How to Find Integration Partners Who Will Drive Long-Term Growth

Security integrators often invest significant effort engaging with technology providers or manufacturers that fail to deliver what customers actually need. In the worst cases, so-called “partners” actively hurt the integrator’s business or deliver short-sighted solutions that don’t contribute to an optimal security posture.

The good news is that great partnerships are possible — and due diligence in partnership coordination can catalyze your growth through new marketing streams, increased market exposure and proven excellence in your craft.

To help you avoid poor partnerships and effectively deliver on your customers’ needs, let’s explore the realities of partner development today, red flags you should look for, and proven ways to transform your partner strategy into a long-term growth advantage.

What’s a Successful Provider-Integrator Relationship?

Customers increasingly need integrators to bring more than piecemeal solutions to the table. The security market is flooded with vendors and focused capabilities, but every investment must support a holistic, programmatic solution that efficiently meets the stated goals.

Some solution providers may appear to be a perfect fit for your customers’ current need, however, these relationships can quickly introduce reputational risk or simply be unable to generate ongoing customer value.

The most effective partnerships are built on the following elements:

• Established rules of engagement. Vendors should not compete with you for business. Friction is inevitable when there’s no alignment between the vendor’s partner program and overall go-to-market strategy. Develop an agreed upon rules of engagement with every partner to clarify how each of you will operate, what responsibilities you hold and how you can benefit each other’s growth. Each partner should understand how they will invest in scoping the right program for the needs of the end customer.

• Joint sales motions. It’s unrealistic (and unsustainable) to expect your team to be experts in every security sector and solution provider. Effective partners enable your sales team with resources and education that make it easy to identify when that partner may be the right fit for a customer and how to bring them into the conversation.

• Long-term commitment. Vendors focus solely on an initial sale and then remove themselves from ongoing conversations. As your customers’ needs continue to change, actual partners are prepared and eager to consider alternate implementations or strategies that reflect the newest needs and opportunities.

• Open collaboration with industry players. Your chosen partners need to understand and appreciate the entire ecosystem your business operates with. Individual vendors aren’t the only players in their space, and the best partners will collaborate with other vendors in your network and invest resources to ensure complete cohesion across every solution you deploy for customers.

These guiding principles will help you define what you are seeking in prospective partners. Next is strengthening your ability to evaluate partners for alignment with those principles.

How to Assess Integration Partners for Long-Term Value

Thorough vetting of any potential partner can reduce the risk of false starts or building a network of frenemies who don’t have your best interest in mind.

There are several red flags to look for when deciding whether a vendor is trustworthy to partner with, exemplifies a commitment to preserving your customer experience, and will ultimately support your brand’s reputation and growth.

Ask questions like these throughout your discovery and evaluation process to develop the greatest likelihood of a fulfilling partnership:

• “How does your direct sales program support partner relationships?” Any partner should be able to clearly explain how they work with you and not directly compete with you. The most successful partnerships are built from a team selling approach where the integrator can benefit from the expertise and collaboration of the direct sales team.

• “What joint marketing opportunities do you hope to engage in?” Ideal partnerships uplift all parties in spaces where buyers engage: trade shows, exclusive events, webinars and content experiences delivered in online channels. Explore joint marketing options from the beginning to gain a solid understanding of how mature the partner’s marketing function is and whether they will bring as much to the table as you will.

• “Do you have a tiered partner program, or how do you incentivize partners that bring more business to you?” As your team generates business for vendors, you should understand how that investment is rewarded and if they prioritize organizations that deliver significant value.

• “How quickly can you respond to support needs and how do you assist us with product or service concerns?” The post-sale experience is just as crucial as implementation. Customers will call you when they encounter a problem and it is your reputation on the line if a partner’s solution causes an issue. Align with partners on how they partner with you to solve challenges and what support they do or do not provide.

Partnerships Are Your Best Business Investment

A strategic partnership mindset delivers a win-win-win that creates a flywheel of success: happier customers who retain their business and recommend you to others, higher operational efficiency with greater flexibility to reach new buyers, and combined power with partners to engage buyers and stay ahead of market trends.

Achieving this reality starts one partner at a time, helping you better spot the vendors who are invested in your growth and eager to tackle your customer challenges together.

Celeste Miller is director of channels for LiveView Technologies (LVT).

The post How to Find Integration Partners Who Will Drive Long-Term Growth appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

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