How to Motivate Resellers for High Performance

In today’s dynamic sales environment, businesses and leaders are progressively looking for new strategies on how to motivate resellers for high performance. The ideal reseller is highly energized, invested in organizational growth, and efficient about getting products into the hands of the happy consumer. However, studies indicate the vast majority of workers are disengaged and emotionally disconnected from their companies; which leads to lower productivity. This could, of course, also include workers and partners outside of your business. So, how can you inspire resellers and distributors to go the extra mile on the sales front?

The trick is meeting the internal (emotional) and external (environmental) needs of your partners to maximize productivity. Here are four ways to motivate resellers for high performance: 

Performance-Based Rewards

It’s no secret that resellers are motivated by rewards. Bonuses, such as vacations or gift cards, are great ways to show your channel members appreciation for meeting or exceeding sales goals. Incentives can be individualized or team based – incorporate both so partners are excelling individually but also determined to maintain a winning team. The friendly competition amongst team members is good for the company because they work harder to see who can push the most products and in return get rewarded for their drive. The better the incentives, the more your resellers will recognize that their hard work is not only encouraged, but tremendously valued.

Training Opportunities

What makes a reseller motivated to effectively sell your brand? It is their knowledge and expertise about the product they are encouraging customers to purchase. You can keep them in the know by way of customized in-person or online training courses. Performance is built on how well the salesperson knows the features and functionality of the product and can relay its benefits to the customer. Through training, you can bring your resellers up to speed on your products and processes quickly and cost-effectively. Otherwise, they won’t be able to sell your product effectively.

From new marketing materials and product details to updated selling guides that reflect business updates, your team needs the business-critical information that allows them to perform at their highest level. Train them on the information that is vital to the good operations of the organization and the data necessary for full functionality.

Growth & Development

Another motivational approach is to regularly communicate resellers’ opportunities to expand and grow with your business. Resellers don’t want to be left hanging when it comes to their growth. If they’re not making money they will start to become less engaged and less interested in doing business with you. As you open the door to expansion and increased visibility, your resellers’ willingness to perform will, in turn, be much more open. 

Positive Business Culture

Think about it – how uplifting and productive is your business culture? Today’s resellers desire a great company culture just the same way as your employees. They need to feel empowered to provide a positive customer experience and can do so when the environment is safe, productive, and positive. When leaders build a fun culture to show how much they care about and trust their partners, it’s a win-win for all. Happy resellers, happy customers! 

Remember that resellers thrive off of opportunities to grow, a positive business experience, adequate training, and being rewarded for a job well done. Alongside your leadership team, make it an enterprise-wide priority to implement new and effective ways to amp up the excitement around sales goals to ensure your resellers are performing to the best of their ability. You can get started with these methods to motivate resellers for high performance, but don’t hesitate to brainstorm further to find other creative and reliable ways to set them up for success.

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