MarketStar Blog

The Changing Landscape: The Age of the Partner

With the constant ongoing shifts in the B2B world, partner channels have become a lifeline for growth and sustainability. These strategic partnerships are often what hold the key to a business's success. Gone are the days when companies could rely solely on their internal resources and capabilities to thrive; we now live in an era where global disruptions and rapid technological advancements are constantly reshaping the way we do business. 

This has ushered in a new era of "The Age of the Partner", where the spotlight has shifted away from a vendor-centric approach to a partner-centric one. With technologies like AI taking off and customer expectations on the rise, it becomes imperative for businesses to collaborate closely with partners who bring specialized skills, expertise, and market access to the table. 

If Partner Channel is the name of the game, think of Channel Partner Management (CPM) as your trusty playbook, enabling you to build and nurture enduring relationships to drive mutual success. Whether you’re just starting a partner channel program or looking to optimize your existing one, this blog will provide valuable insights into how you can manage your partner channel successfully.

The B2B landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. Gone are the days of siloed decision-making and linear sales cycles. Today, complex buying journeys orchestrated by multi-stakeholder teams, coupled with pre-purchase research that often bypasses sales reps, necessitate a drastic shift in approach. Sales leaders and their teams must become adept navigators, attuned to the subtle currents of change that will reshape the 2024 sales landscape.

Introduction

New year, new demand gen tactics? In this dynamic world of business where evolution is constant, staying ahead means leveling up; and our blog is your one-way ticket to decoding demand gen growth. Businesses are prioritizing new and innovative ways of staying ahead of the game, from harnessing the power of intent data for precision-targeted outreach to exploring new and innovative methods of optimizing ROI measurement. As these dynamics continue to shift, we need to shift with them or risk getting left behind. 

Introduction

The past couple of years, there's been a remarkable shift in how companies perceive and prioritize their customers, evolving from a mere transactional relationship to a full-blown commitment to being “customer-obsessed”. And this is true across any landscape, customer success included. From being a mere support function to being recognized as a strategic pillar for business growth, this domain has undergone quite the transformation. Gone are the days when customer interactions were merely part of a routine; the current landscape champions the art of cultivating lasting relationships. 

Introduction

Picture this: the business world, a bustling marketplace where every player is on a quest for growth. In the midst of this hustle and bustle, the partner channel takes center stage, a network of collaborations and alliances that can make or break a company's trajectory.

A Forbes survey on corporate executives and video usage revealed that 75% of all executives claimed watching work-related videos on business websites at least once a week, and more than 50% claimed that YouTube was the most popular video search engine used to watch those videos. As the dependence on video content increases for corporate executives, it has become imperative for B2B marketers to apportion a sizeable budget to video marketing initiatives.  

We understand that jumping onto the video marketing bandwagon can be a daunting task, and we are here to ease the transition by providing some actionable tips on elements that make up a successful video marketing plan. If you have in fact already started your video marketing campaigns, this check-list will help you determine if any aspects are missing from your plan.  

Here are the most important aspects of a video marketing plan: 

Who wouldn’t want to be in the top three results of search engines and attract organic traffic in the form of qualified visitors to their website? But, unfortunately this is not always possible if you only rely on your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts only. To ensure that your website attracts a substantial amount of traffic at all times, it is important that along with SEO, you also devote resources to paid search ads.  

Event marketing is a tried and tested method for marketers to build brands, promote products, generate leads and enlighten customers. That said, successful event marketing is about maximizing event ROI. 

The old saying, “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door” was never more wrong than it is today. Gone are the days when you could build a great product and hope to have customers flock to you by sheer word of mouth. In this crowded marketplace, you need to find ways to put your product into the hands of users; the more the merrier. Channel partners could play a vital role here. 

The current B2B terrain is an ever-shifting labyrinth, and the onus is on us to adapt or get left behind. A strategy that has emerged as imperative to achieving this is the avenue of collaborative growth through partner channels. This approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also acts as a driving force for revenue growth, allowing us to generate increased returns.

Don’t just take our word for it.

