Channel Journeys Podcast

Tim Mackie: How to Build an Ecosystem Partner Program

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Description

For SaaS vendors building a stream of annual recurring revenue (ARR) with low churn, partner experience and partner success are increasingly more important than partner transactions. And a diverse, modern partner ecosystem is more important than just attracting resellers with shiny tiers of higher discounts.  My guest today is Tim Mackie, VP of Worldwide Channels at Armis, a unified asset management, discovery and security company. Tim shares how their new APEX Partner Experience Program attracts, motivates and supports a modern partner ecosystem.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Tim set out to build a world class partner program that encompassed all of the different types of partners, and all the disparate ways they go to market, and tie them all together. Here are 5 things you need to do:

  1. Build a program aligned to the sales motions, how partners are going to market. For Armis, there are four partner motions:
    • Sell – for partners that want to resell 
    • Manage – for partners that want to provide managed services
    • Service – for partners that want to do service delivery
    • Build – for partners who want to integrate your technology with theirs
  2. Rather than defining partners by partner type, allow and enable partners to go to market however they want, in one motion or a combination of motions. 
  3. If you want to reward more productive partners, you can still implement tiers. But the metrics for the tiers should align with and vary by sales motion. For example, sales tiers can be based on revenue or on an early indicator like deal registrations. Services tiers can be based on certifications and successful projects. 
  4. Have one main partner contract with all the terms and conditions, then add addendums for each motion the partner wants to use in their go-to-market strategy.
     
  5. Support your partners with a incremental training programs for sales and services. Don’t expect them to spend the time to be experts out of the gate. Let partners start at 101 level, then advance to 201 and 301. 

LINKS & RESOURCES


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