Halloween is right around the corner and the best costumes always get the most candy; just like the best PRM can help you get the most revenue out of your partners. To ensure your pillowcase pipeline is full this year, here are 4 monster mistakes you’ll want to avoid after purchasing a Partner Relationship Management solution.
Every PRM Needs a Frankenstein
Behind every creation is a mad scientist. The most common mistake companies make when starting their partner program, is not designating someone to bring life to their vision. Like any successful plan, there has to be a leader to oversee the project and follow through with the implementation. Frankenstein’s monster was not created overnight, and your partner portal shouldn’t be either. Make sure that whoever is involved in the purchasing process, also puts the bolts in place.
Assemble the Ghostbusters
A partner program is best developed when there is a team of scientists who band together to accomplish their common goal. There are several moving parts to consider when putting together a partner portal so don’t try and tackle this monster alone. While the partner program should be led by one person, the other departments should be brought in to contribute as well. When discussing pipeline flow and deal management, you may want to involve your sales or operations specialist. When working on branding and content for your portal, get the marketing team involved.
There’s No Christmas in Halloweentown
Make sure your portal matches your brand. It should be an extension of your brand experience. When you purchase a third party PRM, make sure that there is flexibility with branding and design so that your portal can remain true to your brand. Work with your account manager to see what design elements are available and provide them with logos or colors that align to your website. Your partner should be able to log into their portal and recognize who is managing the program. Providing a cohesive look and feel makes it clear to partners who they are working, in addition to building your brand reputability.
Integrate, if You Dare
The best part of Halloween are the haunted houses, but if you don’t go early in the season, you might miss out on the thrills. The lines are long and crowded, but once you commit to the experience, it is worth the wait. When purchasing a PRM, the goal is to make the partner experience seamless and efficient to manage, by integrating with your CRM. Integration provides transparency and allows for easy coselling with partners. Whether your team or the partner owns the deal, the automated process to manage and receive updates from the other party is beneficial to all involved. There will be some implementation steps needed, but the biggest mistake you could make after purchasing a PRM, is postponing the integration.
Like any good Halloween movie, there has to be a cohesive story. Make sure that when you purchase a PRM, your team has the materials ready to easily set up the perfect partner journey. Your portal should be a reflection of your brand; full of content and resources that allow you to easily support your partners.
Find the best solution for you and your team by talking to an Allbound representative today.
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