How to Set up a Partner Program Tier

 

If you want to set up a partner program tier, then you have come to the right place. Here you can find out everything you need to know about that, while also giving yourself the chance to make strong and educated choices for the future.

 

Designing a Program

 

When you design your own partnership program, you have to be aware that there are no two partners who are alike. You will want to have partners who can send customers your way through things like references. You also need people who may be able to walk your customer through the sales process. Every partner, at the end of the day, is motivated to do something different. Therefore you need to cater to the needs of each, while also scaling your program. This can be impossible, but there is a solution, which is tiers. If you want to find out about the tiers that other companies have then take a look below.

 

What is a Solutions Certification?

 

The Solutions Partner Certification is given to partners when they complete a specific program. It’s ideal for those who want to become a specific Hubspot partner. In order to obtain this, you will need to undergo an 11-part course and you will need to cover the four stages that make up the foundation to partner methodology. This can include marketing, selling, delivering and growth.

 

Why are Partner Program Tiers Important?

 

If we look at Hubspot, we will see that they have grown considerably. A lot of this comes down to the partner tier programs that they have. The best way to describe this would be to class each level as having different requirements. They also have varying benefits and rewards too. These levels take into account the skillsets and they also take into account the different factors. This motivates your partners and it also helps them to meet their needs. The rewards that are associated with someone getting a customer referral will usually be very different to the rewards that people would get if they managed to sell the product directly. The great thing about partner tiers is that they make it easier to give each partner a program that suits them. It also helps to keep them very motivated, and it ultimately keeps your entire program scalable. This helps you to grow your network. In this day and age, well over 52% of programs use tiers.

 

How do you Set up a Tier?

 

There isn’t a set rule when it comes to program tiers. The ideal solution really does depend on the goals you want to set. You can set as many levels as you want, but 3 levels tend to be the most common. Every level will have many different prerequisites from the partner and different rewards will be offered too. If you want to develop your tiers, then you have to make sure that you ask yourself questions, that include what qualifications your partner needs to have to start out at this level and how much resources are needed. You also need to look at all of the benefits that are being offered if possible.

 

A Common Structure

 

Let’s take a look at a very common business structure.

 

Level One

 

At the first level, you will have the highest number of partners. Partners in this tier do not have to be well-placed and they do not need to have a very strong network either. They do need to offer basic support when it comes to referring your product though. It may be that they are existing customers or that they are influencers. Either way, partners like this do not actively go out of their way to sell your product.

 

Level Two

 

Second level partners tend to be very strategic, and they are also well-connected to your audience. They also add a lot of value to your business. It may be that they can make recommendations and that they can also introduce customers to your products. That being said, they might not be able to close the deal. Consultants, agencies and even tech partners may be put into this category. These partners will provide much more support and therefore will require more investment from you and even bigger rewards.

 

Level Three

 

Third-level partners are at the very top of the pyramid. They choose to invest a huge amount of their time and their efforts when it comes to selling your product. They are also some of the best when it comes to converting leads. You will need to provide a good amount of training to your partners here. Third-level partners need personal incentives to try and get them motivated as well. VARs, MSPs or even integrators could well begin at this level.

 

Easing Potential Challenges 

 

When you create a partner program, you have to ensure that your tiers do not complicate your partner management. Every single partner will ultimately have different goals and they will also need a varying amount of resources too. They will require different training and it’s your job to ensure that they are fitted into the tier. This is where PRM comes in. PRM essentially helps you to facilitate the entire onboarding process and it also helps you to track the progress of the partner too. It shows you partner KPIs and it helps you to make strategic decisions that could go on to impact the future of your program overall.

If you want to start out, then you have to make sure that you specify any goals, training needs, commission, resources and rewards. You need to make sure that you do this for every tier. If you can, you need to onboard your partners and you need to place them in the right tier. A good PRM will also let your partners access the same system through the portal so that they can stay informed of the needs, and so that they can learn the objectives that come with every tier. It may be that the leads that come through Tier 1 partners are all tracked through referral links and those who are Tier 2 can be tracked through submissions through the partner portal.

 

Examples of Great Partner Programs

 

 

If you want to find out more about the top partner programs that are out there, then simply keep on reading.

Zendesk

 

Zendesk has a very popular tier system that is described above. Those who are in Tier 1 have to make sure that they are able to fulfil the most basic of requirements and they also don’t need to have any exceptional expertise either. The requirements grow as you get to Tier 2 and 3. The rewards and the benefits will also increase. One of the key benefits is actually lead distribution. Through this, the company in question will share leads with partners who have the highest chance of being able to close the deal. This could be if the partner has a very good relationship with the lead for example.

 

Pipedrive

 

Pipedrive has a 3-tier system. The top-level is for consultants, integrators and VARs. The first is open to anyone who wants to recommend them.

 

Aircall

 

Aircall’s partner tier will focus on the role that is played by partners as well as their sales potential. Partners who are in the first tier provide leads and those who are in the second tier have a main focus of growing the business. Third-tier partners complete the cycle, and they are known for providing after-sales support too.

 

Hubspot

 

Hubspot actually has a 5-tier system. This is all dependent on how much each partner is able to sell.