In this video, three experts in channel partner training—Jeff Campbell from Motrain, John Leh from Talented Learning, and Brett Strauss from NetExam—discuss strategies for maximizing channel partner success through education.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations depend on their partners to drive sales and growth. But ensuring that these partners are well-trained and fully engaged can be challenging. In a recent panel discussion, three industry experts shared their insights on strategies to improve partner engagement, boost course completions, and drive certification rates.

Here’s a recap of the key takeaways from their conversation.

1. Bite-Sized Training for Maximum Impact

Brett Strauss kicked off the discussion by stressing the importance of delivering short, digestible lessons to partners. In a world where attention spans are shrinking, it’s critical to create content that fits into their busy schedules.

“Smaller is better when it comes to training,” said Strauss. “You’ve got to get in, get out, and get the information across.”

Strauss shared a personal anecdote about creating a short, engaging video for NetExam, with the help of his 16-year-old son who transformed it into a TikTok-style video with music, graphics, and overlays. This kind of concise, engaging format is particularly effective at capturing attention and ensuring that key information sticks.

The takeaway here? Keep lessons short—two to three minutes—and focused. These microlearning bursts allow partners to complete training in between calls and quickly return to their tasks, without losing momentum.

2. Shifting Focus from Facts to Problem-Solving

While data and figures are an important part of any product training, Strauss emphasized that partners don’t need to memorize every statistic. Instead, he recommended putting detailed data in easily accessible PDFs and shifting the focus of training to developing the skills partners really need: listening to customers, understanding their problems, and offering solutions.

“The real challenge for partners isn’t memorizing product facts—it’s understanding how to fit that product into a customer’s specific problem,” he said.

This problem-solving focus, paired with tools like AI and video, allows organizations to simulate customer interactions and improve partners’ pitch skills, helping them become more effective in real-world situations.

3. AI-Powered Personalization to Fill Knowledge Gaps

One of the most exciting advancements in partner training is the use of AI to personalize learning. AI can analyze a partner’s performance, pinpoint areas where they’re struggling, and build custom training programs to address those gaps.

For example, if a partner scores poorly on a certain section of a course, AI can create a new module focused specifically on their weak areas. The system can even adapt the format of the training—offering flashcards, videos, or quizzes based on the learner’s preferences or environment.

AI is jolting learning more than any other industry. It can ensure that every partner gets the personalized training they need to reach mastery.

By focusing on specific areas for improvement, rather than forcing partners to repeat entire courses, AI helps them achieve a higher level of expertise in less time.

4. Mastery, Not Just Completion

Jeff Campbell reinforced the importance of moving beyond course completions and focusing on developing true mastery. He recalled his time as an educator, where some students would do just enough to pass, reaching the “50.0 and go” threshold. But for professionals selling complex products, scraping by with a minimal level of knowledge isn’t enough.

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable buying from someone who only acquired 50% of the information,” Campbell explained. “Mastery is what sets great partners apart.”

AI and data analytics can help track and encourage mastery by identifying knowledge gaps and guiding partners toward closing those gaps, ultimately improving their performance in the field.

5. The Measurable Impact of Training

One of the key advantages of partner training is that it’s measurable, as John Leh pointed out. Organizations can track which partners have completed training and then link that data to performance metrics in their CRM or Partner Relationship Management (PRM) systems. This allows companies to correlate training completion with improvements in sales performance, which can be a powerful motivator for partners.

“Human nature is, if you can prove that training helps partners sell 24% more, they’ll want to engage,” said Leh. “You can use that data to drive partner engagement and performance.”

By demonstrating the direct impact of training on sales, organizations can better incentivize their partners to complete and excel in training programs.

6. Gamification and Motivation

Motivating partners to complete training can be tricky, especially when the training isn’t mandatory. The panel discussed the effectiveness of gamification strategies like leaderboards, levels, and incentives to encourage participation.

Leaderboards, in particular, can tap into healthy competition among partners, especially when they know each other personally. Jeff Campbell shared how leaderboards are most effective when partners can see their rankings relative to others they know. However, he warned that leaderboards might not work as well when partners don’t have personal connections with those they’re competing against.

Another strategy discussed was levels, where partners earn points or virtual currency as they progress through their training. These levels not only motivate partners to reach new milestones, but they also provide valuable business insights. Companies can see which partners are most engaged and use that information to tailor their outreach efforts.

Campbell summed it up well: “Segmentation by levels is a gold mine for business insights. It helps you identify your top-performing partners and focus your efforts where they’ll have the most impact.”

7. Harnessing the Power of Data

At the end of the day, the panelists agreed that data is key to improving partner engagement and performance. By tracking training completion, knowledge gaps, and performance metrics, organizations can build targeted strategies to help partners succeed.

Knowing which partners are at the top of the leaderboard or which ones are most engaged allows businesses to tailor their marketing, support, and incentive programs. As Campbell noted, the top 20% of partners often drive 80% of the revenue—so focusing on these high performers can significantly boost business results.

Key Takeaways

Improving partner engagement, boosting course completions, and driving certification rates requires a combination of short, engaging content, AI-powered personalization, and effective motivation strategies. By focusing on mastery rather than just course completion and leveraging data to track performance, organizations can help their partners succeed and, in turn, drive more business.

As training technology continues to evolve, the opportunities to personalize and improve the learning experience for partners will only grow. By applying the strategies shared in this panel discussion, organizations can stay ahead of the curve and ensure their partners are equipped to perform at their best.If you’re looking for more ways to improve your partner training programs, watch the complete panel discussion at https://youtu.be/hCynTwdsI50.

Meet the Experts :

• Brett Strauss, NetExam
  NetExam LMS+ is a leading learning management system designed to optimize partner and customer education. With a strong focus on external training, NetExam enables companies to improve product expertise, boost partner performance, and drive revenue growth.
  
• Jeff Campbell, Motrain
  Motrain is a cutting-edge platform designed to incentivize learning through gamification. By integrating with LMS platforms like NetExam, Motrain helps organizations motivate their channel partners to complete training and improve sales through rewards and recognition.
  
• John Leh, Talented Learning
  Talented Learning is a research and consulting firm that focuses on external training solutions. John Leh, as the CEO and lead analyst, brings decades of experience in helping organizations optimize their learning programs for channel partners, customers, and other external audiences.