Freshworks  Principal - Partner Program and Operations , Ramya Raju profile picture

Ramya Raju

Principal - Partner Program and Operations at Freshworks

7 questions answered
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Freshworks Principal - Partner Program and Operations , Ramya Raju
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Partner Program Strategy

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Question
What are the 3 most important things to kicking off a successful service partner program?
Partner Program Strategy
Service partner
Question
What sort of revenue goals or other goals should I be setting for my service / certified partners program? What does the exec team need to see to know the program is going well and growing?
Answer
That's a critical point for any Partner Program Leader – aligning your goals with executive expectations is key to demonstrating value. For service/certified partners, while revenue is always paramount, it's a blend of direct and indirect contributions: Revenue Goals: 1.Partner-Sourced ARR/MRR: The direct revenue partners bring in. This is the simplest measure for the exec team. 2.Partner-Influenced ARR/MRR: Revenue where a certified partner played a crucial role in implementation, integration, or solution design, even if the direct sale was handled by your team. This demonstrates their strategic impact. 3.Attach Rate: The percentage of new deals where a certified service partner is engaged for implementation or ongoing services. Other Key Goals: 1.Partner Activation Rate: How many new partners complete onboarding and achieve initial certifications within a defined timeframe. 2.Certified Capacity: The total number of certified individuals within your partner ecosystem, indicating their ability to scale. 3.Customer Success Metrics (Partner-Led): Higher customer retention rates, CSAT, or NPS scores for clients served by certified service partners. This proves the quality of their delivery. 4.Pipeline Contribution: The volume and value of leads or opportunities partners bring to the table. What the Exec Team Needs to See: They want to see sustainable, efficient growth. This means: 1.A clear upward trend in partner-sourced/influenced revenue. 2.Evidence that partners are improving customer retention and satisfaction. 3.Scalability – that the program can grow without a linear increase in your internal resources. 4.Strategic market penetration – partners opening up new geographies or industry verticals. 5.A healthy, engaged partner ecosystem that acts as an extension of your own GTM.
Partner Recruitment
Service partner
Question
What are some common partner enablement mistakes to watch out for?
Answer
Enablement is where many partner programs either thrive or stumble. From my experience, here are some common partner enablement mistakes I've seen and learned to watch out for: 1.One-Size-Fits-All Enablement: This is perhaps the biggest pitfall. Treating all partners (resellers, services, technology, referral) the same is a recipe for disengagement. Each partner type has different needs, motivations, and interaction points with your product and team. Your enablement should be tailored, offering specific tracks for sales, technical, and implementation roles. A services partner, for instance, needs deep technical certifications and implementation best practices, not just sales decks. 2.Information Overload & Lack of Structure: Dumping a massive library of documents onto a partner portal and calling it "enablement" is ineffective. Partners are busy. Provide structured learning paths, clear certification requirements, and easily digestible content. Use an LMS (Learning Management System) and a well-organized PRM (Partner Relationship Management) system to guide them. 3."Set It and Forget It" Mentality: Enablement isn't a one-time onboarding event. Your product evolves, your market shifts, and your partners need continuous updates. Regular webinars, refreshers, advanced training, and early access to new features are vital to keep them engaged and competent. 4.Neglecting the "Why": Partners need to understand not just how to sell/implement, but why your solution is valuable to their customers and their own business. Focus on use cases, ROI, and competitive differentiation, not just feature lists. 5.Lack of Measurement and Feedback: Are your enablement efforts actually leading to partner activation, pipeline, and revenue? If you're not tracking completion rates, certification levels, and their correlation to performance, you are flying blind. Crucially, solicit direct feedback from partners on what enablement they need and what's working.
Partner Enablement
Technology partner
Service partner
Question
What’s the number one thing you look for in a partner when you're recruiting? What are your non-negotiables?
Answer
Partner recruitment is the core of building a robust partner ecosystem.It's not just about their existing client base or their size; it's about their genuine willingness to invest in understanding our product deeply, getting certified, and then actively delivering exceptional value to shared customers. We want partners who see our solution as a strategic pillar for their own growth, not just another line item. This commitment translates into proactive engagement, quality implementations, and ultimately, happy, retained customers. My non-negotiables, therefore, stem directly from this: 1.Alignment with our Ideal Partner Profile (IPP): Do they target our ideal customer segments? Do their services complement our product? We need to ensure a mutual market fit from day one. 2.Investment in Enablement & Certification: Partners must be willing to dedicate resources to training and achieving necessary certifications. Without this foundational knowledge, they cannot effectively sell, implement, or support our solution. This commitment to learning is non-negotiable. 3.Shared Values & Integrity: Trust is the bedrock of any successful partnership. We look for partners who operate with transparency and a genuine focus on long-term relationships, both with us and with the end customer.
Partner Recruitment
Technology partner
Service partner
Question
How do you design a tiering system for service/solutions partners that is actually valuable and motivating for them to progress through (while also serving our own partner goals?)
Partner Program Strategy
Service partner
Question
At what point should I start thinking about operationalizing my early-stage partner program, and which processes/flows should I think about first?
Answer
When to operationalize an early-stage partner program? The moment you sign your first partner. It's about establishing foundational, repeatable flows, not building a perfect, complex system from day one. Prioritize these core processes: 1.Partner Onboarding: Crucial for first impressions and rapid activation. Define clear, step-by-step journeys with automated communications and initial enablement paths, ensuring quick system provisioning (PRM, CRM, LMS access). 2.Basic Enablement & Resource Access: Equip partners to sell and support immediately. Provide core sales/marketing collateral, foundational product training, and a simple partner portal for resources and certifications. 3.Partner Types & Commercials: Clearly define 1-2 initial partner types and establish simple, transparent resale discounts or commission structures. Implement a clear deal registration process to prevent early channel conflict. 4.Systems to Track: You can't manage what you don't measure. Implement a PRM as your single source of truth, integrate with your CRM, and set up basic reporting for key metrics like partner-sourced pipeline and onboarding completion. 5.Internal Collaboration & Conflict Avoidance: This is vital. Establish clear Rules of Engagement (ROE) between channel and direct sales teams. Align compensation and foster regular communication to ensure mutual benefit and prevent friction. 6.Focus Countries: Strategically prioritize markets based on an Ideal Partner Profile (IPP) and market analysis, concentrating resources where they will yield the most impact. Remember, operationalization is an iterative journey. Start lean, refine continuously, and always keep the partner experience at the forefront to build a scalable and successful ecosystem.
Partner Program Strategy
Technology partner
Service partner