Channel Partner Strategies for ERP Vendors

**Maximizing B2B Marketing Success: The Power of Including Channel Partners in Your Strategy** In today’s competitive B2B landscape, a robust marketing strategy is essential. However, one critical element often overlooked is the inclusion of channel partners. Integrating these partners into your marketing plan can significantly amplify your reach, enhance brand credibility, and drive sales growth. Here’s why and how you should include channel partners in your B2B marketing strategy: **1. Amplified Reach and Visibility** Channel partners have established networks and customer bases that you can leverage. By collaborating with them, you can extend your brand’s reach far beyond your direct efforts. Co-branded marketing initiatives, joint webinars, and shared content can introduce your products or services to new, highly relevant audiences. **2. Enhanced Credibility and Trust** Trust is a cornerstone of B2B relationships. Channel partners often have long-standing relationships with their clients, who trust their recommendations. **3. Optimized Resource Utilization** Channel partners can provide additional resources for your marketing efforts. They can contribute to content creation, share insights on customer preferences, and participate in events or campaigns. This not only saves time and costs but also enriches your marketing initiatives with diverse perspectives and expertise. **4. Improved Customer Engagement** Channel partners often have deep insights into their customers’ needs and pain points. Collaborating with them allows you to tailor your marketing messages more effectively, ensuring they resonate with the target audience. **5. Increased Sales and Revenue** Ultimately, the goal of any marketing strategy is to drive sales and revenue. Channel partners can play a pivotal role in this by actively promoting your products or services. Their involvement can accelerate the sales cycle and open up new opportunities, leading to increased revenue growth. **How to Effectively Include Channel Partners in Your Marketing Strategy:** - **Develop a Collaborative Plan:** Work closely with your channel partners to create a joint marketing plan. Align your goals, define roles, and set clear expectations to ensure everyone is on the same page. - **Leverage Joint Marketing Initiatives:** Engage in co-marketing activities such as webinars, whitepapers, and case studies. These initiatives can showcase the combined expertise of both parties and provide valuable content to your audience. - **Provide Marketing Support:** Equip your channel partners with the necessary tools and resources. Offer training, marketing collateral, and access to your marketing platforms to enable them to effectively promote your products. - **Measure and Optimize:** Track the performance of your joint marketing efforts. Analyze the results, gather feedback, and make data-driven adjustments to continuously improve the effectiveness of your strategy.

There are two ways to run a channel program, but only one of them has a future. Most vendors, especially large brands with market leverage, fall into the trap of Approach 1: The Extractor. Their mindset is: "What can this partner do for ME?" You know this program when you see it. It feels like a one-way street. They believe the partner needs them more than they need the partner. They dictate terms, demand complex forecasts, and treat partners like coin-operated sales reps. It’s transactional, it’s arrogant, and it’s counter-productive. Then there is Approach 2: The Enabler. These vendors flip the script. Their starting point is: "What can WE do for our partners?" They understand that the partner has their own business model, their own P&L, and their own goals. Instead of forcing the partner to adapt to them, they align their solution to fit the partner's existing motion. To win in 2026, you must aggressively shift from Extractor to Enabler. Here is how you do it: 👉 Understand their Business Model: Don't just train them on your product features. Learn how they make money. Service revenue? Managed services? Hardware pull-through? If you don't know, you can't help. 👉 Align, Don't Disrupt: If your sales process conflicts with how they sell to their customers, you are just adding friction. Adapt your operational requirements to smooth out their road. 👉 Enablement over Demands: Stop nagging for pipeline updates if you aren't providing the resources—marketing funds, pre-sales engineering, and leads—to help build it. 👉 Define Shared Success: Move beyond "meeting quota." Build a joint business plan where your technology is the lever that helps them achieve their company goals. When you help your partner be more successful, your revenue becomes a byproduct of their growth. Stop extracting value. Start adding it. #ChannelStrategy #Partnerships #B2B #GrowthMindset #PartnerSuccess

