Channel partnerships

Noun

[cir-ti-fi-kay-shun]

Certifications are acknowledgements granted to partners for achieving certain milestones. Usually, they acknowledge that a partner has completed product training and is now qualified to represent the company as a partner. They are most often earned as a part of the onboarding process, wherein the partner must learn about the vendor's product to a degree that allows them to comfortably sell/market/share it. Certifications are usually earned early on in the partner journey, but they can also be earned again after product updates or new releases that require subsequent training.

Example: Luke had received his initial product certification on behalf of his partner program shortly after joining Vento's referral program, but a significant update to the main product offering meant he'd be earning an updated certification to make sure he still knew his stuff.

Noun

[cuss-toe-mur am-bass-a-der]

A customer ambassador is a satisfied customer who takes on a special role helping promote the company and its offerings to their peers. Customer ambassadors have experience with the product, believe in its value, and are willing to recommend it to others. They sometimes contribute to customer case studies, webinars, and other promotional activities for the company.

Customer ambassadors are an extremely important avenue of promotion since personal endorsements and recommendations are so highly valued in a buyer's journey. To spot customer ambassadors, look for successful, highly engaged customers who refer business to you.

Example: Kelly noticed a particular customer was the referral source for several new leads. She reached out to the customer and found they loved the product. Kelly invited the customer to participate in a webinar. Voila, a customer advocate!