We believe channel partner marketing is the unsung hero of the technology and services industry. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to create solutions that elevate channel marketing throughout the partner ecosystem.
Coterie methodology
Through our research with the University of Huddersfield we have created an award-winning methodology, ADAM (Analyse, Discover, Activate, Measure), which sits at the core of everything we do, from channel strategy to go-to-market plans to our partner prioritisation digital assessment tool. This ensures that you don’t waste time on ineffective strategies. We use insight to shape direction and plan, then data to track and analyse to drive results and impact.
RACE for partner marketing
We believe that there is a journey behind every stage in the partner ecosystem which is why we have jointly developed a unique channel version of the Smart Insights RACE model. RACE consists of four stages and is designed to help brands engage their customers throughout their lifecycle.
In summary, when you work with us, we will follow our proven methodology – ADAM – that drives results. During planning we will follow the RACE model ,which ensures that you use the right tactics, at the right time and in the right place to maximise the impact of your partner or end customers journey with you.
Partner marketing challenges & solutions
Through our experience in the partner marketing industry and from working with many of the leading IT companies, we understand the challenges that working with partners presents. Below are the common challenges that our customers tell us they face, and how we can help overcome them.
I don’t know which partners will drive the best return for my business
Our partner prioritisation digital assessment tool gathers data from your teams and scores your partners against research-based criteria to identify the partners where you should focus your efforts to drive the best return. Scored against strategic fit and engagement, our digital tool maps your partners and presents an action orientated plan which can be used by marketing and sales to drive maximum partner results.
Watch our tutorial video to find out more:
Click the buttons below to find out more about our partner prioritisation digital assessment services and to read a case study:
I need to drive the optimum return with my partners
90% of B2B buyers will search online before making a business decision, so if you and your partner don’t have a great digital footprint, then other marketing tactics just won’t drive the return.
We looked at 25 SI’s and found that some basic digital housekeeping rules just aren’t being managed, and joint message offers are not being presented on websites. This means that buyers won’t find you or understand what you jointly offer.
To help you improve your online presence, Coterie can do a very simple digital health check for you. Getting this right will mean that marketing development funds (MDF) drive the very best return possible.
Click the button below to read our digital health research report:
I want to ensure my channel sales and inside sales teams maximise their social channels
It is forecast that the traditional salesforce of field representatives is declining and inside sales hires are growing. In a digital first world, the same principle applies; people buy from people. Social adverts serve a purpose, but they won’t help sales build relationships and opportunity.
We believe in helping channel and indirect sales teams find a voice and an opinion, which presents them as an authoritative voice to then position a joint solution. We start by ensuring our clients social profile SSI scores are the best they can be and then we use our ADAM methodology to identify and create a personal value proposition which presents their style, and a calendar of great content. Training finishes the package off so that they can respond to social responses in an effective way, and then they are ready to fly solo.
Common challenges faced in driving partner ROI:
- I don’t know which partners will drive the best return for my business
- I need to drive the optimum return with my partners
- I want to ensure my channel sales and inside sales teams maximise their social channels
Click on the + sign above to find out about our solutions to these challenges.
I don’t have time to manage ad hoc partner activity. I need partners to integrate into my marketing strategy.
Many of our large service provider and system integrator clients manage 50+ vendor partners and resellers. All want to sell their solutions to the sales teams and then jointly on through to the end customer. But with limited bandwidth, it’s hard to connect partners to an overall marketing strategy.
We start by aligning your partners to your marketing strategy:
- What objectives and messages do they align to within your horizontal offers and your vertical market offers?
- What campaign could they align to?
- How could they amplify what you are already doing?
We can help you build a partner overlay to your marketing strategy and then create tactics that compliment, but are executed in a programmatic way. We can offer this at minimal, if not zero, cost to you!
Click the button below to read a case study:
Common challenges faced when aiming to improve partner integration into your marketing strategy:
- I don’t have time to manage ad hoc partner activity. I need partners to integrate into my marketing strategy
Click on the + sign above to find out about our solutions to these challenges.
I want to re-align my partner marketing to focus on my customers and not my solutions
In an increasingly digital world, over 60% of clients have made up their mind about the solutions that they will buy before they engage with an IT organisation. That means that they have done their research online, asked peers their advice in online community groups, and gathered the facts to make the best-informed decision. If you haven’t positioned messages from 0-60% that resonate in the right places, then you will have missed out.
