Segment channel partners into tiers based on revenue potential, market coverage, and marketing capability.
Marketing & Sales
Channel Partner Enablement and Distributor Marketing Programmes
Learn to design partner enablement programmes, co-op marketing funds, and distributor training that drive channel partners to sell and market a vendor's products consistently and effectively.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Vendors that sell through distributors and resellers depend on partners who are not employees, often carry competing product lines, and receive inconsistent training, which results in weak brand representation and marketing budgets that partners never fully use. This course builds a working channel enablement function from partner segmentation through to renewal performance management. Participants learn to tier partners by revenue potential and marketing capability, design onboarding curricula that bring new distributors to competency quickly, and structure market development fund policies with clear eligible activities and claims processes. The course also covers building partner portal content, running joint business planning sessions, and co-creating local marketing campaigns that adapt vendor messaging without losing brand consistency. Teaching combines partner tiering exercises, MDF policy drafting, and partner scorecard design against real programme scenarios. By the end, participants can build and run a channel enablement programme that partners actually use, with a scorecard that ties enablement activity to measurable revenue contribution.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Design an onboarding curriculum that brings new distributors to product and brand competency within a set timeframe.
Structure a market development fund policy with eligible activities, claim documentation, and approval workflows.
Build partner portal content, including sales collateral, battlecards, and campaign-in-a-box assets, for distributor use.
Facilitate joint business planning sessions that align a partner's goals with the vendor's growth targets.
Co-create local marketing campaigns with distributors that adapt vendor messaging to their market conditions.
Establish a partner scorecard that tracks enablement engagement, marketing execution, and revenue contribution.
Who Should Attend
Channel marketing managers responsible for distributor and reseller programmes.
Partner enablement specialists building onboarding and training content.
Sales leaders managing indirect sales through distributors or value-added resellers.
Marketing operations staff administering co-op or market development funds.
Regional sales managers coordinating joint marketing activity with local partners.
Business development managers recruiting and onboarding new distribution partners.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Partner Segmentation and Programme Design
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Tiering and Segmenting the Partner Base
- Segment existing partners by revenue contribution, market coverage, and demonstrated marketing capability.
- Define tier criteria and benefits, such as discount levels, MDF allocation, and dedicated support access.
- Assess partner conflict risk in overlapping territories before finalising tier assignments and coverage maps.
- Build a partner scorecard template that will track performance against each tier's defined expectations.
Session 2Structuring the Enablement Programme
- Map the enablement journey from partner recruitment through onboarding, certification, and ongoing development.
- Define competency milestones a distributor must reach before receiving full marketing fund access.
- Align enablement programme content with the vendor's product roadmap and campaign calendar.
- Set governance roles that clarify who owns partner enablement decisions between sales, marketing, and channel teams.
02Onboarding and Distributor Training
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Designing the Onboarding Curriculum
- Build a structured onboarding curriculum covering product knowledge, positioning, and competitive differentiation.
- Sequence training modules so partner sales teams can sell entry-level products before advanced solutions.
- Create certification assessments that confirm a distributor's sales team has retained core product knowledge.
- Localise onboarding materials for distributors operating in different languages and regulatory environments.
Session 2Delivering and Sustaining Training at Scale
- Select delivery formats, including live workshops, on-demand modules, and train-the-trainer sessions for large partner networks.
- Set a refresher training cadence tied to product updates and seasonal campaign launches.
- Track training completion and assessment scores across the partner network to identify enablement gaps.
- Recognise high-performing partner sales teams through leaderboards or certification badges to sustain engagement.
03Co-Op Marketing Funds and Partner Portal Content
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Designing and Administering MDF Programmes
- Define eligible marketing activities, funding caps, and matching contribution rules for a market development fund.
- Build a claims submission and approval workflow that verifies activity proof before releasing fund reimbursement.
- Audit a sample of MDF claims for compliance with brand guidelines and eligible activity criteria.
- Report on MDF utilisation and return on partner marketing spend to justify continued fund allocation.
Session 2Building Partner Portal Content and Campaign Assets
- Structure a partner portal so distributors can find current pricing, collateral, and campaign assets without support tickets.
- Create campaign-in-a-box kits that let partners launch localised marketing activity with minimal customisation effort.
- Develop co-branded templates for email, social, and print that maintain brand consistency across partner markets.
- Set a content governance process that keeps portal assets current as products and pricing change.
04Joint Business Planning and Performance Management
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Facilitating Joint Business Planning
- Prepare a joint business plan template covering shared revenue targets, marketing commitments, and support needs.
- Facilitate planning sessions that surface a partner's local market insight alongside the vendor's growth priorities.
- Negotiate mutual commitments, such as minimum marketing spend or dedicated headcount, within the joint plan.
- Schedule quarterly business reviews that track progress against joint plan commitments and adjust targets.
Session 2Measuring and Improving Partner Performance
- Track partner scorecard metrics covering enablement completion, marketing execution, and revenue contribution over time.
- Identify underperforming partners and design a remediation plan combining additional training and support.
- Benchmark partner performance across regions to identify enablement practices worth replicating network-wide.
- Present programme-wide results to leadership, linking enablement investment to distributor revenue growth.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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