Building in India: Lessons from the Frontlines Chapter 2: Why Ecosystems Win Enterprise Deals in India When my manager at IBM asked me to take on the Media & Entertainment business, it felt like an almost unfathomable task. I was moving from one of IBM’s strongest verticals-Telecom-to building a segment that was virtually non-existent at the time. Looking back, one of the most powerful levers that helped us enter and scale in that space was not just product or sales. It was the partner ecosystem. India is a diverse market-every geography comes with its own culture, language, and business nuances. Building deep relationships with enterprise customers across the country is not something you can do alone. You need an ecosystem. And not just any ecosystem....a well-structured, well-managed one. Here’s how I’ve always thought about it: 1. ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) Relevant in specific contexts, they bring complementary capabilities and help strengthen the overall solution value for customers. 2. GSIs (Global System Integrators) Perhaps the most powerful players. They have long-term contracts, deep relationships, and often manage legacy infrastructure for large enterprises. Winning them often means unlocking the customer. 3. Resellers / Value-Added Resellers (VARs) The most widespread and often underestimated. They operate on thin margins, are closest to the customer, and bring agility, pricing flexibility, and local service capabilities. In many ways, your strongest execution partners. 4. Distributors and the long tail Critical for scale, reach, and market penetration—especially in a country like India. Over the years, one learning has stayed constant: You need a strong, dedicated team to build and manage this ecosystem. Because these partners are not just enablers— they are central to how your business grows, survives, and scales. One more critical lesson: Alignment matters. If your channel team KPIs are not aligned with your sales team, it inevitably creates conflict. And that conflict doesn’t just slow things down— it can derail deals and push them straight into the hands of competition. In India, you don’t win enterprise deals alone. You win them through the strength of your ecosystem. Always happy to exchange perspectives or learn from others building in this space.

Every B2B company wants great channel partners in 2025: resellers, system integrators, and referrals who help expand their reach. But actually finding and onboarding the right partners? That’s a different story. The reason? → Every partner wants to build their brand, not yours. If your partner program is just about pushing your product, it won’t attract the right people. The best partners look for ways to grow their own business, not just resell another vendor’s solution. Why is it so hard to get this right? 1️⃣ Poor Brand Recognition If partners don’t know who you are, why would they invest their time? SAP had this challenge when expanding its mid-market channel. To fix it, they didn’t just promote SAP, they gave partners the tools to position themselves as ERP experts, making SAP a natural choice for their customers. 2️⃣ No Clear Value for Partners “Sell our product and earn commissions” isn’t enough. Partners need to see how your solution fits into their business. PandaDoc solved this by helping partners bundle e-signatures with their existing services, adding real value to their customers while increasing their own revenue. 3️⃣ Lack of Support If partners feel like they’re on their own, they’ll focus on vendors that give them more help. SAP invests in training, certifications, and co-marketing. Smaller companies can’t match that, but they can provide clear sales materials, quick support, and strong deal incentives. 4️⃣ Complicated Onboarding The longer it takes to get started, the less likely partners will stick around. PandaDoc made onboarding simple with on-demand training, sales playbooks, and ready-to-use marketing materials. The faster partners can sell, the more engaged they’ll be. 💡 The bottom line? The right partners aren’t just looking for a product to sell. They want a way to grow their own brand and revenue. If your program doesn’t help them do that, they’ll move on. What’s been your biggest challenge in building a strong partner ecosystem?

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 Why are Channels and Partners so crucial for B2B Sales Growth, particularly in the SMB segment and Small and Mid- Enterprises. Sales inherently has two typical problem statements: 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 wrt today's competitive B2B landscape. That's exactly where channels and partners come in – acting as a 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 along with your sales efforts. 1. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: Forrester research shows that 72% of B2B buyers leverage resellers or distributors during their purchase journey. Partners provide a. established relationships and b. market knowledge, To get into geographically virgin areas and tap newer customer segments. 2. 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲: The expertise that they bring, in their own niche markets; allows: a. Invaluable understanding of customer pain points, b. tailoring solutions, and c. crusading complex buying processes. 3. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: A strong credible partner ecosystem validates your brand and offerings, as it represents shared values and beliefs in the product. A 2023 study by Edelman DXI found that 83% of B2B buyers consider recommendations from trusted business partners when making purchasing decisions. 4. 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀; 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 & 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆:  They become your extended sales force, generate leads, and handle post-sales support. It allow your internal resources to focus on strategic accounts and high-value opportunities. 5. 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 & 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲: Partners with regional presence can provide vital on-the-ground support, especially crucial for complex B2B solutions. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆? a. 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 Seek partners with a. complementary offerings, b. strong industry reputations, and c. proven track record of success. b. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Continuous tailor-made training and support to ensure partners get equipped with a deep understanding of your products and value proposition. c. 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Establish open and transparent communication channels and collaborate on joint marketing initiatives and sales plays. d. 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 & 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵: Track key metrics like partner-generated leads and revenue. Use data to identify areas for improvement. e. 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 Incentivization of the right efforts put in by the channel partners, puts a lot of trust by the partners in their OEM's. Follow #rimjhimrants for more. #B2Bsales #channelpartners #partnerships #salesstrategy #growth #ChannelSales #GrowthStrategy

