Business solutions often comprise delivering a specific experience for your partners and customers. One of the most important factors to consider is designing your partner roadmap.

This partnering initiative spells out how you plan to work with your partners and what you hope to accomplish together. It is a critical tool that can be used by organizations to map out and implement their development agenda and integrate the best collaboration strategy.

What is its purpose in a company?

A partner roadmap is a systematic approach to establishing relationships and building networks of effective partnerships. It is widely used in public or private sectors, government, or even civil society. It is also a living document that should be personalized, reviewed, and updated regularly.

The roadmap must define the following:

• your path and objectives
• your sales and marketing initiatives
• what products or services do you want to sell
• the roles and responsibilities of each partner
• actions to improve performance
• the challenges you’ll probably encounter
• the timeline for developing your enterprise
• mechanism/s for measuring progress and success, such as KPIs or milestones

Clearly defining these areas can avoid misunderstandings and conflicts between partners. Additionally, the roadmap can be used as a communication tool to keep all partners informed of the company’s progress and upcoming events.

Here are some examples:

• Salesforce
• Microsoft
• CRN – The Channel Company

Building Your Ultimate Partner Roadmap

This is not a task to take lightly. It requires commitment, so don’t give up before you even start! When following this 4-step process, remember that there are no wrong answers–it’s all about finding what works best for YOU.

#1: Assessment

Identifying possible partners is an important first step in any company venture. You’ll want to research and network with people who share your vision of what could be successful and make sure they are compatible spirits. Narrow down as far into categories before deciding which ones will be best suited based on shared vision–not size!

#2: Architecture

This architecture serves as the blueprint for your business, guiding its growth and development. It encompasses everything from the organization’s overall structure to the specific designs of individual products and services. Take the time to consider your options carefully and create a well-designed journey to support your long-term triumph.

#3: Implementation

Connect your ecosystem (dealers, sales representatives, customer service, marketing team) and provide them with the necessary support to ensure a smooth implementation. This may include training on your products and services and helping them adjust their processes and systems to align with your own.

#4: Management

As a manager, you always look for ways to optimize your team’s productivity. One way to optimize your partner’s productivity is to streamline the partner lifecycle with one platform that can connect, personalize, and grow your channel.

Salesforce provides such a platform, and using it can help you recruit, educate, manage, market, sell, quote, service, and analyze your partners more effectively.

Several key elements you should keep in mind:

Be clear about your objectives.

Setting and achieving objectives is a key part of any successful venture, whether a small business or a major corporation. What are you aiming for? What are your long-term targets? Once you understand your objectives well, you can start identifying prospective partners who could help you reach them.

Establish some criteria for selecting partners.

This will help ensure that you’re only working with agencies aligned with your purpose and values. Some factors you may want to consider include compatibility, complementary skillsets, and shared resources. Once you’ve selected your partners, it’s time to start planning how you’ll work together.

Which tasks will each partner be responsible for? What are the deliverables you’re expecting? By outlining these details in advance, you can avoid potential conflicts and set yourself up for a successful partnership.

Take it personally.

Having a clear plan for finding and nurturing relationships with your ideal partners is more important than ever. When you take things personally, you invest yourself fully in the relationship and work to make it the best it can be. You treat them with respect and consideration, and you strive to meet their needs.

Taking things personally means making your relationship a priority.

Feedback matters.

Keep track of your partner’s performance and compliance with your company’s guidelines. Strong management shows something greater is an essential tool to be a solution provider to your partner. Interview and gather reports or surveys from them regularly. This will help you identify where your partner is falling short and make changes accordingly. 

Take one step at a time.

Focus on taking small, manageable steps to get closer to your goal. As you take each step, assess how it works for you and your business. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to adjust your course. The most important thing is to keep moving forward until you discover the right scale for your business. 

BD Paths’ Takeaway

Your strategy should start with creating a roadmap. This will help you define your partnership goals and identify the key steps required to achieve them. By mapping out the cooperative journey, organizations can increase the chances of success and avoid pitfalls.