PRM for Zoho CRM: Quick Start Guide
Set up Zoho PRM to bring your partners in, manage partner programs, collaborate through the Partner Portal, and reward partner performance.
Before you begin
Make sure you have:
Zoho CRM access with the required permissions.
Partner accounts and contacts ready.
A clear idea of your partner programs, requirements, benefits, and commissions.
1. Install PRM
Zoho PRM is available as a dedicated workspace within Zoho CRM.
In Zoho CRM, go to App Space > PRM > Install PRM.
2. Add Partner Accounts and Contacts
Add Partner Accounts
Go to Partner Accounts and create the partner accounts you want to manage in PRM.
Create manually: Click Create Partner Account, enter the required details, and save.
Import: Import partner account records when you have multiple partners to add.
Add Partner Contacts
Add one or more contacts to each Partner Account.
Create manually: Go to Partner Contacts, click Create Partner Contact, enter the required details, select the associated Partner Account, enter the required details, and save.
Import: Import partner contact records when you need to add multiple contacts.
3. Create a Partner program
A partner program defines how you onboard, evaluate, and reward partners.
Go to Setup > PRM > Partner Programs > Create Partner Program.
Enter the program details and choose a program type:
Non-tiered: All partners participate at the same level.
Tiered: Partners can progress through different tiers based on their performance.
Then configure the program's requirements, eligibility criteria, and benefits.
Configure requirements
Requirements define what partners must achieve to qualify and continue in the program.
For each requirement, specify:
The module and date field to track
A calculation method: Count, Sum, or Average
The required minimum or maximum value
The achievement cycle, such as Monthly, Quarterly, Half-yearly, or Annually
Configure the review settings, requirement details, and eligibility criteria before enabling requirements.
Define benefits
Add the benefits partners receive when they meet the program requirements.
For tiered programs, you can define different benefits for each tier.
Add partners
Select Add Partners, choose the partner accounts to include, and set their status as Active or Inactive.
4. Set up the Partner portal and invite Partners
The Partner Portal provides partners with a dedicated workspace to collaborate with your organization, access relevant records, and register deals.
Go to Settings > PRM > Partner Portal.
Portal User Groups are automatically created for each Partner Program. For tiered programs, a separate group is created for each tier.
Configure portal access
For each Portal User Group:
Selecting the modules partners can access.
Setting module permissions.
Set field permissions to View, Edit, or Hidden.
Up to five modules can be enabled at a time to include in the module selection of the Partner Portal User Groups.
Invite Partner Users
Invite partner contacts to the Partner Portal from the Partner Contacts module.
Go to Settings > PRM > Partner Portal.
Click Invite Users.
Select the partner contacts you want to invite from the Partner Contacts module.
Send the invitations.
The selected contacts receive an email with access to the Partner Portal.
5. Set Up Deal Registration
Deal Registration lets partners submit and manage deals through the Partner Portal.
Configure the key areas for your process, including:
Module mapping: Map the relevant CRM modules and fields.
Conflict detection: Configure how conflicts are identified.
Conversion rules: Define how registered deals are converted.
Reviewers: Select users who review deal registrations.
6. Set Up Partner Commissions
Use Partner Commissions to define how partners earn commissions based on sales transactions or quota attainment.
Before creating a commission plan, make sure your Partner Programs and relevant sales modules are configured.
Go to Setup > PRM > Partner Commissions
Configure the following:
Plan details: Define the core details of the commission plan.
Event: Define when and for which records commissions are calculated.
Discrepancy and clawback settings: Configure how commission adjustments and clawbacks are handled.
Commission structure: Define how commissions are calculated, such as using a flat or tiered structure.
Recipients: Select the Partner Accounts eligible for the commission plan.
Approval: Specify who must approve commission payouts.
Plan schedule: Define when the commission plan is active.
PRM Setup Checklist
Once these steps are complete, your partners can access their portal, participate in programs, register deals, and earn commissions based on the rules you've configured