Being a good partner requires effort, but it’s that extra effort that will help your partners produce real results.
Anyone who’s ever found themself in an elementary P.E. class has likely been asked to pick a partner. Having a partner means you can play badminton two-on-two, you don’t have to count your own push-ups, and a partner is pretty much a requirement for the three-legged race. As we learned very early in life, partners share challenges, risks, and celebrate their victories together. It’s the same in business.
Through our network of preferred partners, Fortegra provides insurance, warranty, and credit protection solutions that help customers overcome the challenges of life’s everyday setbacks. However, we don’t just hand our partners a potato sack and expect them to run the race alone. That wouldn’t be much of a partnership.
Being a good partner is about pledging a truly collaborative approach. Looking to boost your business partnership? Here are four great ways to provide support:
- Offering Customer Service for Your Products
If someone hands you a badminton racquet and a birdie and tells you to go have fun, that’s not a great partner. Look, it could be the best shuttlecock ever designed, but you’d still be playing by yourself. The same holds true in business with partners and products. You can give your partner an awesome product to sell, but shouldn’t you also give them support in the act of selling it?If you’re providing a product for your partners, go one step further and be there to provide support. Not just support for your partner (we’ll get there in a minute), but also your partner’s customers. Customer support can be challenging, but when done correctly, it can help build rapport between the customer and the brand and help take the burden off your partner.
- Providing Marketing Support
You know your product, and chances are, you know how to market it. In fact, you might already be marketing it. Shouldn’t you extend that knowledge to your partner? If your partner sells your product at a retail location, consider providing them with custom point-of-sale material. If your partner sells mostly online, try supporting their social media presence or other digital efforts using your own branded accounts or website. When both parties approach marketing with the same game plan, you can make your efforts go further. - Sharing the Latest Industry Updates
Your industry is always changing and you know how to play the game. But if your partner doesn’t know the rules, it’s not only going to negatively impact their business, but also likely your own. Consider sharing industry updates with your partners, especially those that deal with compliance and regulation.Still, being attuned to the marketplace isn’t just about preventing regulatory violations; it’s about improving something. In order to help our partners drive to the heart of customer needs, we offer in-depth marketplace analysis.
- Delivering Product Education and Training
Even the best salespeople would struggle to sell something without understanding the features and benefits. As the product creator, make sure you’re educating your partners about the product you’ve provided them to sell.From in-person training to Webinars, there are a number of ways to go about product education. If you have a product that’s part of a continuously evolving industry – like Fortegra’s credit protection lineup – an online training portal is one way to keep partners and individual sales forces properly informed about the entire line. The Fortegra Learning Academy includes an overview of the product line, best practices for avoiding compliance issues, and downloadable sales product cards with details of each plan.
Don’t be the kid who get’s picked last in gym class, make sure you’re taking the necessary steps to become the best partner you can. Yes, it requires effort. But it’s that extra effort that will help you and your partners succeed together.
Interested in becoming a Fortegra preferred partner? Contact us today to learn more about how you and your customers can Experience More.