Attracting customers to your offer involves really understanding their unique pains and then creating personas and a message that positions your solution (including your partners) in a way that will resonate with them, in places that they go, i.e. search engines, websites, communities, online magazines.
We have developed a methodology that involves working collaboratively with your teams to create a GTM blueprint which uses fact-based research to ensure you hook in opportunities early and then nurture them through the entire customer journey.
Click the buttons below to find out more about our joint value proposition development and go-to-market planning services:
I have many partners and campaigns to run. I want to ensure each of their offers are differentiated.
No one relationship is the same and it’s important that value is clearly understood by internal stakeholders so that they can sell the offer well. It’s also important that it’s clearly understood by customers so that they can differentiate between you and your competitors.
We have developed over 300 joint value propositions using our robust framework. We can focus on a vertical market, a solution or even a persona. This can be done in a virtual workshop environment or through interviews and desk research, and we always include a customer verification phase. The result is a succinct narrative which can be used as a baseline for all partner marketing deliverables – a must have investment. We can also present how to optimise it online.
Watch our tutorial video to find out about online value propositions:
I need to ensure that my customers are nurtured and engaged through their buying journey
We strongly believe that you can’t recommend a partner marketing plan without knowing what you are selling, who you are selling it to and where you are selling it. All of that should be highlighted by a good piece of discovery and a value proposition.
It’s equally important that you have the right message targeted at the right contact at the right time and through the right channel.
We’ve been working with Smart Insights to integrate those principles into our own ADAM methodology to develop a channel version of the infamous RACE model. What you will get is a well thought through GTM plan grounded in customer insight, and tactic recommendations designed to get the results you want in either the ‘market to’ phase or the ‘market with/through’ dependent on your objective.
Tactics which…
R – Reach out to your target audience
A – Attract your target audience
C – Convert your target audience
E – Engages them and keeps them loyal
Here are some examples of tactics we can deliver for you:
Common challenges faced when aligning partner offers with customer needs:
- I want to re-align my partner marketing to focus on my customers and not my solutions
- I have many partners and campaigns to run. I want to ensure each of their offers are differentiated
- I need to ensure that my customers are nurtured and engaged through their buying journey
Click on the + sign above to find out about our solutions to these challenges.
I want to deepen the relationship with my partner and widen my market opportunity
One of the key seven factors, which were identified in our research with the University of Huddersfield, for successful partner marketing and specifically partner account-based marketing, is stakeholder alignment and management. However, we believe that it isn’t a one-off process. It should be continual as stakeholders change and so too do organisational structures. We can help you identify your stakeholders and prioritise them by their influence within the organisation and their support of you. This will help you focus on the right person, at the right time, improving productivity and results.
My partners don’t seem to engage with my programme
We start with the target in mind (your partners) and understand their needs:
- Why would they want to partner with you?
- What could they sell?
- How could they sell it?
- Where would they sell it?
- When would they sell it?
We base our recommendations on fact, look at what you have, identify the gaps and then create a 30, 60, and 90-day action plan for you to deliver, or we can deliver it on your behalf to get your partners back on track.
Watch our webinar on the RACE for partner marketing model featuring Dave Chaffey from Smart Insights:
I have too many partners to manage and too little in house support resource
Typically, our clients, Channel Marketing Directors and Managers, are managing up to 50+ partners. We recognise that it’s hard to be strategic when you are juggling so many relationships, requests and demands. We offer partner marketing services to vendors who are looking to accelerate their success with partners, and to partners looking to manage vendors in a more programmatic way.
Our partner specialist team effectively become your team. Using our award-winning ADAM methodology, they are focused, will work to brief, to time, to budget (can be funded by partner MDF) and to metrics, utilising our own in-house partner measurement digital tool powered by Microsoft BI.
Click the link below to read a case study:
Common challenges faced when aiming to improve your partner experience:
- I want to deepen the relationship with my partner and widen my market opportunity
- My partners don’t seem to engage with my programme
- I have too many partners to manage and too little in house support resource
Click on the + sign above to find out about our solutions to these challenges.
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