How to Leverage Partners in Your Sales Strategy

How to Leverage Partners in Your Sales Strategy

At long last, your product is yours to sell; your partners are your primary customers. And each of your partners has their own customer base, untapped by you. It's a market brimming with possibilities. 

 

Your channel partners provide you and your brand an immediate social context, helping you sell your product in uncharted territory while saving time, cost, and effort.  Partners are the strategic collaborators who open doors to other competitive markets

 

Let's look at some of the benefits of having a channel partner sell your products:

 

  1. 1. Partner programs give you the opportunity to venture into a new market with a different language, culture, and geographic location without the costs of acquisition. Your chances of success multiply while you save on the costs, time, and effort of building your brand in a new market yourself.
    2. As your channel partner is already a trusted brand in this new territory, they bring their hard-earned consumer trust to your solution. 
    3. Your channel partners open up a unique opportunity to immediately reach out to new markets and create new sales opportunities.

 

The concept of channel partners helping to scale sales is not new. 

 

Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) includes three types of partnership--Gold, Silver, and Remarketing--with a different value proposition for each. For example, Gold Partners get exclusive privileges, like extensive product training; Silver Partners may resell the Oracle Platform as a service. Salesforce, another leader in succesful channel partnerships, has their AppExchange for Salesforce, the AppStore, and other platforms. 

 

A recently published UBS study, shows how effectively Cisco has leveraged their channel partner program to contribute to their revenue growth. 85% of Cisco's revenue is generated through direct sales partners, which consists of only 30 of its top global enterprise customers. 

 

Here are some thoughts on how to leverage your channel partners for scaling your sales:

 

“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.” Andrew Davis

 

 

  1. 1. Create content, share content, ask for content: You know your products and services best. Your partners need your expertise. The best way to provide that? Content. By creating and sharing content about your products, you empower your partners to talk about your solution with confidence. With a repository of content that they can share, repurpose and include in their touch points for their customers, your partners can interface with customers directly with the right know-how. In turn, their ideas and customer interactions can be a valuable source of content for you. 

 

  1. 2. Ask for help organizing networking events in their cities: Customers love meeting their solutions providers face to face, but arranging meetings in other markets or countries is far from easy. Through channels, it's suddenly far easier.  We've found that partners are excited to organize seminars, meet-ups, and networking events on your behalf so you can meet your customers and expand your brand.  

 

  1. 3. Encourage them to create forums: Just as a large corporation would have its own forums, your partners can create forums for you to connect with customers through forums and meaningful support interactions.You'll get a better understanding of your users and their pain points, making your solution more saleable and adding value to your sales scaling strategy. 

 

Conclusion

 

According to  a recent report published by Openview, sales reps can manage 29 open opportunities at a time. Now multiply that by your partners to watch the numbers increase. From the tech industry to FMCG, channel partners are one way of reaching out to underserved. Leveraging your partners to scale your sales gives you opportunity to save costs and time while they get to increase their brand value. 

 

What's your channel partner success story? Share with us here. (link to submit content for publication)


    • Sticky Posts

    • As Sales Person, Here are my New Year Resolutions. What are Yours?

      Being a salesperson, I keep learning from my mistakes and have noted a few changes that I need to make in my approach. I take these resolutions going into 2021, hoping to keep it going for as long as possible :) 1. I will not say "Yes, our product has

    • Once Upon a Sales Meeting!

      It was an awkward silence in the meeting room "Uproar." John Kowalski, the new sales manager, was not happy with the team's performance. After scribbling something in the notepad, he decided to break the silence, John: I cannot believe you guys have been working like this. No reports, delusional forecasting, random targets, and no eye on the ball. Kevin: We followed Richard's orders. John: Well, Richard is not here anymore, is he? John walked up to the whiteboard, and wrote in big bold letters: "TARGET

    • Recent Topics

    • Zoho fsm scheduled maintenance dispatch

      Hi, I'm reaching out regarding an issue I'm encountering with the Scheduled Maintenance feature in Zoho FSM. I’m trying to configure it so that it automatically dispatches all maintenance jobs scheduled within the next 150 days, starting from today. However,

    • zoho.inventory.getRecords returns no records

      I running a custom function (Deluge) in Zoho Flow with a connection to Zoho Inventory. To debug the problem, I created the test function below. It returns "Number of contacts fetched: 0". This confirms that there's no issue with the org ID or connection

    • Feature announcement - Simplifying document creation with Zoho Sign

      Hi there, We are pleased to announce the release of our document creation feature, enabling you to create, edit, and finalize documents like agreements, purchase orders, and contracts without relying on external tools or applications. <br> This

    • Integrating File Attachments in Zoho Flow Email Notifications

      Hi, I would like to be able to send an email once an entry is made in a form, and in this email, I would like to attach a file that has been added to the form using the ImageUpload (or FileUpload) widget. So, I started by creating a flow that will trigger

    • Zoho project purchases

      Hi Folks, I think having a purchase module in projects will help in putting together a project p and L. Project wise purchases and expenses.  Do let me know your thoughts.