ERP resellers keep telling me the same thing: “Our ERP is solid. Our pipeline isn’t.”🔥 My recent article on “slaying the Demand Generation Dragon” in ERP resale got a ton of positive feedback — so I turned the core ideas into a one-page infographic you can skim in 90 seconds.📈 🔗 Full article (for the deep dive): https://lnkd.in/ex4gwuiX Here are a few uncomfortable numbers it highlights: - 55–75% of ERP implementations fail to meet objectives.❗ - It often takes ~29 touchpoints to close a B2B ERP deal.📞✉️💬 - Vertical/niche ERP partners see 40–60% higher gross margins and 25–35% lower CAC.💰 The infographic breaks down 9 practical tactics, including: 1️⃣ Going micro-vertical (think “craft brewing ERP” instead of “manufacturing ERP”) to make competitors irrelevant.🍺 2️⃣ Using ABM and trigger-based data intelligence so you hunt with a rifle, not a shotgun.🎯 3️⃣ Multi-touch + referral-led sequences that can lift sales while actually lowering CAC.🚀 4️⃣ Turning one 60-minute webinar into 10+ posts, short videos, and SEO content to keep your market surrounded.♻️ If you’re an ERP reseller tired of cold coffee and colder pipelines, this is for you. ☕🐉 👉 Check out the infographic and tell me in the comments: which of the 9 tactics are you actually executing consistently right now?

Let's talk channel partner segmentation and coverage. For most channel leaders, this first involves separating transactional resellers and marketplaces from non-transactional "partner assist" partners. With 70.1% of the $5.4 trillion tech/telco industry going to, through, and with partners, setting up a GTM/RTM strategy to maximize target addressable market penetration is key. With an average of 7 partners surrounding every medium/midmarket and larger deal, knowing who the other 6 influential partners are is the second step. Now step 1, transactional partners: Most channel leaders segment the market based on a top-down sorted spreadsheet of partner sales in the previous period. This misses important context which is wallet share. There may be two $100k partners sitting side by side on the sheet, with one delivering $10 million in your category (with your competitors) and you are only getting 1%. They are basically servicing those customers who demand you by name while actively selling against you in every other case. The other $100k partner is selling $110k in your category and they may be the most loyal of all of your partners. One of these partners should be designated an MVP, get a front row seat at your event, and perhaps win an award. The other partner should get the special attention of your best hunter to move them from $100k to $1 million in the next 18 months. When you sort transactional partners by capabilities and capacity (in your category) you arrive at a very different segmentation. The Top 100 partners sorted on this list probably drive north of 50% of your TAM. (The Top 1000 drive over 80%). Getting to this new list is easier than ever. There are several tech solutions (ie. PartnerOptimizer, Inc.) that can enrich your current data with critical information about each partner - including their size, share of your market, success with your competition, and specialties (industry, geo, product, segment, buyer type, and business model). If you don't want to use a technology solution, do the work yourself. Go hire someone on Fiverr to lookup each of your partners on LinkedIn and deliver back 8 new columns on your spreadsheet: LinkedIn URL, Company HQ, Employees (you can multiply by $150k to get a revenue estimate), 1 and 2 Year Growth, About Us, and Specialties. You can supplement your partner list with "Top 500" lists from global magazines: https://lnkd.in/e7WwAU5f) Now step 2, non-transactional partners: Those partners that specialize in consulting, design, implementation, integration, and managed services are much harder to find. Focusing on the 15 spheres of influence of what your customer reads, attends, and people they follow will surface these partners. Check out 15 lists: https://lnkd.in/eVWYAzKa

I’m seeing a renewed focus on channel partners this year. Let’s not forget what they actually care about. Michael Marchand shared a simple framework that cuts through the noise. Here’s the breakdown. Predictability Partners want consistency. Clear motions. Repeatable work. No surprises every quarter. Profitability Partners care about time to money. Faster deals. Cleaner execution. Less wasted effort. Participation The best partners want a seat at the table. They want to help design and scale the processes they operate inside. Progression Partners want to grow. Faster onboarding. Clear paths to expansion. AI that removes friction instead of adding it. If your partner strategy does not deliver on these four things, no amount of recruiting will save it. Build for partner economics. Build for partner momentum. Build with partners, not just for them.

