What kind of incentives (monetary and non-monetary) do you offer partners to get them to activate (as well as to motivate them to engage with the program/refer new business on an ongoing basis)?

Motivating partners isn’t just about throwing money at the problem. The best channel programs blend monetary and non-monetary incentives that drive behavior, build loyalty, and scale partner-led growth. Here’s the incentive structure we use to activate new partners and keep them engaged over time: Monetary Incentives 1. Fast Start SPIFFs We offer bonus payouts for the first 1–3 deals closed within the first 90 days. This accelerates time to first win and creates urgency post-onboarding. 2. Tiered Referral Bonuses Not all partner contributions are equal. We reward sourced deals at a higher rate than influenced or co-sell deals to reinforce outbound partner motion. 3. Performance-Based Rebates Quarterly accelerators tied to pipeline creation, deal volume, or revenue thresholds help drive sustained performance beyond one-time wins. 4. MDF (Marketing Development Funds) Partners who hit activation or performance thresholds earn MDF to run co-branded campaigns. This reinforces partnership and funds scalable pipeline growth. Non-Monetary Incentives 1. Exclusive Leads or Co-Sell Privileges Top-performing or certified partners get early access to qualified leads or participate in co-sell motions—clear value in exchange for engagement. 2. Recognition & Badging We highlight high-performing partners across newsletters, webinars, and our portal. “Top Partner” badges build credibility and FOMO in the ecosystem. 3. Executive Access Strategic partners earn access to roadmap briefings, planning sessions, and feedback loops with our leadership team. It deepens alignment and trust. 4. Certification Rewards We gamify enablement. Partners who complete certifications earn swag, event invites, or featured directory placement—turning learning into leverage. Why This Works: Short-term SPIFFs create urgency. Long-term incentives build momentum. Recognition builds community. And executive access deepens strategic alignment. This layered approach ensures partners stay motivated from activation through to sustained success.

In SaaS partnerships, you'll typically want a mix of monetary and non-monetary incentives to drive activation, engagement, and referrals. Monetary incentives: 1. Rev share/commission. Offer partners a percentage of revenue from referred customers. 20% for year one and 10% for year two is currently what Opensend is offering partners. 2. One-time bounties: payouts for actions like helping your team book a demo. 3. Performance Bonuses: Increasing rewards based on volume or performance (e.g., higher commission rates after X referrals or extra bonuses for hitting revenue milestones). 3. Discounted or Free SaaS – Offering free or discounted access to your software as a benefit for active partners. Opensend provides referring partners with a free B2B account. 4. Exclusive promotions for their clients. Enabling partners to offer unique discounts to their customers as a selling point. Non monetary incentives: 1. Dedicated Partner Support & Account Management – Offering VIP support, direct access to an account manager, or a dedicated Slack channel. 2. Early Access to New Features: giving partners a first look at new features before public release. 3. Co-Branding Opportunities: featuring partners on your website, case studies, or allowing them to co-host webinars and content. 4. Tech Integrations & API Access: supporting deep technical integrations that give partners more opportunities to offer more comprehensive solutions. Best practices for incentivizing activation and ongoing engagement: - Make the process as easy as possible to start. - Gamify engagement. - Frequent check ins and ongoing enablement. - Continuous feedback loops.