Almost all large IT companies use channel partners. Here are three best practices to help make your IT reseller incentive programme a success.
When it comes to tech companies, even the biggest players in the industry choose to use channel partners to generate revenue. This is because a channel partner will already have established a place for themselves in a particular area, meaning you can tap into that new market much more easily than through a direct sales team. However, there is a downside to using resellers - they're under no obligation to prioritise your product over another brand's, meaning it can be much harder to achieve cut through.
That's why it's so important to get your IT Channel Partner Incentive Programme right. Follow these IT reseller programme best practices to really help get that all-important cut through.
1) Offer rewards that really stand out
Most large tech companies will have some sort of reseller programme in place - meaning yours needs to stand a cut above the rest in order to get noticed. So how can you really get your channel partners interested in your rewards programme, when they will get offered so much from so many different brands?
The prizes you offer are always going to be what draws your resellers' attention the most. This means you need to offer rewards that go beyond simple gift cards or bottles of wine and really make your resellers feel appreciated. For example, with Power2Motivate's global rewards gallery, channel partners can choose from thousands of different prizes, all of which vary according to location and culture. Power2Motivate even offers experiential rewards such as travel for your elite partners.
2) Incentivise product training
One of the greatest mistakes you can make when creating a Channel Partner Incentive Programme is simply to reward high sales. While revenue generation is of course important, it's not the only behaviour that drives positive channel partnerships.
Many of the products IT vendors sell are extremely complicated, with very high-tech components. To be able to sell these products effectively, channel partners will need to understand them, which is why it's essential to incentivise product training and demos. When channel partners know they can receive points, they are much more likely to engage with learning materials, thus putting them in a better position to sell your products.
3) Target sales engineers and sales people
Due to the complex nature of many IT products, you'll need both normal sales people and sales engineers to sell your technology. These sales engineers will have much more technical knowledge, and to create an effective IT Channel Partner Programme you need to ensure you're targeting these sales engineers in addition to usual sales representatives.
You'll want to incentivise slightly different behaviours for sales engineers. For example, they already have a lot of technical knowledge, so they won't need to undergo any basic product training. Instead, you should offer prizes for taking part in the more high-level product demos that will really help them explain specific details in your technology.
Refresh your Channel Partner Incentive Programme with Power2Motivate
Just as your channel partners can ease the load of connecting your brand with new customers, Power2Motivate works with your business to find the the most effective programme for you.
Our easy-to-use cloud-based platform is packed with features essential to developing your channel partner relationship and is customisable to your business' needs - whether you want to focus on boosting brand awareness or reward positive behaviour change with reseller incentives, Power2Motivate will get you results.
For more information, contact a member of the team today.