Transformation is happening all around us. Take a moment to consider the following. What is your organization experiencing?

  1. It’s all about the ecosystem. (OK, this isn’t new but it’s still front of mind and many organizations who have an ecosystem are asking, now what?) The power dynamic is shifting, and partners have more control than ever. (What does this mean for the vendor and service provider? How can we achieve joint success in this new age?)
  2. The Great Reshuffling. (Where are all the leaders?)
  3. Traditional transactional sales are being replaced by strategic vendor/partner/customer relationships with a focus on long-term success. (aka Partner LifeTime Value®)

As these transformations and challenges rapidly continue, how can you maximize the long-term effectiveness of your investments and assets and create a sustainable bottom line for both you and your partners? The answer lies in the groundbreaking research of Partner LifeTime Value®.

What is Partner LifeTime Value®?

You are likely familiar with Customer Lifetime Value®, a measurement of the value one customer will bring across the lifetime of their relationship. Through our extensive experience working with partner initiatives and programs, we began to look at the channel ecosystem in a similar way, where the customer is now the partner. We wanted to understand if and what specific behaviors and practices every organization should be aware of that are proven to impact your partner’s long-term growth and your organization’s bottom line.

To find out, we partnered with the University of Glasgow and conducted extensive, data-driven research around these questions, and what we found we coined Partner LifeTime Value®. Through analysis of the data, we discovered six foundational elements that all successful partner strategies exhibit throughout their lifetime. These foundational elements form the acronym ACTIVE, which stands for Allegiance, Commitment, Training, Investment, Velocity, Engagement. I invite you to read more about our research and how these elements apply to your ecosystem by downloading our free Partner LifeTime Value®: Measurable Results for Channel Vendors eBook here. 

Partner LifeTime Value® is Your Path to Sustainable Growth

Through our work with channel programs at large technology companies, we have repeatedly seen how Partner LifeTime Value® delivers long-term value to vendors, service providers, partners, and the end customer from a business relationship that is:

  • self-sustaining
  • economically scalable
  • mutually beneficial
  • growth-aligned

In comparison to direct sales, the business sold through the Microsoft partner ecosystem (an ecosystem that recognizes the lifetime value of partners) closes 2.7% faster, is 5.8X bigger, and has an increased customer consumption of 8X.

Execute Smarter and Faster with Partner LifeTime Value®

Partner Lifetime Value® is a combination of maximizing your investments and optimizing your strategy around: Your People, Your Partners, and Your Program. All of which make your organization more competitive and relevant in the marketplace.

Here’s how you can kickstart your journey to Partner LifeTime Value®:

  1. Empower Your People: Help your people understand the evolving intricacies of partnering and empower new behaviors aligned with partnering success. Our Partner Performance Advisor program helps your team develop elite partnering expertise and is proven to enhance employee and partner loyalty and retention and increase return on partner investment (RPi) and Partner LifeTime Value® through increased market leverage.
  2. Align with Your Partners: Collaboration with partners—assisting them with their own goals and developing mutual interests—is a critical aspect of Partner LifeTime Value® that leads to higher rates of innovation and profitability. Partner Listening and Advisory Councils are an effective way to engage with your partners and gain insight into their goals and needs to help drive your strategy.
  3. Assess Your Program: Out of the research of Partner LifeTime Value®, the Value Measurement Index (VMi) was born. VMi is a comprehensive assessment that analyzes and precisely quantifies the overall health of your partner program. The data helps you make informed decisions on the next generation of your program and achieve executive buy-in and alignment.

Want sustained growth for you and your partners? I would love to continue to conversation with you. Let’s chat…

Learn More About VMi Here
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