OKR's for Partner Programs Episode 4

Key Discussion Points:

• 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.