Simplify Channel Partnerships with Partner Cloud
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Describe common challenges that businesses face with partner selling today.
- Explain what Partner Cloud is and how it supports partner ecosystems.
- Identify the key processes that drive successful channel sales and partner engagement.
The Challenge of Partner Selling Today
Today, partner selling plays a central role in how most sales teams go to market. In fact, 89% of sales teams include partner selling as part of their strategy. But while this approach is common, it often comes with serious challenges. Imagine trying to win a relay race when none of the runners know where the baton is, who’s up next, or even which direction to run. That’s what partner selling can feel like in a disconnected ecosystem.
Many partner ecosystems lack transparency and operate more like black boxes than collaborative networks. Teams rely heavily on spreadsheets, juggle multiple CRMs, manage numerous logins, and struggle with poor communication. The result is inaccurate or outdated data, low-quality leads, and longer sales cycles. In a crowded marketplace where customer expectations are rising, these issues have a direct impact on revenue.
Succeeding in this environment means doing more than just having partners. It requires a thoughtful, scalable approach to growing and supporting your channels by entering new markets, improving retention, increasing partner engagement, and collaborating on deals.
This badge includes terms like partners, channels, and channel managers. Let’s take a moment to define them.
Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Partners | External entities such as resellers, distributors, independent software vendors (ISVs), or brokers that a company works with to sell its products or services. |
Channels | Indirect sales routes through which a company’s products or services reach customers, using external partners like distributors, resellers, and brokers. |
Channel Managers | Individuals who oversee and support a company’s partner ecosystem. They make sure partners have the tools, resources, and incentives they need to sell successfully and return to sell again. |
With those basics covered, let’s explore what Partner Cloud is all about.
Introduction to Partner Cloud
Imagine you’re a hardware manufacturer expanding into a new region. You bring on a distributor who is excited to sell, but onboarding them quickly becomes a bottleneck. They need product training, price lists, sales collateral, and deal registration access. Instead of logging in to one place, they’re bouncing between a learning portal for training, shared drives for marketing materials, and email threads for pricing updates. By the time they’re set up, weeks have passed and a competitor has already closed a deal with one of your target customers.
This is where Partner Cloud makes the difference. Partner Cloud gives you a unified platform to manage every aspect of your partner ecosystem, including onboarding, training, deal registration, co-marketing, incentives, and more. Instead of fragmented tools and scattered processes, you and your partners work from one trusted, scalable system built on the Salesforce Platform. The result is faster execution, stronger collaboration, and more consistent growth across your entire channel.
Partner Cloud doesn’t just connect you with partners; it powers the following critical processes that make those relationships successful.
Recruit
Bring new partners on board quickly and easily. Automate the signup process, cut down on paperwork, and even use referral programs to grow your network faster.
Enable
Give partners the training and resources they need to succeed. Personalized learning paths and in-the-moment guidance help them build skills quickly.
Plan
Set clear programs and tiers so partners know where they stand and how they can grow. Use data and collaboration to keep everyone aligned on goals.
Market
Help partners create demand by giving them ready-to-use campaigns, co-branded materials, and access to marketing funds. Make it easy for them to reach the right customers.
Sell
Simplify how partners register deals, manage leads, and track opportunities. Shared visibility into the sales process makes collaboration smoother and speeds up closing deals.
Distribute
Streamline the nuts and bolts of moving products: managing orders, tracking inventory, and sending quotes. Everything runs in one place, without the usual back-and-forth.
Support
Equip partners to help customers after the sale. From resolving cases to finding quick answers, you make sure they can provide strong, reliable support.
Incentivize
Keep partners motivated with rewards and recognition. Automate payments, set up loyalty programs, and celebrate their successes so they come back to sell more.
All of these processes work together to drive partner success. But how does Partner Cloud support you in making them happen? The answer lies in its core solutions, which bring these processes to life.
In the next unit, you explore these solutions in detail and see how they help you put Partner Cloud into action.