Channel partner recruitment, onboarding and portal content strategy
Key Takeaway
Start partner recruitment by stating the goal of your partnerships and defining a partner profile aimed at that goal. On the portal, put the content basics in place before you integrate an online learning management system (LMS).
A channel partner program needs a plan to find the right partners, get them productive quickly, and give them the content they need. In Agentforce Manufacturing, the partner portal is an Experience Cloud site. On the site, manufacturers work with partners, distributors, and suppliers on things such as sales agreements, forecasts, and rebate programs. Your strategy decides what the portal offers. The site's access settings decide what each partner can see.
Recruiting channel partners
Start recruiting by stating the goal of your partnerships. Then build a partner profile aimed at that goal. The profile tells you which partners to go after, so you don't recruit just anyone. If you wait for partners to come to you, you end up working with just anyone.
Three partner types fit different goals.
| Partner type | What they do |
|---|---|
| Partners for Sales Reach | Expand your presence in a market or help you enter a new industry |
| Partners for Delivery and Implementation | Make up for limits in your technical staff |
| Partners for Solutions, Support, and Maintenance | Extend your product's functionality and provide support and ongoing maintenance |
Referrals bring in most new partners, but other recruiting practices also work. Whatever the channel, always explain to partners the benefit of working with you.
Priya runs the channel program for a company that makes industrial air compressors. The company wants to sell into the food and beverage industry, where it has no presence today. Priya writes down that goal first. Because the goal is to enter a new industry, she looks for Partners for Sales Reach. Her partner profile describes distributors that already sell equipment to food and beverage plants. She contacts distributors that match the profile and explains what they gain from carrying her compressors.