Partner Org is a career “transfer portal”

Too often, management floods the partner organization with employees who see it as a path to something else, instead of employees looking to excel in Partner Management. Many partner organizations are filled with:

• Sales reps who haven’t been able to produce in the direct sales organization and just “need some time”
• Recent college graduates who need to “learn the ropes” of selling before joining the enterprise sales team
• Marketing managers who aren’t leadership material but seem to understand partners
• Customer service reps who think they’re ready for a sales job but can’t get an interview with the direct sales team

These couldn’t be worse profiles for the challenging job of Partner Management.

But partner organization leaders often fail to establish clear role responsibilities or hiring profiles that outline the broad and complex combination of skills required to be effective in Partner Management. They haven’t fought for compensation plans that apply direct-sales-like revenue accountability to their team members. They haven’t trained their team in advanced partnering skills. And they haven’t learned how to reject unqualified candidates.

The Partner Organization will always be a transfer portal until the leadership begins to define and treat the organization differently.

Leaders need to define Partner Management as a career and the partner organization as a desirable destination, rather than a portal to something else.

Leadership needs to clearly define Partner Management roles and responsibilities, ensuring those definitions differentiate Partner Management from direct selling. Recruiting and hiring profiles need to outline the advanced business development and sales management skills that are required for role success. Performance metrics and expectations need to be clearly defined and regularly announced within the company, so everyone sees the partner organization’s contribution. And compensation plans need to evolve from team-based, low-leverage plans to more sales-like, individual revenue-accountability, high-leverage plans.

Finally, Partner Management teams need to be trained in Partner Management-specific skills, much like sales reps are trained in sales-specific skills. Partner Mangers need to be challenged and coached to improve their strategic visioning and collaboration skills, their virtual sales management skills, their business development skills and their tactical negotiation and execution skills.

The company will treat the partner organization as a professional destination once it’s defined and operating as one.