So much about channel marketing has traditionally come down to the vibes, and the assumption that your partners are collaborating in the best interest of everyone. However, if you want to truly elevate your channel strategy, you need clear, actionable insight into how much influence your partners have on your deals.
The Importance of Measuring Partner Influence
It’s a basic truism that not all partners are created equal. Some are incredible and will help you win new customers and build your brand in untapped markets. Others may fall short of expectations, consuming your time and resources without contributing to your bottom line.
The risk here, from a channel marketer’s perspective, is that some of the underperforming partners have a kind of charisma about them, and are able to convince you that they’re doing far more than they actually are.
Therefore, the key to successful channel management is understanding the difference.
When you have visibility into your partner ecosystem, you can:
- Identify which partners are truly helping you grow your business.
- Understand which partners help you tap into new industries and markets.
- Build stronger relationships with high-performing partners by aligning incentives with results.
At this point, you’re probably agreeing in theory—but wondering how to achieve that level of transparency without sorting through piles of data.
Here’s the good news: You don’t have to do it alone.
The Easiest Way to See Which Partners Are Driving Deals
Vartopia has been developed to provide the easiest way for channel managers to see exactly which partners are influencing deals—and by how much.
With Vartopia, you can:
- Uncover key performance metrics. Identify the partners that consistently perform well and separate them from those who underdeliver. This makes it easier to prioritise your resources and focus on the relationships that bring the highest returns.
- Spot underperforming partners. Use data insights to flag partners who frequently request extensions, miss deadlines, or fail to meet Service Level Agreements (SLAs). This helps you know when to push for better performance—or reconsider the relationship altogether.
- Track MDF attribution. Make every marketing dollar count by linking your MDF spend to deal registration and campaigns. With detailed attribution, you’ll know exactly how your funds impact revenue—and where you can optimise your investments.
- Maintain a single source of truth. By centralising all your channel data in one place, you eliminate silos and ensure everyone in your organisation works from the same accurate information. This boosts collaboration and empowers your teams to make better decisions faster.
It’s Not Just About Adding More Partners
With Vartopia in the bag, you’ll be able to completely reconsider the dynamics within your channel. Consider this: When channel managers are looking to grow their programs, many assume the solution is to onboard more partners. But what if you don’t actually have to do that?
Think about it: More partners can mean more complexity, more support requests, and more MDF spend. What’s the point of adding more partners if you can’t be sure if they’re going to be additive to the whole or simply result in you ending up with a bloated cost drain?
Instead of focusing on quantity, you need to focus on quality.
You want to be adding only those partners that align with your business goals and consistently deliver results. And then you need to keep those top-performing partners engaged.
That might mean:
Offering more attractive incentives.
Providing additional resources to help them succeed.
Streamlining your processes to make it easier for them to work with you.
It’s easier to do all these things for a partner that is invested in your business, though. When you support one of those businesses, they return even more back to you. It’s no longer a cost, or even an investment, but rather a virtuous cycle.
Take the First Step Toward a Smarter Partner Strategy
Let us prove this to you: Request a demo today to learn more about how Vartopia can help you identify your top-performing partners, maximise your MDF spend, and eliminate wasted resources.
