Partner Enablement is On You
So you think you've gone through all the steps to establish a successful partnership?
- You have a common ICP. Check.
- There's a clear mutual value. Check.
- You've agreed to terms on a partner contract. Check.
But did you negotiate, at all, who, when, and on what, each company's customer-facing teams would be enabled?
A partner enablement plan is a critical component in the process of creating new partnerships and ensuring their long-term success.
A partner enablement plan outlines the steps and activities necessary to onboard, train, and support a new partner. This plan is essential in ensuring that both parties are aligned in their goals and expectations and that the new partner has the necessary tools, resources, and knowledge to promote and sell the company's products or services effectively.
Take extreme ownership over partner enablement
But who is responsible for the enablement?
Is it your partner that is responsible for providing you with the right content?
Having a plan, and an operational foundation about how YOU are going to enable YOUR people is a necessary component of establishing any partnership.
A partner enablement plan should establish clear lines of communication and expectations from the start. By having a defined process for onboarding and training new partners, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and that there are no misunderstandings or miscommunications.
This helps to build trust and confidence between the two parties, which is critical to the success of any partnership and helps to reduce time to value.
Give partners the resources to succeed
Another important benefit of a partner enablement plan is that it helps to ensure that new partners are equipped with the necessary knowledge and resources to be successful.
You are responsible for providing the right information to your partner so that they can execute the mutually established enablement plans. This includes providing training on product offerings, sales and marketing strategies, and customer support processes.
Streamline partner enablement: give the right information at the right time
Providing new partners with the right information and support helps to ensure that they can effectively promote and qualify co-sell opportunities, which in turn leads to increased revenue and growth for both parties.
This may be difficult to figure out for the first time if you're used to how partner enablement has always been done, and the finger-pointing responsibilities that usually ensue because of it.
Document everything.
Templatize as much as you can.
That way, YOU can streamline the process of creating new partnerships in the future. By having a defined process in place, you can ensure that new partners are onboarded and trained in a consistent and efficient manner.
This saves time and resources and helps to reduce the risk of errors or delays in the partnership process.
It's on you to help your partners succeed 💪
A partner enablement plan is a critical component in the process of creating new partnerships. But the onus of responsibility should always be looking inward first.
Define and communicate how you're going to make your partners famous inside your own company first, before you ask what your partner can do for you.