These are the most important partner program trends shaping the future of the channel ecosystem: 1️⃣ Value-based mechanics: Reward partners based on their value to customers across the lifecycle, tying incentives to specific engagements, outcomes, activities and product solutions. 2️⃣ Path to profitability: Give partners a path to higher-margin profitability using modern multiplier language; show partners how to build a service-oriented, high-margin business around product bundles. 3️⃣ Partner choice and differentiation: Flexible program structures to cater to different partner types and business models, with a range of specializations to enable partners to differentiate their offerings and expertise. 4️⃣ Simplification and automation: Reduce the operational complexity of the partner program, make it easy for partners to participate, onboard and grow via personalized and automated partner journeys. 5️⃣ Partner enablement: Differentiate as a leader in the space by investing in a variety of training, certifications, resources and enablement to help partners evolve and showcase their value addition skills and expertise. 6️⃣ Modern incentives: Evolve partner incentives beyond just rebates and commissions to focus on end customer value; reward partners for achieving specific outcomes, such as retention, upselling, product packages, customer engagements, co-marketing, training and certifications. 7️⃣ Collaborative motions: Adopt and incentivize collaborative GTM motions. Invest in co-sell, co-marketing, co-build, and multi-partner motions. 8️⃣ Investment in GSIs, Service Partners, ISVs, and Cloud Marketplaces: Continued investment in key partners: GSIs, service partners, ISVs, and Cloud Marketplaces. What have we missed? Let me know in the comments below👇

Let’s be honest: partners want to get selling as fast as possible and don’t have time to jump through hoops. If we’re not making enablement simple and useful, we’re not doing our job correctly.    One thing I’ve learned building our partner programs at Wasabi Technologies is that self-service is a requirement, not a nice-to-have. And the fastest way to get to mutual revenue is to make training self-service, simple and memorable, so that it actually helps partners sell more and earn more.     If you’re looking to strengthen your channel enablement strategy in an automated self-service world, here are the dos and don’ts that I always keep in mind:    ✔ DO invest in a partner portal that’s simple and easy to use. Make enablement simple and engaging with self-service learning tracks so partners can find what they need when they need it.     ❌ DON’T assume partners will just find your portal and use it on their own. You need to drive them there by promoting the content to them proactively, pushing communications to them regularly via newsletters, social media, and your channel-facing teams.      ✔ DO create a sales certification path that equips partner reps with the confidence to start selling quickly.    ❌ DON'T overcomplicate your sales certification path. If it’s too long or too complicated, no one will finish it. Keep your content intentional, and most importantly, focused on what the partner sales reps truly need to succeed.    ✔ DO run incentive programs that drive partners to your portal! At Wasabi, our incentives encourage partners to use our portal to get sales certified, register deals, and ultimately close business. It’s helped us stay top of mind with our partners and involves them through all the steps the selling process. This way, partners stay engaged while selling more and selling faster.    ❌ DON'T forget that enablement is a team sport. It takes cross-functional alignment across company teams to create impactful content and programs. Keep other teams in the loop!    ✔ DO invest in a strong partner enablement team who can think like a partner and anticipate what partners need. I’m grateful for our team: Mary-Kate DiMartino, Madison McDaniel, and Chelsea Rodgers, who bring so much enthusiasm to our Wasabi Partner Network programs and execute brilliant ideas working cross functionally with Sales, Product, Finance, and the full Marketing team. They make sure our partners always have the right tools and resources at the right time.    While enablement strategy isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, it is always partner-first.     If you're already a partner, visit the Wasabi Partner Portal to explore how these tips come to life: https://lnkd.in/erDXkAfq    If you wish to be a partner, it’s easy to sign up: https://lnkd.in/e3yWBbTF    #ITChannel | #ChannelMarketing | #SalesEnablement | Wasabi Partner Network