When it comes to enabling your sales channels, it’s important to have partners you can count on to help you move your products effectively and efficiently. But how do you design and implement a channel strategy that will get their buy in and enable them to succeed? It’s all a matter of asking the right questions.

1. Incentives:
The Secret
Ingredient of
a Successful
Channel
Enablement
Strategy
PARTNER BUSINESS INSIGHTS

2. INTRODUCTION
LogicBay understands the importance
of incorporating an effective incentive
and enablement strategy into any
channel program.
The LogicBay ChannelStackTM
technology is always advancing, most
recently by integrating with HMI
Performance Incentives, a global
leader in designing and operating
effective incentive solutions. This
integration brings an interactive and
on-demand rewards-based fulfillment
platform that includes measurable
results reporting that track both
partner- and individual-level successes
to ensure effective incentive
distribution.
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3. When it comes to enabling your sales
channels, it’s important to have
partners you can count on to help you
move your products effectively and
efficiently.
But how do you design and
implement a channel strategy that
will get their buy in and enable them
to succeed? It’s all a matter of asking
the right questions.
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4. WHAT IS
CHANNEL
ENABLEMENT?
“Enablement” has become something of a
derogatory term these days; to be seen as an
“enabler” means you have allowed someone to do
something they probably shouldn’t be doing in the
first place. But when it comes to channel sales, this
is the opposite of how enablement is viewed.
When a manufacturer “enables” their channel
partners, what they’re really doing is empowering a
network of resellers to better sell their products or
services. In this sense, the focus of a channel
enablement strategy is on strengthening these
partnerships and working to align channel partners’
marketing and sales approach with your objectives
and solutions.
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5. To do this effectively, it’s important to cultivate partner
relationships by offering the right resources, tools, and
processes to support their business. Resources often
include content for marketing campaigns, training and
certification programs and sales playbooks.
Tools (like a Learning Management System to track
training completion, reporting dashboards for tracking
KPI, and integration to other internal systems. Processes
relate to the ability to conduct business and help each
other grow, from execution of joint marketing campaigns,
to lead management (distributing leads and deal
registration). All of these aspects, when done right, will
enable your partners to be more successful.
Of course, the final component of a good enablement
strategy is to reward your channel partners for behaviors
that lead them to engage with these resources, all of
which can be included in a channel incentive program and
which, unlike a traditional sales incentive, involve a more
indirect—but no less effective—link to sales growth.
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6. WHY FOCUS
ON CHANNEL
ENABLEMENT?
It’s been said that sales reps spend over 30%
of their work week searching for and creating
sales content. If we had to guess, we’d say
that this number is even higher for certain
industries and sales channels where the
products or services are particularly complex.
Regardless of industry, what this means is
that channel sales reps waste nearly one-third
of their time figuring out how to sell their
products and services rather than actually
selling them.
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7. 7
So, for starters, a good channel enablement strategy should be designed in such a way that
it cuts down on this inefficiency by arming channel partners with the knowledge and tools to
sell more effectively.
But a lack of resources and support isn’t the only reason why channel enablement incentives
are so important. These kinds of strategies can also strengthen your existing partner
relationships, helping you gain valuable mindshare by providing your channel partners with
yet another reason to do business with you.
Additionally, with so many channel partners, it can be hard to know exactly who you should
be reaching out to and motivating. One thing a channel enablement solution can do is help
you identify and target the managers and salespeople who are the most valuable points of
influence (POI) in your channel, saving you time and resources on this laborious process.
Finally, a good channel enablement approach can be accomplished when delivered through a
single partner portal. In organizing your partner support efforts, you should be able to more
consistently streamline your brand messaging communications, simplifying and enhancing
the channel sales process.

8. HOW DO I
IMPLEMENT AN
EFFECTIVE
CHANNEL
ENABLEMENT
PROGRAM?
As an indirect sales tool, an effective channel
enablement program should follow a strategic
approach:
First, you need to identify and target key
performance indicators (KPIs) in your channel.
Most common KPI are the ones that are easiest to
track: revenue. But you may also want to monitor
the right types of activities that lead up to the
sale. So, you can reward for “steps-to-the-sale”
activities. You may be focusing on eLearning
tactics as well. You can measure and reward how
many test, quizzes, or certifications are taken by
your channel partners.
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9. Second, you’ll want to develop a scaled incentive strategy
that tracks the rewards given out to channel sales reps for
reaching each one of these KPIs. The shape and scope of
this strategy will depend on your specific channel, your
channel sales objectives, and your budget.
Third, it’s important to communicate effectively with
various members of your channel program (sales reps,
service techs, sales managers, etc.) Again, a partner
portal that is role-based to provide the right information to
the right user is a great way to achieve this.
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10. Fourth, measuring the progress of your audience – and providing them access to the same
reporting measurements - will demonstrate to participants that you’re right there with
them and invested in their engagement. With real-time dashboards that are configured to
match your KPI, all parties will be aligned toward common goals.
Fifth, you’ll need to analyze the results of your enablement initiatives and modify them on
an on-going basis to ensure continued engagement and success. For example, if you notice
that your sales materials aren’t being read or utilized, it’s incumbent on you to find out
why. Taking the time to conduct regular business reviews with your partners and asking for
their feedback can be a step in the right direction
Finally, reward goal achievers with rewards that motivate them. Whether this means a
grand prize incentive trip for long-term engagement and sales success, or
merchandise/experience rewards for reaching short-term goals or succeeding in a special
promotion, these incentives are what really motivate the engagement and enablement
process.
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11. WHERE
SHOULD I
DEDICATE MY
RESOURCES?
So, who should you enable? The easiest answer is,
“everyone who contributes to your success”.
But the more complicated answer will depend on your
goals and your current sales channel relationships.
Perhaps the most pressing question is: should you
devote most of your channel enablement resources to
your largest enterprise-level channel partners?
While your instinct might be to go after the “big fish,”
it’s also important to consider what we refer to as the
“middle 60%,” that is, the small and mid-sized partners
who aren’t necessarily your top performers. Because
after all, channel enablement is in large part dependent
on strong partnerships, so devoting resources to these
smaller channel partners who you can develop more
intimate and trusting relationships with may end up
proving a smart bet. It’s often these partners who have
more opportunity to contribute to future growth.
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12. SUPPORT,
MOTIVATE &
OBSERVE THE
CHANGES
Whether your business is focused on adding new channels
partners, or simply wants to increase the efficiency and
effectiveness of current channel partners, a channel
enablement strategy is key.
Very few partners will invest the time and energy needed
to be successful if they don’t see how they will benefit in
the long run. For them to be effective during the sales
process it’s going to require them to demonstrate an in-
depth knowledge of your solutions and services, as well
as an understanding of how to define and position them
for their clients and prospects.
So why not offer these partners the tools and support
they need, saving them time and effort during their sales
process while motivating them to follow and promote
your branding and marketing principles? Help your
channel partners help you, so that you can effectively
change the channel.
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13. The combined solution:
• Provides the hard data you need to
determine your top performers.
• Creates training programs, tracks, or
tiers which are accessible based on
performance.
• Flags or notifies as appropriate when
partners qualify for rewards.
• Allows partners to implement and
manage their own internal incentive
programs.
• Makes your brand highly attractive to
channel partner staff who want to
succeed.
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14. THANK YOU!
GET IN TOUCH WITH US!
https://www.hmiaward.com/contact/
https://www.logicbay.com/contact-us