Partner Relationship Management Software (PRM)

Channeltivity’s partner relationship management software allows technology companies run successful channel programs. The software’s functionality covers the whole partner lifecycle from planning to recruiting and onboarding to successful activation and ongoing management. Divided into three functional areas, partner enablement, channel marketing, and channel sales, the PRM platform includes multiple modules within each area. Some of the more popular modules include deal registration, MDF, a resource library, co-branded collateral, training & certification, email marketing, and lead distribution. 

The modular nature of Channeltivity’s PRM solution enables channel organizations to pick and choose modules based on their partner program, empowering them to launch quickly and add more functionality as they grow. 

What’s Included in Our Partner Relationship Management Software?

Even though Channeltivity is intuitive, our software has deep functionality across several key areas, helping partner leaders address all their channel program needs. 

Partner Enablement Software

Enable your partners to get ramped up quickly and manage your partners effectively. 

• Partner Recruitment – Capture, identify, and onboard prospective partners. Leverage Channeltivity dashboards and reports to measure your progress and segment your partners by type, region, user count, certifications, or custom fields. 
• Training & Certification – Give your partners the knowledge they need to be successful. Track individual course and certification progress, understand users’ quiz performance, and see whether partners qualify for an organization certificate at a glance.
• Business Planning – Create and execute joint goals. Use Channeltivity’s approval workflow to see all of your active plans. Pull a report to show how each plan is progressing, and proactively check in on partners who may need more attention.

Channel Marketing Software

Launch and maintain successful channel marketing efforts.

• Partner Portal – Set up a self-service hub for your partners to access your program. Monitor partner user logins and track their activity, from created Referrals to new MDF Requests to opened Leads.
• Resource Library – Give channel partners secure access to marketing and other resources. Built-in reports allow you to see which materials resonate most with your audience based on ratings and downloads. Easily adjust who can view and download resources with Channeltivity’s full permissions report.
• MDF Management – Simplify marketing development fund management. Use our backend reports to accelerate your MDF approval process, tracking new, allocated, and reimbursed funds and the resulting pipeline from MDF spend.
• Email Marketing – Keep resellers informed with the latest product and sales information. Review clicks and opens to refine your email strategy and use the Email Log to investigate any send failures. 
• Co-Branded Collateral – Create professional, on-brand marketing materials. See which partners have created Co-Branded Collateral and when. Download them yourself to confirm logos and text look the way you want them to.

Channel Sales Software

Collaborate and gain visibility into partner sales pipelines.

• Deal Registration – Manage the deal registration approval process. Know instantly where Deal Registrations are in the sales cycle, monitor their close date, and track payouts straight from the module.
• Referrals & Commissions – Capture referrals and monitor referral fees. Keep your pipeline moving with detailed insight into each referral, or zoom out to oversee total resulting sales and commission fees.
• Lead Distribution – Give leads to your partners and track their progress. Follow Lead progress from open to close, tracking any status changes, comments, file uploads, or assignment changes along the way.
• Distributor Management – Integrate distributors into your channel pipelines. Track your overall global or domestic presence and understand the relationship between Distributors and partners. 

Plug & Play Partner Relationship Management System Integration

Integrate your PRM seamlessly with your existing systems.

• HubSpot – Automate the flow of PRM data with our plug-and-play HubSpot integration. Get real-time bi-directional sync of your data for Referrals, Leads, Deals, Partners and more.
• Salesforce – Exchange channel data from your PRM with Salesforce using our native Salesforce integration. Keep sales folks in the know with our always-on sync. Use the Managed Package to view and update Channeltivity data directly within Salesforce.
• Zapier, SSO, and APIs – Connect to other systems via SSO, APIs, and integrations. Seamlessly connect other partner-facing apps with your PRM software using SAML single sign-on and create a one-stop integrated area for your channel.

Trust & Safety

Learn how we keep our PRM secure.

• Security & Compliance – our compliance and security practices keep you safe
• GDPR Compliance – stay compliant with EU privacy laws

Partner Relationship Management Platform Features

A comprehensive platform for partner management.

• Notifications & Reminders – don’t let anything fall through the cracks
• Analytics & Reporting – real-time access to all your channel partners
• Multi-Language – automatically translate content in your PRM
• Partner Dashboards – create dashboards with the metrics that matter most
• Social Sharing & Collaboration – foster partner collaboration and engagement

What Makes Our PRM Software Different?

The guiding principle of Channeltivity’s solution is that it should make channel management easy and reduce friction. This translates into a number of differentiators:

Usability

• User Interface: Our software is easy to use and understand. The user interface is straightforward and includes lots of inline help and input validation to guide the user. 
• Configuration: Channeltivity is also easy to configure, with all software and integration settings fully accessible to the customer, putting them in control and avoiding the need for professional services or extra IT support. 
• Documentation: An extensive knowledge base provides a comprehensive implementation guide and help articles with step-by-step instructions for all areas. 

