What are the 3 most important things to kicking off a successful service partner program?

I will come back to JVP for this one. Joint value is really the sun and the moon here. You need to be very clear what you are each bringing to the partnership, and be hyper aware of any gaps or overlaps, so miscommunication can be avoided. Make sure your partner incentive packages are configured in a such a way that adds value to everyone involved. And be flexible where you can. Some partners are looking to generate incremental revenue streams through referral commission. Other partners would rather pass incentives on to their customers to maximize the customer experience.  If I had to list exactly three things that are important to kicking off a successful service partner program, I would say: 1. Joint value proposition  2. Ideal partner profile (industry, region, size, etc) 3. Partner incentives - this is a big part of the overall JVP, but it is what is ultimately going to drive growth for your program. 

I couldn't just list 3! Sorry! :D 1: Ask what they want. It’s great to have some ideas, but validate with your partners. Ask them what would be interesting, what do they need to grow their business? What can you do to help them grow? Where are they struggling? If you could change one thing with a magic wand, what would it be? 2: Find your stars. Find your IDEAL partners and create a very close relationship with them. Involve them with everything and start EVERYTHING with them. This is needed for the next one. 3: Create an online community. This is so valuable - I cannot stress this enough. We could have an AMA by itself on how to do it - but this could be the main source of value for your company in the coming years if done correctly. This is important because you want them to connect with each other and provide a feedback loop to you. This is how you guage interest in ideas, have discussions about what you might implement, and a great place to celebrate feature releases to an audience that is as excited about it as you are. 4: Build what they need. I answered this in another question - but this is critical. When you ask what they want, listen. When you announce a feature request that was inspired by them - tell them it was their requests that kicked this into production. Their feedback should be your roadmap - and they NEED to know it. 5: Don’t over-promise. It’s really hard to take a perk away once you’ve given it. Start small - and if you want to increase a perk you can always add it later to a higher tier.