    • Create Tasklist with Tasklist Template using API v3

      In the old API, we could mention the parameter 'task_template_id' when creating a tasklist via API to apply a tasklist template: https://www.zoho.com/projects/help/rest-api/tasklists-api.html#create-tasklist In API v3 there does not seem to be a way to

    • How can I restore all the deleted Time entries of a Task in Zoho Projects

      How can I restore all the deleted Time entries of a Task in Zoho Projects? Query: In Zoho Projects, I cloned a task and deleted the time entries from the cloned task. However, this also deleted the time entries from the original task. How can I restore

    • Is there a way to make an account inactive in ZoHo Desk

      We have a few Clients "Accounts" that we no longer do business with. It would be beneficial for them to not show up in lists. However, we want to go back and view tickets, time, etc.

    • How to set the value of the Phone field importing contacts in Zoho Desk

      Hi everyone, i'm new in Zoho Desk, we're setting up the environment and i'm importing contacts from another CRM using a file CSV and i'm getting a problem with phone numbers (italian): the leading zero is cut away, also if the value is inside double quotes.

    • Deprecation Notice: OpenAI Assistants API will be shut down on August 26, 2026

      I recieved this email from openAI what does it means for us that are using the integration and what should we do? Earlier this year, we shared our plan to deprecate the Assistants API once the Responses API reached feature parity. With the launch of Conversations,

    • How to center a field inside a section?

      I’ve been trying to center a field inside a section in Zoho Canvas. When I align it visually, it looks centered in the editor, but after clicking Save, the field appears misaligned on the actual canvas. I also tried setting the field to full width, but

    • Kaizen #192 - Implementing Custom Token Persistence in Python SDK

      Welcome back to another week of Kaizen! Last week, we discussed how to implement Login with Zoho using OAuth 2.0 and saw how to bring it to life in a real-world application with the Zoho CRM Python SDK. We also discussed how Zylker Academy built a custom

    • Showing the map along with mileage expense

      When you use the GPS to track mileage, it shows you the map of the actual path travelled. It would be very useful and practical to save that map with the mileage expense, so that when the report is created, it provides a map of each mileage expense associated

    • Enable Validation Rule for Multi-Select Picklist Field

      Zoho, Please allow validation rules for multi-select fields.

    • File Upload field not showing in workflow

      Hi, I have added a field on Zoho CRM. I want to use it in a workflow where that particular field is updated based on another field, however it is not showing up in the field list to select it in the workflow. Why is this please?

    • CRM Custom function updating a module record shows the Super Admin user as the record modifier

      Dear Zoho CRM Team, Is there any way to update this so that when a custom function has updated a record the Super Admin user doesn't become the modifier? This happens on the record as a modifier and shows up in the audit logs. It would be more useful

    • Best practice importing items and matching assemblies

      Hi, I was wondering what would be the best practice to import items and composite items (assemblies) From my backup, what should I import first? The items or the composite items? I am on Zoho one, using inventory and books. Kind regards, Sabine

    • Best way to fetch employee names from Zoho People into Zoho Creator Inventory Stock Form field Employee Name Lookup

      Hi Team, I have a requirement in my Zoho Creator application (Inventory Stock Adjustment) where I need to fetch employee names from Zoho People and use them as a lookup in a form. Currently, I am considering using an integration field to fetch this data

    • get file api is returning Junk data

      I am working on extension development where at one point I need to retrieve attachments on records I found out I can use only invokeconnection and not invokeurl in extension development The invoke connection returns the image in raw binary format. When

    • Need help with message box

      End user updates many records at once. Each have unique serial number. They want a confirmation box that says starting number, ending number and qty. Is there any way to do this? I been searching and asking support but seems like no great solution.