Functionality

• Deep Feature Set: High tech companies have been running their channel programs on Channeltivity’s partner relationship management software since 2007. We’ve continuously and consistently invested in our software and created a product that works really well and has incredible depth in its feature set.
• Flexibility: Change is inevitable and many companies revamp and improve their channel programs on a regular basis. Channeltivity’s point-and-click configuration settings support change in the channel and allow programs to be nimble in adjusting to changes.
• Preconfigured: Channeltivity comes preconfigured with workflows and capabilities to support successful channels. Our focus on high tech channel management has given us deep expertise that we bake into our application for our customers’ benefit.

Implementation & Support

• Helpful People: The only way we’re successful is if our customers are successful and our entire implementation and support process is geared around this principle. Talk to any of our customers and you’ll hear that our team is responsive, knowledgeable, and, most importantly, helpful. 
• Guided Implementation: Our implementation process walks you through all the necessary configuration steps to get you using your PRM. Supported by extensive documentation, we make sure that you’re on the right path to channel success.
• Unlimited Support: Our subscriptions all include unlimited customer support. We happily schedule calls, respond to emails, and do everything we can to ensure our customers have the guidance and resources they need to succeed.

What is Partner Relationship Management Anyway?

Partner Relationship Management (PRM) is a business strategy that maximizes sales through channel partners, referral partners, or distributors.

Effective PRM requires clear communication, trust building, and written agreements to ensure smooth collaboration between businesses and their partners.

Partner management software solutions are cloud-based platforms that streamline business processes between companies and their partners through content management, lead distribution, and deal registration.

Learn more about the definition of PRM.

Frequently Asked Questions

Make sure to read our dedicated PRM FAQs here.

How Does a PRM Improve Partner Collaboration and Communication?

Clear communication channels and transparency are key to building trust and fostering a productive partnership.

PRM tools make communicating with partners easier by providing a single platform for sharing information. With PRM software, partners can share leads, register deals, and access marketing collateral in one place.

How Does a PRM Help Partner Teams Scale Their Partner Programs?

As companies grow, it can be challenging to manage relationships with hundreds or thousands of partners manually.

This is where PRM software comes in. Partner management platforms enable companies to scale their partner operations and sales by providing tools for managing relationships with partners, sharing information, and analyzing partner performance. For example, PRMs can help you identify:

• Partner traits with the biggest influence on performance
• Effective incentives
• Popular resources, so you can make even more helpful documentation
• Co-marketing ROI, so you can invest in the activities that yield the most leads

The analytics side of PRM software highlights gaps in an organization’s partner strategy, giving them the tools they need to optimize programs for maximum impact. With metrics at your fingertips, you can adapt to changes quickly and keep your partners as engaged as possible.

PRM solutions can also automate partner processes, freeing up time for partner managers to focus on value-adding activities, such as building relationships with strategic partners and brainstorming new go-to-market strategies.

What Are the Differences Between CRM and PRM?

While both customer relationship management (CRM) and partner relationship management (PRM) software focus on managing relationships, they differ in scope.

CRM software is designed to manage customer relationships, while partner management solutions help teams manage their partners.

The biggest difference between CRM and PRM software is that PRM solutions are tailored specifically to the unique needs of partner management, such as lead distribution, deal registration, and partner performance tracking. By contrast, CRM software is focused on managing customer interactions, such as sales meetings, sales notes, and customer support.

How Can PRM Software Improve Marketing and Sales?

Deciding on the right PRM can vastly improve sales and marketing efforts. How? 

• By including providing marketing collateral, such as presentations, videos, and case studies, making it easier for new partners to market and sell a company’s products
• By encouraging partner engagement with announcements, learning management, and co-branded collateral
• By tracking partner performance to identify areas for improving the partner experience and partner satisfaction with the right partner incentives
• By studying the behaviors of your best partners to recruit more partners like them and expand partner networks
• By giving partners an opportunity to explore partner marketing strategies and leverage MDFs
• By integrating their partner marketing and sales efforts with their existing programs, allowing for a more cohesive and effective go-to-market strategy

What Are Best Practices for Partner Relationship Management?

To build a successful partner program, companies need to build strong partnerships and foster open communication channels. They can achieve ideal PRM by:

• Prioritizing regular communication with their partners, including frequent check-ins and status updates. 
• Building mutual understanding and alignment between the two organizations by defining mutual goals, setting expectations, and creating written agreements.
• Providing their partners with the resources they need to be successful, such as marketing collateral and sales training. By following these best practices, companies can build strong partnerships that drive mutual success.

What Are Reasons to Switch to a Different PRM Software?

While there are definitely situations when switching PRM providers makes sense, it often makes sense to take a good hard look at your existing system’s capabilities and any structural issues within your partner program. For an in-depth exploration, check out our article on when to switch PRMs.

Key Takeaways

• PRM is a critical strategy for businesses looking to enhance sales effectiveness by working closely with partners
• PRM software streamlines business processes between firms and partners, creating a close-knit partner ecosystem
• Effective PRM necessitates clear communication, trust-building, and written agreements
• The best PRM tools have partner portals with modules for: MDFs, co-branded collateral, resources, training, business planning, and deal registration
• Top-rated PRM products help sales and marketing managers optimize relationships with partners