To support smaller partners who lack marketing resources, vendors can offer a concierge service through their partner demand center. This provides hands-on human help for executing pre-built, turnkey campaigns. This model drives significant adoption and results from the long-tail segment, which often feels neglected by vendors.

Shift partner tiering away from being solely based on sales volume. Instead, use a partner's investment in training and certification as the main parameter. This approach rewards commitment and capability, which are leading indicators of future success. It allows smaller, highly-invested partners to be recognized and supported appropriately.

To shift from reactive 'order takers' to strategic advisors, partner marketers should first document their sales counterparts' specific goals (e.g., net new logos, deal registrations). This 'working backwards' approach aligns all marketing activities to sales objectives, building trust and ensuring marketing serves as a strategic partner, not just an execution arm.

A one-size-fits-all sales role fails in consumption models. Success requires segmenting the team into specialized roles—new business acquisition, customer onboarding, and account management—each with distinct incentives aligned to their specific function, from initial sign-up to value realization and expansion.

Traditional revenue tiers (Gold, Silver, Bronze) are vendor-centric. A more effective approach is to classify partners by their business model. For example, an MSSP needs predictable upfront costs to build a service, while a value-added reseller may prefer volume-based rebates. Tailoring your program to their model, not just their size, is key.

In a multi-product company, horizontal teams naturally prioritize mature, high-impact businesses. Structuring teams vertically with P&L ownership for each product, even nascent ones, ensures dedicated focus and accountability, preventing smaller initiatives from being starved of resources.

As ad costs rise and organic reach declines, B2B businesses should evolve their sales teams. Instead of focusing solely on cold outreach, empower them with the bandwidth and capability to build and manage a systemized network of referral partners. This creates a predictable and more profitable growth engine.

Vendors and TSDs get lost in partner labels. The critical distinction is the partner's business model: Do they want a residual commission, to resell on their own paper, or a one-time payment? Offering this flexibility is key to recruiting and enabling modern partners.

In a B2B supplier or distributor model, success depends on going downstream. You must understand not only your direct partner's business drivers and KPIs but also the needs of their end-customer. This allows you to align strategy across the entire value chain.