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 overcoming the challenges of driving higher sales through partner education.

They explore how training programs can be designed to engage channel partners and drive sales by leveraging incentives, marketing techniques, and just-in-time learning.

The Key Takeaway

You can’t understate the importance of treating partner training like a product, which requires a well-structured marketing strategy focused on awareness, engagement, and advocacy.

• Awareness involves making channel partners aware of the training, especially considering their busy schedules. Incentives such as branded merchandise can drive registrations and keep partners engaged in the program.
  
• For engagement, since training isn’t mandatory for partners, the challenge is to encourage them to continually consume both existing and new content. Positioning the training as a source of professional knowledge, not just product-related education, can help partners see the value in returning to the platform.
  
• Advocacy focuses on transforming trained partners into brand champions. By incentivizing testimonials, reviews, and user-generated content, companies can create a flywheel effect that drives further awareness and participation.
  

Just-In-Time Partner Training

Another key point is that channel partner training is fundamentally different from employee training. Channel partners typically don’t have time for long, traditional training sessions.

To overcome this, training should be delivered in small, relevant chunks, tailored to their immediate needs. By using adaptive learning and leveraging data from CRM or PRM systems, companies can offer personalized, just-in-time training, which fits into the busy schedules of partners.

Incenting Partners

Finally, this session highlights the role of incentives to drive training participation. Partners aren’t obligated to complete training, so offering rewards such as better margins, branded merchandise, certifications, elevated partner logos, or improved search rankings can motivate organizations to push their employees to complete training.

Similarly, individual incentives like rewards for completing training modules can motivate the learners themselves. These two levels of incentivization—organizational and individual—work together to drive greater engagement and, ultimately, higher sales performance.

To dive deeper into these insights and the full panel discussion, watch the complete video at https://youtu.be/hCynTwdsI50.

Meet the Experts:

• 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.
  
• 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.