Almost 60% of respondents in the "2023 Channel Partner Marketing Benchmark Survey" anticipated that partner-generated revenue would climb more than 10% this year, while just under a quarter predicted more than 20% gains. Partner channels can serve as gateways to new horizons, enabling businesses to tap into previously unexplored markets and access specialized resources.

This isn't just about broadening reach; it's about forging connections that redefine industry dynamics through mutual growth and innovation. As we navigate this blog, we delve deep into current trends, benefits, challenges, and the power of outsourcing within the realm of partner channels.

The Power of Collaboration: Advantages of Partner Channels

Crafting a partner channel program isn't merely a strategic maneuver; it's a pathway to accelerated growth. A McKinsey article forecasts that by 2025, numerous sectors will transform into expansive partner ecosystems, potentially fueling a $60 trillion economy. Beyond boosting sales and revenue, this approach expedites product time-to-market, harnessing established market channels and consumer demand.

This collaborative strategy widens reach and bolsters awareness, enabling businesses to penetrate new markets and tap into once-inaccessible customer segments. Notably, Zoom’s partner network drove 20% of its international business bookings. Moreover, partners' expertise enhances a company's capacity to navigate intricate terrain, leveraging their insights for more potent strategies.

Partner channels offer shared resources, granting access to tools, technologies, and capabilities otherwise challenging to attain. Leveraging a partner's established network provides a competitive edge, facilitating swift market entry and brand recognition. Ultimately, this translates into elevated customer satisfaction; as per the 2023 State of the Partner Ecosystem report, deals involving partners are 53% more likely to close.

Partner Channel Success: Emerging Trends and Insights

95% of Microsoft's commercial revenue comes through its partners. While partner channels present a potent avenue for growth, harnessing their full potential hinges on meticulous planning and execution. It's paramount to align with prevailing trends and strategies, enriching your comprehension and refining your strategic stance. Drawing from compelling data spotlighting the pivotal role of partnerships in achieving success, let's delve into current trends:

1. Elevate Enablement Programs: Bolstering partner capabilities through channel partner enablement programs takes center stage. This involves crafting a partner enablement strategy to provide partners with the tools, resources, and training necessary to effectively market, sell, and support products and services. By equipping them with vital skills, you empower them to thrive in today's competitive market.

2. Build Effective CPM Strategies: A growing trend is the use of robust Channel Partner Management (CPM) strategies. Clear communication, well-defined performance metrics, target setting, and partner contribution monitoring are essential for effective partner sales management. This streamlines partner performance tracking and supports partners in achieving their established goals.

3. Harness Channel Revenue Solutions: There is a growing recognition of the value of ROIs derived from partner channel revenue. Revenue enablement allows you to track partner-contributed sales, and related costs, margins, and metrics. You can glean profound insights into refining your channel revenue strategies, identifying high-performing partnerships, and optimizing resource allocation.

4. Cultivate Personalized Partnerships: Personalization extends beyond customer interactions; it's paramount in partner relationships too. Tailoring engagement models, integrating incentives, or fostering reward programs are avenues to explore. Recognizing partners' unique strengths and aligning with their objectives fosters profound engagement, robust connections, and mutual prosperity.

5. Expand Your Partner Ecosystem: At the forefront is the exponential expansion of partner ecosystems, transcending traditional boundaries. Enterprises are venturing into diverse partnerships, leveraging the cumulative expertise of networks for distinctive benefits. This strategic approach enables you to tap into new markets and opportunities efficiently and innovatively.

The Different Facets of Partner Channel: Navigating Challenges

While the allure of partner channels is undeniable, they come with their fair share of challenges. Statistics reveal that a staggering 60-65% of strategic partnerships falter, often due to issues as basic as miscommunication or misaligned objectives. Despite acknowledging the worth of partner channels, approximately 73% of marketers find their management a substantial challenge, primarily due to collaboration inefficiencies.

Protecting brand reputation is another pain point. Maintaining consistent messaging and quality among partners is crucial for how a brand is perceived and presented to the market. Ensuring accountability and engagement poses a hurdle, as keeping partners dedicated and actively involved in joint endeavors can be demanding. A previous Accenture study unveiled that 84% of channel leaders lack clear insight into their partners' opportunity pipelines.