If you are an app developer seeking tips to start up your Partner Program and want to create an alliance with your advisors, build or redesign your program, I wrote an article—"ADVISOR ALLIANCE — What Makes a Good One!"—a few years back based on what hundreds of ProAdvisors have told me.
While I will summarize here, read the full article for details regarding the following:
- Party-hardy (or so you might think), but really minimal on the real list of ProAdvisors
- Swag (nice to have), but still again, not all that important to ProAdvisors
- Royalties and Commissions — Not so much the amount, but ProAdvisors take notice depending on if they are one-time or on-going
- True Partnership — Ongoing relationship between ProAdvisor, the app developer and the client
- A Great App/Software with Flexibility so the ProAdvisor can fit the app to the client
Despite the number of years that have gone by, I don't think things have changed that much in terms of what ProAdvisors are looking for. The one most noted thing is that TSheets was purchased by QuickBooks and now is QuickBooks Time, so they don't have the kind of big lavish parties they once sponsored.
Obviously, COVID has cut down on the parties at conferences the last two years, and live conferences also have been few and far between during that period. Nonetheless, things are looking up. Conferences are returning, and exhibitors are looking to exhibit to ProAdvisors and make a name for themselves. They seek to build Partner/Advisor Programs, or expand or revise those they already have.
In addition, new app and software vendors have flourished. They need to get their feet in the door with ProAdvisors and want to know what it takes to build a Partner Program like the one that grew TSheets to the tremendous success it achieved.
Unless ProAdvisors tell us otherwise in the comments to this article, I still think the real Partner Program/Alliance Building tools outlined in my article reference above are the way to success.
If you are a ProAdvisor and think app/software developers need to focus on other aspects in their Partner Programs, post a comment to this article.
If you are an app/software developer, we want to hear from you, too.