Deploying a partner program is a very big decision and it comes at the cost of a lot of resources. So for a successful partner program, it is very important that it is aligned with a customer centric strategy.
After the deployment of our online ordering system for restaurants, the sales team at Restolabs started with a partner program envisioned to take the business forward while enabling new business opportunities for partners in the process. The process, when started 2 years back was not as smooth as it is now. These years of experience have refined our processes to suit the needs of our resellers in a better way.
We have compiled a list of 7 must check things before signing up for a reseller/partner program.
- How much effort the company is putting to understand your business: We have learned the importance of understanding the partner's business. To run a successful reseller/partner program it is vital to understand this fact as this provides critical insight on how can your partner does business and moreover it makes the process of reselling easier for your partner.
- Understanding the parent company: It is a good thing to do, analyze the parent company’s direct sales process. It would provide insight into the organization whom you are going to enlist with. The easiest way to close a deal is to simply fulfill the customer’s need. The more customer centric the process the easier it would be for you to resale the product.
- This is pretty obvious: You should check the benchmarks to see what competitors are providing. A deep understanding of the competitor’s partner program will also reveal other things and it will make the process more transparent. Of course! you can drive a harder bargain. But in the long term, it will help you to develop a better relationship with the parent company.
- Depending on the type of the market you are selling to. There will be things that you can add to the main product to sell it with an added value.
- What are the additional benefits of signing up for their reseller program: You should simply look beyond margins here. Signing up for a new reseller program doesn't mean 1 more product in your inventory. When you sign up with a good parent company there will be additional perks. Couple of them would be.
- Increase in knowledge level: You will have understanding of a new product which might demand you learn something new. If the company provides certification programs for the partners, then you would have access to good material to learn more and become an expert in that particular field.
- New and improved solutions: With the support of the parent company you can have access to better resources to provide better solutions. With this added support, you can also experiment a bit to achieve new innovative ways to solve your customer's problems. What you expect from the parent company and vice versa
-
-
- You can be part of a bigger network: The parent company provides relevant information about the product. It can be provided in a customizable format. Usually, this information is available through blogs or a forum dedicated to helping out the reselling partners.
- What you can expect from a good company
- Provide best of solutions
- Provide professional support during pre and post sales process
-
- Provide educational content that helps you understand the product better
-
-
These are few pointers to check before you sign up for any reseller program. If you have more suggestions or you would like to tell us something more, then you can reach us at info@restolabs.com. And we will get back to you asap. Restolabs is an online ordering software for restaurants, catering and food trucks.
We also provide a white label online ordering software for restaurants. If you are interested then you can let us know here.