We believe that channel success comes from the ability for organizations to fully realize the potential of their partners throughout the partner journey. To understand what factors best contribute to that optimum performance, we partnered with the University of Glasgow to conduct extensive, data-driven research on the practices and behaviors most critical to partner growth and success.
This research was based on a concept originated by AchieveUnite called Partner LifeTime Value®. We first began developing the theory of Partner LifeTime Value after looking at Customer Lifetime Value from the lens of the channel.
The Study
We surveyed 150 US-headquartered IT vendors to understand the extent to which technology vendors value long-term partnerships and the steps necessary to proactively build Partner LifeTime Value.
Based on industry best practices and psychological literature, the survey asked vendors to respond to questions about the four stages of partnership: recruitment success, early ramp to revenue, partner collaboration, and partner legacy. Vendors answered all questions on a scale of one to five, with one meaning “completely disagree,” and five meaning “completely agree.” All responses were based on a vendor’s attitudes and policies towards channel partners.
After analyzing the data, we found six foundational elements of Partner LifeTime Value. These six factors, which form the acronym ACTIVE, provide a roadmap for a productive and successful
partner strategy.
The Six Domains of Partner LifeTime Value
1. Allegiance
2. Commitment
3. Training
4. Investment
5. Velocity
6. Engagement
How to Incorporate PLTV insights into your organization through the
Vendor Maturity Index™
The Vendor Maturity Index™ (VMi) and assessment provides insight for channel executives to understand the key factors that contribute to high Partner LifeTime Value®, and offers a holistic framework to evaluate a business’ end-to-end channel strategy.
For channel organizations at any stage, VMi delivers a comprehensive baseline assessment to measure the strength of your channel strategy and partner programs.
The results of VMi help your company understand the key elements contributing to high Partner LifeTime Value and highlight areas of improvement necessary to accelerate channel growth and success.