A new sales world needs new strategies
An always-connected, information-laden world has completely changed the sales process. Consumers now lead their own purchasing journeys. They’re using more sources than ever to research decisions, with an endless and cluttered sea of information literally at their fingertips. So how do you make your channel marketing content stand out – and help your partners understand the complex art of getting it out at the right time?
That’s where next-generation PRM platforms can help. They can support you in creating a channel marketing game plan optimized for this new sales frontier.
Work together to build brand potency
PRM tools can help partners understand that a marketing plan can no longer just consist of a one-off run-of-the-mill email attachment. Effective content has to be engaging, informative, and optimized for that consumer-led purchasing process. Having multiple touch points is also key.
Having customized, co-branded content easily available empowers reps to access and use it on the fly – a must-do for success. It will make them more adaptive and reactive, and ultimately, more in tune with the customer. It can even take your partners a step further, allowing them to make content discoverable, rankable, shareable and usable. Sound like it could be complicated? It doesn’t have to be. A good PRM solution makes it easy to help reps become marketing gurus.
Teach reps how to guide buyers through the journey
How do you ensure your partners have the resources and guidance they need to effectively use marketing content? Just borrow a time-proven strategy from the sports world. Playbooks set out a team’s in-game strategies for tackling a variety of scenarios. A marketing playbook does just the same, and a PRM can help you create and share them with your partners.
The best strategy is to arrange marketing content into playbooks that guide reps through different scenarios – verticals, personas, life-cycle stages or business outcomes. Each playbook should contain clear, step-by-step instructions so that they’re functional and easy-to-use. This always-ready guidance is invaluable. Creating process paths for partners and their reps takes away the heavy lifting on their end, making buy-in and success way more likely.
Help partners become thought leaders
Anyone can forward static, mundane content and parrot out taglines. A PRM solution helps partners grow beyond that. They’ll understand the importance of quality content and the art of using it at the right time. They’ll build valuable insight into prospects’ strengths and weaknesses. They won’t be afraid of challenges because they are problem solvers armed with a toolbox of tried-and-trued processes and a library of relevant content. They’ll find further success in their field.
With that kind of insight and know-how, a partner can become a thought leader that both customers and industry see as a valued and trusted information source. That’s a win for everyone. It’s empowering for the partner, an immense boost to brand potency and thus, has the ability to impact overall revenue and success.
Keep the right tools in hand
Having stand-out channel marketing content and a clear process for using it is vital to the B2B sales cycle. Next-generation PRM solutions are invaluable in helping you develop and execute a strategy. With them, you can help reps become skilled and versatile professionals that truly understand the sales process. Together, you can build the customer-centered experience that is key to success in the modern market. You can support partners on their path to thought leadership. Successful channel marketing in our complex sales world is possible – you just need the right modern tools in hand.
We hope you’ve enjoyed part one of our five-part series. Follow LinkedIn and Twitter for updates, or visit our blog page next week for part two. Read the eBook that inspired the series here: The Ultimate PRM Guide
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