    • [Webinar] The Transformative Power of Gen BI

      Traditional decision-making tools are no longer enough. The integration of generative AI into business intelligence (BI) is proving to be a true game changer—enabling businesses to make faster, smarter, and better informed decisions. Early adopters of

    • Backorder process review - Automating Removal of Sales Order from "On Hold" When PO is Received

      Hello Zoho Inventory Team, Currently, sales orders in On Hold status are released only when the bill for the purchase order is created. In our workflow, it would be much more efficient if the sales order could automatically move out of On Hold as soon

    • How to access the saved Query using API?

      I have created a query in setting. Is it possible to access it from a API? What's the endpoint? I tried /v8/queries/important_deals but didnt' work.

    • création d'une base de données

      base de donnee d'un lycée

    • User Session variables to recall after form submit & redirect to menu

      Hey, Forgive me if this is a simple answer I have overlooked. I have built a big onboarding process for my SAAS platform which is built and managed by an external Dev team. I am hoping to embed my new creator app on the SAAS platform. I have a menu page

    • Zoho Writer Merge Template with data from Zoho Analytics Views

      Hello, Is there any way to pull information from Zoho Analytics and put it into a Merge Template? I am trying to create a bulk export of one report that filters on a field to create a single document for each of the filter fields.

    • Having to enter bill before stock shows as available.

      Hi, Am I right in thinking you must create a bill from the purchase order receipt before the goods are available for shipping?

    • Agent Availability Report

      From data to decisions: A deep dive into ticketing system reports Businesses need to track when their support agents check in and check out from work. This report, titled Agent Availability, is one of the static reports that helps managers track the number

    • Writing by Hand in "Write" Notes

      Hi there! I just downloaded this app a few moments ago, and I was wondering if there was a way to write things by hand in "Write" mode instead of just typing in the keyboard. It would make things a bit more efficient for me in this moment. Thanks!

    • AI-driven construction analytics using Zoho Projects Plus

      Construction projects thrive on timelines; if a project is completed on or before the expected time, it makes headlines, but if it gets delayed, the company’s credibility will be at risk. Such projects require precise planning and constant monitoring,

    • Canadian payroll

      Hello ZOHO, is any updates on when payroll for Canada will be available?

    • Unified customer view: Bringing product intelligence into your CRM data

      For businesses today, applications and digital interfaces are the main touch points in the customer journey. While Zoho CRM data already tells who your customers are and what they buy, Zoho Apptics tells you how they interact and engage with your product.

    • Zoho Creator SaaS app with multiple client AND multiple users

      I am close to finalizing a Zoho Creator app that will be used by different companies to manage sale info, and each company can have multiple users using the app. Things were going perfectly until I tried a search on a report. I use a database field in each table to separate the data for each company, which works great. BUT when I do a search, I get to see ALL the data. This means that Company A could easily see the data from Companies B and C via the built-in search. Is there a way to set up the

    • Project Change Orders and Additions

      We are in the process of migrating from QuickBooks Online to Zoho Books. We have Zoho One and like the ability to sync all of our data across everything. And I like that projects work in a way that's less dumb than QuickBooks. I'm trying to figure out

    • Track online, in-office, and client location meetings separately with the new meeting venue option

      Hello everyone! We’re excited to announce meeting enhancements in Zoho CRM that bring more clarity and structure to how meetings are categorized. You can now specify the meeting venue to clearly indicate whether a meeting is being held online, at the

    • Possible to send Zoom AI Companion transcripts and summaries to contacts in CRM?

      Title says it all. Is it possible to send Zoom AI Companion transcripts and summaries to contacts in Zoho CRM?

    • How do I edit the Calendar Invite notifications for Interviews in Recruit?

      I'm setting up the Zoho Recruit Interview Calendar system but there's some notifications I don't have any control over. I've turned off all Workflows and Automations related to the Calendar Scheduling and it seems that it's the notification that is sent

    • Posibility to add Emoticons on the Email Subject of Templates

      Hi I´ve tried to add Emoticons on the Subject line of Email templates, the emoticon image does show up before saving the template or if I add the Emoticon while sending an Individual email and placing it manually on the subject line. Emoticons also show

    • Clarity on extended contract status

      Clarity on “extended” status- How does Zoho “extend” a contract?  E.g. if client extends by 1 month, can the “end date” be adjusted accordingly in Zoho and tagged as “Extended” with a clear audit trail that also captures the client’s email? Note- Email

    • Customizing contract status

      Can we customize/add/remove status on Zoho contracts ourselves or does Zoho needs to do this? Context- There is a long list of status on Zoho but not all of them are relevant for us . There are few status which are missing and needs to be added. E.g-

    • Next Page