Making It Just Right
Pinto says that it’s the vendor’s job to get a team up to speed on their solutions so that the partner can relay that information up and down the chain. The problem is that no one has a ton of extra time to dedicate to that kind of process.
Vendors need to be mindful of the fact that their product isn’t the only product that MSPs have to learn. It’s the vendor’s job to make that training and knowledge transfer process as seamless as possible. Put out as much digestible information as possible, documented in an easy-to-read way, that partners can access and engage with in a self-directed manner. Case in point: In a recent survey by Allbound in conjunction with JS Group, 45% of respondents said they wanted to see more “at your own pace” training modules from vendors during WFH.
Pinto says that many companies have training materials on their websites – portals that partners can access to find all the training materials they might need. The problem is that partners need to be encouraged to access the portal regularly. It’s up to channel account managers to reach out to partners and make them aware of training offerings and the benefits that go along with them. Scheduling initial calls and then check-in calls can do wonders.Â
“In my opinion, a good partner training program consists of a knowledge base of videos, papers, and certifications,” says Sandy McGrath, operations manager at Final Frontiers Systems Corp.Â
“Datto Academy is a great example. They have all their courses for every aspect of the solutions they provide. They also combine those courses into certificates, making onboarding new staff a breeze. When a vendor goes above and beyond to provide an in-depth resource that is so good, it becomes part of your internal processes. That is when partner training is successful, in my experience.”
Just developing training once isn’t going to cut it. According to McGrath, you also have to have a vendor willing to dedicate resources to maintain and update their training. Further, these resources should be available on an ongoing basis to discuss issues or when knowledge is lacking.Â
Partners often jump at the chance to help write training and documentation for the vendor if the benefits are there. Usually, the vendor gets a great return. They can provide the discount or bonus the partner is looking for, save their own time and resources from writing the material, and get a real-world example of how their partners use their solution or software. Such events can highlight where a partner is missing out on features or opportunities.