Improving channel partner performance with a digital workforce management system
As a manufacturer or service provider, your channel partners play a critical role in the success of your business. They serve as your front-line sales force, promoting and selling your products or services to your target market.
To help them be more effective and ultimately drive more sales, it's important to invest in their training and development. One way to do this is by implementing a robust workforce development system. In this blog, we will delve into the various benefits of taking this approach and consider why it is a strategic imperative in today's highly competitive business environment.
Posted 27 April 2023
Improved Channel Partner Engagement and Loyalty
Investing in channel partner development can improve engagement and loyalty. Providing better training shows your investment in their success, helping to strengthen relationships and improving retention rates. They’ll feel more valued and invested in by your company, loyal to your brand, and more likely to continue to sell your products and recommend them to others, leading to long-term success for your business.
Better Brand Representation
Since your channel partners also represent your values, vision and reputation to your customers, it’s crucial to ensure they are well equipped with the right knowledge, skills and resources to present your brand in the best possible light. By investing in their training and accreditation, you can empower them to communicate your brand message more effectively, build stronger relationships with your customers, and ultimately, achieve your business goals.
For example, a company that sells high-tech products may require its channel partners to complete a certification programme to demonstrate their technical expertise, helping customers feel more confident that they’ll receive accurate information and reliable support.
Improved Compliance and Risk Management
By implementing a well-designed training programme for your channel partners, you can share up-to-date information on regulatory requirements, industry best practices, and ethical standards. This enables them to conduct business in a compliant and ethical manner, reducing the risk of non-compliance and associated penalties. For example, a pharmaceutical company that regularly trains its channel partners on industry regulations is much more likely to avoid legal action and reputational damage resulting from non-compliance.
Furthermore, having a workforce development system in place demonstrates to regulatory authorities and stakeholders that your business takes compliance and risk management seriously, leading to increased trust from customers and investors.
Enhanced Collaboration and Communication
Through a centralised platform for training and development, you can share valuable information and best practices with your partners, and work together on developing effective sales and marketing strategies.
For example, imagine you are a manufacturer of a new electronic product, and your channel partners include retailers, distributors, and service providers. Using your workforce development system, you can offer comprehensive partner training programmes covering the product's features, benefits, and usage. With this shared knowledge, targeted marketing campaigns can be developed, leading to increased sales. In addition, customer satisfaction levels could see a marked improvement, because of an improved ability to handle customer inquiries. This in turn means they can provide exceptional service, further strengthening your business relationships.
Increased Market Penetration
By investing in the development of your channel partners, you can increase market penetration for your products or services. Well-trained and accredited channel partners can reach new customers and markets, helping to expand your business and increase revenue.
For instance, imagine you are a software company that develops productivity tools. By investing in the training and accreditation of your channel partners, you can enable them to offer customised solutions to customers in your target industries. Well-trained partners can help you penetrate new markets and acquire new customers, while increasing revenue through the sale of your products or services. Moreover, with a knowledgeable partner network, you can build stronger relationships with customers by delivering personalised and value-added solutions to meet their specific needs.
Improved Customer Experience
Providing your channel partners with training and accreditation can help improve the customer experience. Channel partners who have a deep understanding of your products or services can provide better advice and recommendations to customers, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
For instance, imagine you are a manufacturer of home security systems, and your channel partners include contractors and security installers. By providing them with comprehensive training and accreditation programmes, you can equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to install and maintain your products correctly. This means that if customers have issues with their security system, your partners can quickly identify and fix the problem, providing a better overall experience for the customer. Additionally, with well-trained partners, you can offer value-added services, such as security consultations, to further enhance the customer experience.
Competitive Advantage
Implementing a workforce development system for your channel partners can give you a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
By providing a higher level of support and training than your competitors provide, you create a competitive advantage that can be difficult for others to replicate. This can help you attract and retain the best channel partners, as they will see the value in working with your company, and appreciate the investment you have made in their development.
Better ROI on Training Investment
A workforce development system helps achieve better ROI for training investments by providing targeted training to channel partners and monitoring their performance. By customizing training to meet the specific needs of each partner, you ensure they receive the right level of support and information to be successful. By tracking training and accreditation data, you can measure the effectiveness of your training programmes and identify areas for improvement. You can also use this data to identify top-performing channel partners and reward them accordingly.
With a flexible and customisable training programme, you can ensure that your training and development investments deliver maximum value to your business. As your channel partners become more knowledgeable and effective in selling and servicing your products, you can gain an edge in sales and market share.
