Successful collaborations are essential for driving innovation, expanding reach, and creating customer value. Building relationships with the right partners is just the beginning.
Equally important is effective partner conditioning—providing partners with the necessary training, resources, and alignment to drive growth, innovation, and customer value.
Think of it like constructing a house: you wouldn’t start building the walls without first ensuring the foundation is solid. Similarly, without proper conditioning, partnerships may not reach their full potential, leading to missed opportunities for growth and success.
As highlighted in our partner marking book “How to be a Boundary Spanner”, partner conditioning is a crucial aspect of this process. It’s all about preparing and aligning your partners to ensure they’re fully equipped to collaborate effectively.
So, what exactly is partner conditioning?
It’s all about preparing and aligning your partners to ensure they’re fully equipped to collaborate effectively. This involves a range of activities, from initial onboarding and training to ongoing support and engagement. The goal? Create a seamless and productive partnership that benefits everyone involved.
1. The importance of a strong value proposition
One of the first steps in partner conditioning is developing a compelling value proposition. This is essential for attracting and retaining partners. A strong value proposition clearly communicates the benefits of your partnership, highlighting how it will help partners achieve not just your joint customers priorities, but your partners’ goals as well. It should address the specific needs and pain points of the partner, making it clear why they should choose to collaborate with you.
2. Communicate and engage
Communication is the backbone of any successful partnership. Regular and transparent communication helps build trust and ensures that both parties are aligned – and stay that way. This means sharing important updates, providing feedback, and addressing any concerns as soon as they arise. Engaging partners through various channels –be it newsletters, webinars, and all important face-to-face meetings – helps keep them informed and motivated.
3. Providing the right tools and resources
Partners need the tools and resources to do their job. Ensuring they have them is critical aspect of partner conditioning. This includes providing access to marketing materials, training programs, and technical support. Offering these resources empowers your partners to effectively promote and sell your products or services in the best possible way and one that is aligned with your messaging. You can also create a dedicated partner portal to streamline access to these resources, making it even easier for partners to find the information they need.
4. Recognising success
Partners are people and need motivation. Which is where incentives
and recognition come into play. Offering performance-based incentives, such as
bonuses or discounts, can encourage partners to go that extra mile. Recognizing
and celebrating their achievements, whether through awards or public
acknowledgment, can also boost morale and strengthen connections.
5. Continuous improvement and feedback
Partner conditioning is not a one off. It needs to be an ongoing process that demands continuous improvement. Regularly seeking feedback from partners can provide valuable insights into what is working well and what needs improvement. This feedback can be used to refine your partner programs and ensure they remain effective and relevant.
It’s also critical to keep up-to-date with industry trends and best practices can help you adapt and evolve your own partner conditioning strategies. Partnerships evolve organically and need to be adapted accordingly.
6. Successful Partner Conditioning in Action
To illustrate the impact of effective partner conditioning,
let’s look at a case study from “How to be a Boundary Spanner”. A
leading technology company implemented a comprehensive partner conditioning
program that included a strong value proposition, regular communication, and
robust support resources. As a result, they saw a significant increase in partner
engagement and sales performance. This success story highlights the importance
of investing in partner conditioning to achieve long-term success.
What next?
Partner conditioning is a vital component of building and maintaining successful partnerships. By developing a strong value proposition, maintaining effective communication, providing the right tools and resources, offering incentives and recognition, and continuously seeking feedback, partner marketers can create a productive and mutually beneficial partnership.
The insights and strategies outlined in “How to be a Boundary Spanner” provide a valuable roadmap for businesses looking to enhance their partner relationships. By investing in partner conditioning, you can unlock the full potential of your partnerships and drive business growth.
If you’d like more practical guidance on partner marketing (or you’re stuck for a Christmas gift idea!), you can purchase our book on Amazon below.