If you’re considering a partnership with First Orion, but haven’t fully convinced yourself, we can provide you with “extra” information!
Recently, we sat down with our Director of Partner Success, McCoy Smith, to go in-depth on what happens between partner and business.
The Partner Process – McCoy Smith, Director of Partner Success
Q: Your job is largely getting people onboarded as partners at First Orion. So tell me what the process is for that? If someone’s decided, “ yeah I’m in, sign me up.” Then what?
A: Once our partners have signed with us, they get introduced to our Partner Success team, and we have a partner success manager assigned to their account. We will walk them through the onboarding process, get them set up and trained, and help them get to that additional revenue they signed up for. We’re also there from a service and support perspective in managing that relationship as we move along together.
Q: How long would you say it usually takes until a partner is integrated fully, onboarded, and ready to go? What are the steps a potential partner would need to take?
A: We definitely pride ourselves on how quickly we can onboard our partners. Because it’s actually really simple! The first thing we want to do with our partners is get them used to our team, and explain to them the onboarding process. We can move as fast as our partners can move. Depending on our partner’s schedule, we can get that done anywhere between a week, two weeks, or even three.
We have great tools here at First Orion. Our Partner Portal is the first one we integrate during the onboarding process. This portal allows our partners access to wonderful marketing and sales collateral that will help them sell Branded Communication. The other part of that is our partners can go on there and register sales deals that work with us, and we’ll assist them in selling to their prospects.
The other tool we have is our Customer Portal, where partners can manage their own customers, set up branding for their customers, and access analytics and reports. We train them and get them enabled for that, so they can manage their own customers. So those are two big tools that help us onboard our partners.
We also have our API Suite. We have a Developer Portal that allows our partners to gain some efficiency in setting up new customers with branding, analytics, and billing. And it’s really a HUGE benefit for our partners to take advantage of. We can do the entire onboarding process very quickly and very efficiently. Which is great because the whole goal is quickly getting our partners to that additional revenue that they’re looking for.
Q: Why is it crucial to get the onboarding process just right?
A: It’s crucial to start on the right foot with our partners. Because at the end of the day, we want to get them their additional revenue as quickly as possible. So we pride ourselves in how we do that. We do that very quickly and efficiently. We have multiple teams supporting that effort and making sure that our partners are completely enabled and ready to go live. Which now benefits not only them but the customers they sell through.
Q: Who is the right partner for First Orion?
A: We look at companies that already support communication technologies, like phone systems, integrations of software, technology, agents, and brokers. Additionally, we find that our products often benefit marketing agencies and lead data brokers when they’re trying to get their own calls answered to the leads they provide.
Q: Why should people consider partnering with First Orion? What’s in it for them?
A: Many of our partners that come to us have customers that are having problems with call delivery, meaning people are not picking up the phone call. We can help with that problem. At First Orion, our partners can also explore different revenue streams with us. And perhaps, our product can be a complement to the products that they’re already selling to their customer base.
Q: What kind of support does First Orion give to our partners?
A: Yeah, support is a big deal here at First Orion with our partners. Because partners make us better. And so we want to be there along that journey with our partners and make sure they feel completely supported in what they’re trying to accomplish and the goals that they’re trying to achieve.
So we have multiple teams that are highly invested in the success of our partners. Obviously, you’ve got the Channels Sales Team. They know our partners from the beginning.
We also have Partner Success, and you will have a Partner Success Manager assigned to your account that’s there on a day-to-day basis to support you in any need. And that’s anything from a support issue, questions you have, goals and objectives you’re trying to achieve – we like to have a proactive engagement with our partners. We want to make sure we’re helping our partners as best we can.
Additionally, we have a Partner Support team that is there for you, and we have an Analytics and Reporting team. The important part of having partners is that we move along together. And so, being aligned on our products, where we’re going, and what our partners are doing is very important.
Q: What are some common questions you get from partners? Both to support the partners and help them with their own clients.
A: We find that most of our partners that are successful from the get-go are those partners that have already looked into their existing customer base and see the built-in success that they already have with their existing pipeline. The partners who go on to grow are those that understand and explain the benefit of adding INFORM to any new opportunity they have.
If you’re a communications platform, add Branded Communication to your number ordering process. If you’re a unified communications or contact provider, then add Branded Communication into every cell and take advantage of the ongoing revenue right from the start.
Q: What does a successful partner look like? What sets the tone for a positive relationship?
A: Hmm. Good question. We love those partners that have a very clear understanding of what their success looks like. They came to us for a reason. And we want to align with their major goals and objectives — their success plan.
I’ve said it before: Partners make us better. So we all must come together and have the same goal to move forward.
For our partners that have a clear success plan, we want to understand it. We want to help them achieve that and move forward together.
Ready to Partner Up?
Does this all sound good to you? We hope it does. If you’re interested in selling or becoming a referral agent with us, check out our Partner Prime Program and talk with one of our Channel Sales people to get selling!
This blog has been transcribed from a video interview and edited for clarity.
