Many vendors struggle with partner participation in co-marketing opportunities that vendors work so hard to prepare for their channels.  “We want to help them with their marketing but they just don’t have the resources” or “they only operate by word of mouth”.   

Not true.

The real reason that your partners don’t eagerly pick up your campaign offerings is that they are too product-centric.  Now understand, your partners like and depend on you so they don’t want to hurt your feelings because they know you love your products!    

Partners, by nature, are solution-centric so they blend together the right mix of products for a particular customer.  Their objectivity is king.  So, when they go to market with the ready to personalize postcard you gave for them for the Gadgetron 6000 they struggle with selling out their objectivity in front of their customer.

[Oftentimes, partners will take it if you’ve paid for the postcard so they can get their name out there].  

So, what can you do?

1. Let the partner message lead.  Remember that you are a LIKELY RECOMMENDATION that will be made from that partner but the partner is the foot in the door with the customer.  Trust that your partner will recommend what is right for your customer and  that the salient features of your product are clear enough to them.    Provide templates and high level messaging but leave most of the body copy to the partner.  You should reserve one sentence and 3 salient points about your product.
2. Remember to include a promotional offer with your materials.  It’s the easiest way for a partner to get in the door.  Whether you’re offering Free Financing or 20% rebates, that is the key information for the partner to convey to the customer.
3. Team up with another vendor to let your partners show the breadth of your product line [more on this in my next post].

Call us if you need help.