Your partners’ event dance card fills quickly so your #1 priority should be to ensure your event is partner-centric and leaves partners eagerly awaiting the next one.
A partner event strategy and framework provide consistency applicable to any type of event and keeps your team focused on the value you want to deliver to your partners. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Lose the Sales Pitch
Partners have already said ‘yes’ so don’t waste time selling to them. Focus on the business outcomes you want from your partners and develop a plan to enable those outcomes. Take the time to understand your partner’s business and their goals, and align strategies and programs to help them integrate your solution into their offerings.
Communicate Creatively
PowerPoint presentations and email communications have their place but with so many other digital channels available, use them all to better engage your audience. Short videos, infographics, social media, and other short-form digitally savvy messaging can help create interest and intrigue without demanding a lot of your partner’s time.
Reinforce Your Partner Value Proposition
Clear, concise, and consistent messaging integrated into your event framework helps you stay focused on why you are hosting the event in the first place while building trust by doing what you say you’re going to do.
With each event, make sure your content addresses what’s in it for the partner:
• How will the partner make money?
• How will your solution fit in to their portfolio of offerings?
• What are you going to do to enable the partner to generate demand and sell more?
• What programs, tools, offerings have you put in place to facilitate increasing revenue?
By ensuring every event is designed with the partner experience as a top priority, you will increase attendance, generate more goodwill, and build a stronger channel.