How To Start: Partner Enablement

Understanding Partner Enablement: Your Starting Point

Thinking you need partner enablement but unsure where to begin?

You're far from alone.

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So many folks in partnerships, tasked with developing a partner enablement program, initially rely on their backgrounds in sales or marketing.

However, it's crucial to recognize that partnerships transcend these fields, and partner enablement focuses more on learning than selling.

When the question arises, "What content do I use, and where does it live?" take a moment to pause and reflect. Remember, at its core, partnerships revolve around building connections and trust, while partner enablement aims to enhance understanding of the business value behind these elements to foster behavioral change.

The heart of any partner enablement inquiry should always be people-focused:

• Whose behavior am I aiming to influence?
• What are their desires?
• How can I assist them in achieving their goals?

Sales organizations grappling with ecosystem selling models often require partner enablement, but identifying the specific gap you're trying to address is key. Performance challenges typically stem from one or several gaps: knowledge, skills, motivation, or resources.

Addressing Knowledge Gaps in Partner Enablement

Knowledge gaps are prevalent, especially in expansive ecosystems with numerous partners. While providing content to bridge these gaps is vital, the effort shouldn't end there. It's not just about the information itself but how your audience utilizes that information to take action.

Skills Gaps: A Common Oversight

Mistaking this for a knowledge gap is a frequent misstep. Partner enablement involves more than disseminating information; it requires offering opportunities for your audience to experiment with integrating partnerships into their sales cycles, fostering growth and understanding of its significance.

Navigating Motivation Gaps

Often overlooked, motivation gaps pose a significant challenge in partner enablement. Addressing these requires understanding individual needs and crafting strategies to meet them, encouraging engagement and buy-in for the process of change.

Overcoming Resource Gaps with Partner Enablement

Even with all the right steps taken—accessible and engaging learning content, clear articulation of partnerships' business value, and seamless integration into sales processes—lack of leadership support and clear KPIs can hinder the effectiveness of your partner enablement efforts.

In conclusion, partner enablement is about more than just providing resources. By focusing on filling knowledge, skills, motivation, and resource gaps, you can create a robust partner enablement program that not only addresses the immediate needs of your team but also positions your partnerships for long-term success.

Remember, the foundation of successful partner enablement is built on understanding the unique needs and motivations of your team, and addressing these through targeted, thoughtful strategies.

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