How to Level Up Your Partner Experience and Build Stronger Partnerships
- Maciej Danielski
- Apr 14
- 6 min read
This blog post was inspired by my recent conversation with Tony de Freitas on the podcast. The discussion highlighted how critical Partner Experience (PX) is in the world of ecosystems. When partners feel supported, engaged, and valued, they sell more, advocate harder, and stick around longer.
If you missed the episode with Tony de Freitas, VP Partner Programs at Mimecast, make sure to catch up.
Let’s be real, PX is rarely top of mind. Between revenue targets, new program rollouts, and endless internal meetings, it’s easy to treat PX as a “nice-to-have” rather than a priority.
A great PX reduces friction, builds loyalty, and drives growth for your entire ecosystem. How do you get there?
Here’s my point of view based on working with 40+ clients and speaking with 100’s of prospects. Let’s dive in.
Make It Easy to Do Business With You
Think about your partners for a second. They aren’t employees; they don’t work for you, they work with you. That means if your program is too complex or confusing, they’ll focus their efforts elsewhere.
How to Make Things Easier for Partners?
Simplify onboarding – Get new partners up and running with a fast-track process that doesn’t require weeks of paperwork. A self-serve portal with on-demand training is a great start. Better yet if you can dedicate time to designing a partner onboarding journey which will guide them step by step.
Clear, transparent and simple deal registration – If your deal reg process feels like a maze and has tens of fields on the form that feels like a tax return, partners will skip it. Make sure it’s fast, fair, and easy to navigate. Remember, partners need a clear and accurate picture of their pipeline.
Automate the basics – Anything partners do repeatedly (reporting, lead submission, invoicing) should be as automated and as real-time as possible.
Centralise everything – A well-organised partner portal can cut partner frustration in half. It needs to house self-serve capabilities, rules and perks of the program and real-time analytics. If you have a tiered program, it needs to be 100% transparent on what’s expected of them for each of the tiers on offer.
Partner POV:
If it’s hard to do business with you, partners will focus on “easier” vendors. Make every touchpoint smooth and efficient.Communicate Like a Human (Not a Corporate Robot)
Your partners are real people, not “partner types” sitting in a spreadsheet. If your communication is dry, confusing, overwhelming, or irrelevant, partners will tune it out.
How to Improve Partner Communication:
Ditch the corporate jargon – Nobody wants to read a five-paragraph email full of buzzwords. Make it conversational and encourage dialogue where applicable.
Segment your messaging – Not all partners and not all partner employees need the same info. Tailor your outreach not only by “partner type”, think of specialisations, certifications and individual roles and responsibilities; communicate what’s relevant to them.
Use multiple channels – Some partners love emails, some prefer Slack, others want everything in the portal. Meet them where they are.
Keep updates short & actionable – Instead of a huge email about a new incentive, break it down into:
What’s changing?
Why it matters?
What should they do next?
Partner POV:
Partners get flooded with vendor emails. If you want them to engage, your message needs to be clear, relevant, and to the point.Stop Thinking Only About Revenue (Start Thinking About Value)
Of course, revenue matters. But if every conversation is “How much have you sold this quarter?”, partners will feel that you treat them like one of your inside sales reps.
How to Deliver More Value to Partners:
Provide continuous enablement – Offer them real sales training, competitive insights and battle-cards, and customer pain points they can use. Make sure you guide your partners through all enablement tracks.
Support their marketing efforts – Help partners create campaigns that actually work. Go beyond just providing MDF or “campaign in a box”.
Invest in partner relationships – Treat partners like an extension of your team, not just a revenue source. This is easier said than done, but changing the mindset alone will do wonders.
Create community & collaboration – Give partners a forum or peer network to learn from each other (not just from you). Creating a Partner Advisory Board (PAB) can yield tangible results.
Partner POV:
Partners aren’t here to just push your product. If you help them build a stronger business, they’ll stay loyal and invest more in the partnership.Build a Fair, Transparent, and Trust-Based Relationship
Trust is everything in the channel. If partners don’t trust you, they’ll stop engaging with you.
How to Build Trust in PX:
Be transparent about incentives – No hidden clauses, exceptions or last-minute changes. Make your incentives clear and fair.
Collaborate on Business Planning – Setting annual targets and disappearing doesn’t send the right message. Sit down with key partners and build joint business plans that align your goals, identify growth areas, and define mutual success metrics. These sessions show partners you’re serious about long-term success, not just the next quarter’s quota.
Avoid channel conflict – If your direct sales team is competing with partners for deals, partners will walk away. Ensure rules of engagement are known to both and are respected without fail.
Follow through on commitments – If you promise MDF, support, or exclusivity, deliver on time.
Make partner feedback a two-way street – Ask for feedback often, and actually act on it in a timely manner.
Partner POV:
Partners can choose who they work with. If they don’t trust your program or feel left out of strategic planning, they’ll put their energy into vendors who treat them with respect and value them.Recognise and Reward Partner Efforts (Beyond Revenue)
Sales numbers are important, but they’re not the only thing that makes a great partner. What about partners who generate leads, provide support, or build strong brand awareness?
How to Recognise Partners Properly:
Celebrate partner wins – Shout them out on LinkedIn, feature them in newsletters, invite them to a podcast, or recognise them at events.
Expand your reward criteria – Don’t just reward deals closed - reward engagement, marketing contributions, and customer success efforts. The latter one is more important than ever, as the cost of acquiring new customers continues to increase and sales cycles are getting longer.
Make incentives worthwhile – If your program is too complicated or the rewards aren’t worth the effort, partners won’t care.
Create VIP tiers for top partners – Give engaged partners exclusive benefits, insights, or early access to new opportunities or leads.
Partner POV:
Everyone likes to be recognised. If partners feel appreciated, they’ll reward you with their mindshare.Keep Innovating & Improving the Partner Experience
PX isn’t something you “set and forget”. What worked last year might not work today.
How to Keep PX Fresh & Evolving:
Stay ahead of industry changes – If your partners are shifting towards services, subscriptions, or co-selling, adjust your program accordingly.
Invest in technology – The right PRM (Partner Relationship Management) platforms, AI-driven insights, and automation can significantly enhance PX.
Gather ongoing feedback – Regular surveys, partner advisory boards, and one-on-one meaningful meetings (not check-ins!) will help keep your program and your brand relevant.
Pilot new ideas – Test new incentives, training methods, or sales support tools with your most trusted partners before rolling them out to the wider ecosystem.
Partner POV:
Partners won’t stick with an outdated program. If you’re not innovating, they’ll find a vendor who is.It’s All About the Experience
If there’s one key takeaway here, it’s this: PX is about making your partners WANT to work with you.
You can have the best product and the best incentives, but if partners find your program frustrating, complicated, or transactional, they won’t invest in you.
To Build a Stronger PX, Focus On:
✔ Making it EASY to work with you
✔ Communicating like a human
✔ Providing real value beyond revenue
✔ Building trust and transparency
✔ Recognising partner contributions
✔ Continuously improving and adapting
When you get PX right, partners engage more, sell more, and stick with you for the long run. And isn’t that the whole point?
Is there anything that needs to improve in your PX strategy?If your answer is “No, we’re great!” - Find the courage to get out there and ask your partners. You might stumble upon a partner who’s already benchmarking you against other vendors they work with, just like Tony shared with me during our podcast conversation.
So, are you ready to level up your Partner Experience?