Engage Solution Partners

Solution Partners are a type of Atlassian Partner who provide advanced Atlassian product knowledge, product configuration expertise, and customized solutions and implementation services.

As a Marketplace Partner, you may receive pricing requests from Solution Partners. If you’d like to engage Solution Partners in a partnership beyond licensing benefits, one of the best ways is to build a partner program.

A partner program is a collaboration between a Marketplace Partner and Solution Partners. These programs can foster a mutually beneficial relationship that helps you and your Solution Partners succeed. For you, they can unlock the following advantages:

• Brand awareness: Solution Partners provide co-marketing initiatives and third-party endorsement, direct to customers.
• Market reach: Solution Partners engage with different geographic locations and categories, making your app more visible globally.
• Cultivate growth: Solution Partners can help you access larger consumer bases and boost revenue, often in a relatively short period of time.

Our Technical Partner Management team have created the following process to highlight the best practices you can follow to engage Solution Partners.

1. Define a value proposition

A solid value proposition automatically gives you an edge. It’s the most important thing to define because it will determine whether Solution Partners take time to learn more about your solution, services, or product.

• Effort: Low

• Actions:

  • Define your value proposition by identifying customer gains, pain points, and priorities.
  • Compare it with competitors, market demands, and alternatives.
  • Establish a strong value proposition for your product or service.

2. Benchmark competitors

It's important to understand your competitors' partner program strategies. Identifying what's effective and what needs improvement, can provide valuable insights to help guide your own partner program.

• Effort: Medium

• Actions: Ask yourself or your team:

  • What is your competitors' target audience? How have they organized it?
  • What benefits are they offering customers?
  • What kind of relationships are they developing with their partners?
  • How successful is their partner program?
  • What is their structure for channel sales and channel partners?

3. Explore partner types (optional)

There are many types of partners, and some will be better suited to your partner program than others.

• Effort: Low

• Actions: Check this list of the most common types of partners, and see which ones might be applicable to your situation:

  • Value-added resellers (VARs): Companies that sell software, hardware, and/or networking products while also providing additional value beyond just fulfilling orders.
  • Managed Service Providers (MSP) Businesses that provide remote management of a client's IT infrastructure and/or end-user systems. This service is typically offered proactively under a subscription model.
  • Consultants: Professionals with extensive expertise in analyzing and providing guidance to clients, enabling them to make informed decisions.
  • System Integrators (SIs): Professionals or businesses that specialize in building computing systems for their clients by combining hardware and software products from various vendors.
  • ISVs: Companies that create and market software products designed to operate on various computer hardware or operating system platforms.
  • Distributors: Intermediary entities between the producer of a product and another entity in the distribution channel or supply chains, such as a retailer, a value-added reseller (VAR) or a system integrator (SI).
  • Agencies: This includes agencies such as design agencies, marketing agencies. They are good channel partners for platform providers of web hosting, web sites and e-commerce sites.

4. Identify potential partners

To create a successful program, you need to identify partners who fit your specific needs and business objectives, and find ways to engage them.

• Effort: Medium

• Actions:

  • Define your business objectives (for example brand recognition, increasing sales, co-marketing opportunities).
  • Search for potential Solution Partners - a good starting place is the Partner Directory.
  • Start with local Solution Partners or Solution Partners who you already know.
  • Join Atlassian Community Events (ACE).
  • Consider their expertise, resources, customer base, and how they align with the business objectives you've defined.
  • Follow up on any Solution Partner recommendations.

5. Define your partner program

There are a number of key components that need to be in place to make your partner program effective.

• Effort: High

• Actions: Build the following key elements into your program:

  • Must have:

    • Partner Manager (a dedicated point of contact for your Solution Partners)
    • Onboarding process
    • Extensive app enablement
    • Co-marketing opportunities
    • Licensing incentives

  • Nice to have:

    • Dedicated support team
    • Marketing support

6. Build documentation, assets, and materials

To help your program expand and evolve, it's important to create documentation, marketing assets, and training materials.

• Effort: High

• Actions: Provide the following:

  • Program documentation
    1. Partner program operations - resources, time, systems
    2. One pager explaining the program
    3. Partner agreement
  • Go To Market (GTM) and marketing
    1. Sales presentation/one pagers for partners selling your product
    2. Dedicated space on your company website
  • Educational courses and training programs
    1. Choose and implement a Learning Management System (LMS) (there are some LMS apps on Confluence).
    2. Produce training material in the form of videos, presentations and text.
    3. Create tests so Solution Partners can certify their knowledge level.
    4. Provide ongoing support to Solution Partners, to enable them to support customers.
       1. Regularly communicate with your Solution Partners.
       2. Address any issues and provide help and ongoing training.
       3. Regularly review your Solution Partners' support needs and adjust properly.

7. Define your success

Define criteria to determine whether or not you’ve achieved your objectives.

• Effort: Low
• Actions: Define and set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) that will accurately measure your success.

8. Recruit and onboard partners

Expand your program by reaching out to new partners and providing partner support.

• Effort: High

• Actions:

  • Reach out to potential partners, and pitch your program to them:

    • Explain your value proposition.
    • Share incoming leads for customer projects.
    • Attend Atlassian events.
    • Direct outreach.
    • Marketing campaigns.
    • Leverage existing connections.

  • You will also need to:

    • Designate or hire a Partner Manager - a dedicated point of contact for your Solution Partners.
    • Schedule a kick-off (onboarding call) for new Solution Partners - introduce the team and explain the expectations.
    • Give new Solution Partners access to the documentation, assets, and materials you've created.

9. Evaluate and expand your program

The process of refining your program is crucial to its ongoing success.

• Effort: Medium

• Actions:

  • Regularly assess and refine your partner program and strategy.
  • Examine factors such as partner satisfaction, number of new partners, revenue generated through partners, support workload from partners.
  • As your Solution Partner network matures, look for opportunities to add new types of partners so that you can expand into new markets.
  • Continually work on strengthening relationships with existing partners.

Get help

For advice on any of these steps, or to gain access to the Partner Portal, submit a ticket. If you aren't already, you'll be asked to log in with your developer or Marketplace Partner account.