Your partner hasn't heard from you in three months. No product updates. No new case studies. No competitive intelligence. Just radio silence.
Then you email asking why they haven't hit quarterly quota.
Partners sell 10-20 products. The vendors who stay top-of-mind through consistent, valuable communication get priority. The vendors who go silent get forgotten.
Most companies over-communicate (daily emails about minor updates) or under-communicate (quarterly check-ins when quota is missed). Neither works.
After building partner communication programs that maintained 75%+ partner engagement across hundreds of partners, I've learned: successful partner communication isn't about frequency. It's about delivering the right information, to the right partners, at the right time, in formats they'll actually consume.
Here's how to build communication programs that keep partners engaged.
Why Partner Communication Fails
Most partner communication programs make predictable mistakes:
Too much noise: Daily emails about every product update, press release, and internal announcement. Partners tune out and unsubscribe.
Wrong information: Updates about things partners don't care about (internal reorganizations, awards you won, exec appointments).
Generic messaging: Same message to all partners regardless of tier, specialization, or engagement level.
No clear action: Information shared but no clear "what should I do with this?"
Wrong channels: Long emails partners don't read. Webinars at inconvenient times. Portal updates nobody checks.
No feedback loop: One-way communication with no opportunity for partners to respond, ask questions, or share their perspective.
Partners need regular, relevant, actionable communication delivered in digestible formats. Most programs deliver irregular, generic, overwhelming communication in formats partners ignore.
The Partner Communication Framework
Build structured communication programs with clear purposes and cadences.
Channel 1: Monthly partner newsletter
Purpose: Keep partners informed on what's new and important
Format: Email, 300-500 words, heavy visual, scannable
Content sections:
- Product updates: New features, integrations, updates (2-3 items max)
- Win of the month: Customer success story partners can reference
- Competitive intel: One key competitive update or positioning change
- Upcoming events: Webinars, training sessions, conferences
- Partner spotlight: Recognition of top-performing partner
- Quick tip: One tactical piece of enablement
Cadence: First Tuesday of every month
Goal: 40%+ open rate, partners can scan in <2 minutes
Channel 2: Quarterly business reviews
Purpose: Strategic alignment and performance discussion
Format: Live video call or in-person meeting, 60 minutes
Agenda:
- Review past quarter performance (pipeline, revenue, wins/losses)
- Discuss roadmap and upcoming launches
- Identify opportunities and obstacles
- Set goals and commitments for next quarter
- Resource planning (MDF, training, support needs)
Audience: Premier and Strategic tier partners only
Cadence: Quarterly, scheduled in advance
Goal: Deep strategic alignment and mutual accountability
Channel 3: Product launch communications
Purpose: Prepare partners to sell new products/features
Format: Multi-touch campaign over 4-6 weeks
Touch 1 (T-30 days): Preview email announcing launch timeline Touch 2 (T-21 days): Training invitation and registration Touch 3 (T-14 days): Product brief document with positioning and value prop Touch 4 (T-7 days): Reminder about training sessions Touch 5 (Launch day): Public announcement + launch package Touch 6 (T+7 days): Early results and customer feedback
Audience: All active partners
Goal: Partners ready to sell on launch day
Channel 4: Competitive intelligence updates
Purpose: Arm partners with latest competitive insights
Format: Email alert + updated battle card
Triggers:
- Competitor launches new product or feature
- Competitor changes pricing
- Competitive positioning shifts
- Customer wins against key competitor
Cadence: As-needed, typically 1-2x per month
Goal: Partners have current competitive info when they need it
Channel 5: Partner community forum
Purpose: Enable peer-to-peer support and knowledge sharing
Format: Online community platform (Slack, Teams, or dedicated portal)
Channels within community:
- #wins (celebrate partner deals)
- #technical-questions (product/implementation questions)
- #competitive-intel (share competitive insights)
- #best-practices (tactics that work)
- #general (open discussion)
Moderation: Partner team monitors and responds daily
Goal: Create peer support network and reduce support burden
The Communication Segmentation Strategy
Different partners need different communication.
By partner tier:
Strategic partners (top 5-10):
- Weekly touchpoints with dedicated partner manager
- Executive QBRs
- Early access to roadmap and launches
- Custom communication for their specific business
Premier partners (next 20-30):
- Monthly touchpoints
- Standard QBRs
- Priority access to new information
- Segment-specific communication when relevant
Certified partners (next 50-100):
- Monthly newsletter
- Quarterly webinars
- Product launch communications
- Self-service resources
Registered partners (inactive/new):
- Monthly newsletter
- Major announcement only
- Activation campaigns to increase engagement
Don't send everything to everyone.
By partner specialization:
Vertical-focused partners:
- Industry-specific case studies
- Vertical competitive intel
- Regulatory updates affecting their market
Geography-focused partners:
- Regional customer wins
- Local market insights
- Regional events and field marketing
Technical partners:
- Deep product updates
- Integration and API changes
- Technical enablement content
Tailor content to what partners can act on.
