. Their partner satisfaction went up by almost 20 percent within a year.
Use all of the data to find patterns you might not see otherwise. Look at how your partners behave before and after you change something in your program – that’ll teach you which changes make the biggest difference.
Match the cost of each loyalty initiative against the extra business for you. Some expensive programs might not deliver enough value to continue running. Others might work well even though they don’t cost much money.
Level Up Your Incentives and Rewards
The process of building long-term partner relationships doesn’t happen overnight. But the work that you put in pays off. Take some time to know what your partners might need – set up some quality rewards that work for different people and give them some training and resources – you set yourself up for success down the road. Just remember to check in on how your program is doing from time to time – business changes fast, and your partner program should keep up with it.
Do you notice how the best business partnerships feel almost like friendships? I worked with a company that changed how they thought about their partner relationships. They actually stopped seeing their partners as just sales channels and started treating them like they were part of their own team. Within a year, their sales went up, and their partners became their biggest fans in the market. What kind of relationship do you want with your partners? Are you giving them what they might need to work well with your products or services?
At Level 6, we help take your business even further with different types of incentive programs. We can help improve your sales team’s performance and make your employees happier at work. Our options feature branded debit cards, employee rewards programs, and sales incentives that we shape to fit what your business needs. We create programs that get real results for you.
Get in touch with us for a free demo to see how we can help businesses improve their ROI and sales performance!
Claudine is the Chief Relationship Officer at Level 6. She holds a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology. Her experience includes working as a certified conflict mediator for the United States Postal Service, a human performance analyst for Accenture, an Academic Dean, and a College Director. She is currently an adjunct Professor of Psychology at Southern New Hampshire University. With over 20 years of experience, she joined Level 6 to guide clients seeking effective ways to change behavior and, ultimately, their bottom line.
