OKR’s for Partner Programs Episode 4: Partner Management

Partner Management:

• Managing Relationships: Establishing a communication cadence, setting clear expectations around education and sales activities, including pipeline generation and ICP identification.

• Reporting: Defining key metrics and reporting frameworks for internal executives, general company KPIs, and partner-specific reporting, including:

Success percentage and successful deployments

Ticket/escalation percentage against client roster

Sales cycle metrics, close rates, and revenue generation

Partner Infrastructure:

• Partner Relationship Management (PRM) System: Choosing the right PRM (Notion, Allbound, Netsuite, Hubspot, etc.) based on the evolving needs of your partner ecosystem. Emphasis on starting simple and leveraging existing tools before investing in a full-fledged PRM.

• Portals: Creating dedicated portals for training, authorization, communication, escalations, and tracking.

• Diagraming and Communication Tools: Utilizing visual tools like Miro for program diagramming and clear communication. Leveraging diverse communication channels (email, chat, alerts) to effectively connect with partners.

Partner Operations:

• Onboarding: Streamlining partner onboarding processes.

• Post-Onboarding Operations: Establishing ongoing operational processes to support partners, which may vary depending on the program.

• Offboarding: Developing procedures for partner offboarding, including client transitions.

Authorization Program:

• Constraints that Lead to Success: Setting clear requirements and guidelines for partner authorization.

• Education and Enablement: Providing partners with the necessary training and resources.

• Authorization Test: Implementing a standardized test to assess partner competency.

• Rewards: Recognizing and rewarding authorized partners with program access, badges, webinars, and announcements.