By engagement level:
Highly engaged partners (actively selling):
- Deal support updates
- Advanced enablement
- Strategic content
Moderately engaged partners (occasional deals):
- Re-engagement campaigns
- Simplified enablement
- Success stories to motivate
Low engaged partners (inactive):
- Win-back campaigns
- "What's changed since you last engaged"
- Reactivation incentives
Match communication intensity to engagement level.
The Content Types That Work
Some content formats drive more partner action than others:
High-impact content:
Customer win stories (with numbers): "Healthcare company reduced implementation time 40% using our new integration." Partners can repeat this story.
Competitive battle cards: One-page competitive positioning updates partners can reference during deals.
Deal support offers: "Having trouble closing a deal? Schedule deal coaching with our team." Provides direct value.
Training session recordings: 15-minute videos partners can watch on-demand at convenient times.
One-page cheat sheets: Quick reference guides partners can print or save on desktop.
Low-impact content:
Company news nobody cares about: New exec hires, office openings, award wins. Partners don't care.
Long-form strategy documents: 20-page partner strategy presentations. Nobody reads them.
Feature release notes: Detailed technical changelogs. Too granular for sales-focused partners.
Generic "check out our blog" messages: Lacks specific value or action for partners.
Prioritize content that helps partners sell, not content that makes you feel good.
The Channel Strategy
Use multiple channels based on content type and urgency:
Email (primary channel):
- Monthly newsletters
- Product launches
- Competitive alerts
- Event invitations
Partner portal:
- Permanent resources (battle cards, training, case studies)
- Searchable repository
- Self-service enablement
Live webinars:
- Product training (launch enablement)
- Quarterly business updates
- Guest speakers (customers, industry experts)
Video (recorded):
- Product demos
- Customer testimonials
- Training modules
Community platform:
- Daily discussions
- Peer support
- Real-time questions
Direct outreach (phone/video):
- QBRs and strategic discussions
- Performance reviews
- Deal support
Social media (LinkedIn):
- Partner recognition
- Customer wins featuring partners
- Thought leadership
Use the right channel for each message type. Don't force everything through email.
The Communication Calendar
Build a annual communication calendar showing what goes out when:
Monthly recurring:
- Week 1: Partner newsletter
- Week 2: Training webinar
- Week 3: Competitive update
- Week 4: Partner community spotlight
Quarterly recurring:
- Month 1: QBRs with strategic partners
- Month 2: Product roadmap preview
- Month 3: Quarter-end performance reviews
Annual recurring:
- Q1: Annual partner summit
- Q2: Mid-year strategy update
- Q3: Partner program changes (tier updates, benefits changes)
- Q4: Year-end wrap-up and next year preview
Ad hoc:
- Product launches (6-8 per year)
- Competitive alerts (as needed)
- Critical updates (as needed)
Published calendar helps partners know what to expect when.
The Metrics That Matter
Track communication effectiveness:
Engagement metrics:
- Email open rates (benchmark: 35-45%)
- Click-through rates (benchmark: 8-12%)
- Webinar attendance (benchmark: 30-40% of registrations)
- Portal logins (benchmark: 40% of partners monthly)
- Community participation (benchmark: 20% of partners active)
Business impact metrics:
- Correlation between communication engagement and deal registration
- Partner retention rates by communication engagement level
- Product launch adoption by partners who attended training vs. didn't
- Support ticket reduction (are partners finding answers?)
Partner satisfaction:
- Communication satisfaction scores (survey quarterly)
- Unsubscribe rates (should be <2%)
- Partner feedback on content usefulness
If partners aren't engaging with communication, either frequency is wrong or content isn't valuable.
The Feedback Loop
Communication shouldn't be one-way. Create mechanisms for partners to provide input:
Regular feedback opportunities:
- Quarterly partner surveys (5-10 questions max)
- "How useful was this?" ratings on major communications
- Office hours where partners can ask questions
- Partner advisory board meetings (2x per year)
Act on feedback:
- Share what you heard ("You told us monthly emails were too frequent, we're moving to bi-weekly")
- Implement changes based on input
- Close the loop ("Based on partner feedback, we've created...")
Partners engage more with communication programs when they feel heard.
The Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Overcommunication
Sending multiple emails per week. Partners unsubscribe or filter you to spam.
Mistake 2: Last-minute communication
"Webinar tomorrow about new product!" Partners need advance notice.
Mistake 3: All broadcast, no conversation
One-way announcements with no way for partners to respond or engage.
Mistake 4: Inconsistent cadence
Radio silence for months, then barrage of updates. Partners can't develop habits.
Mistake 5: No mobile optimization
Long emails with tiny fonts that don't render on phones. Partners read on mobile.
Mistake 6: Ignoring time zones
All webinars scheduled for US Pacific time. EMEA and APAC partners can't attend.
The Reality
Partners prioritize vendors who stay top-of-mind through consistent, valuable communication. They deprioritize vendors who go silent or overwhelm them with noise.
Build structured communication programs that deliver relevant information on predictable schedules in formats partners can consume quickly.
Monthly newsletters, quarterly business reviews, targeted product launch campaigns, competitive updates, and community engagement. That's the minimum viable communication program.
Do it consistently, measure what works, refine based on feedback. That's how partners stay engaged and keep selling your product.