Channel partners expect AI. Here’s how to deliver it.
We know, we know. AI may still sound scary. You can’t control it, or don’t know how. There’s so much talk going around, and so many options, that it’s impossible to sift through it all and know what to actually invest in. So deploying AI across your channel becomes something you’ll “look at”, maybe next quarter, or next year.
The only problem is that your channel partners are expecting AI now. That much has become clear from everything we’ve seen this past year, where Q3 and Q4 taught us that:
1. Partners have already adopted AI
Some 52% of partner teams use AI to drive efficiency. If we think about that for a second, what it tells us is this: AI is far from bleeding edge, and partners have already adopted it. So it’s not so strange that they expect it from vendors, nor is it farfetched to think they prefer vendors who give them the AI tools they need to do their job well.
And the worst case isn’t even that one of your competitors provides such a tool first and takes all their mindshare, but that partners start using any consumer-facing AI they find, putting your company and reputation at risk given how unreliable these tools tend to be.
2. It’s not just about efficiency
What we saw in Q3 and Q4 isn’t just the “oh, I use AI to draft emails and save a ton of time”. That’s commodity. Child’s play. Instead, the teams at the forefront are using AI to make their entire eco system run smoother: the vendors who use AI to give partners answers quicker, provide material on demand and teach them to sell through smart AI roleplays. This is what truly drives engagement now. And engagement translates to sales.
3. Trust matters
Results are the name of the game. It’s not about using the coolest model from the most hyped Silicon Valley company, but about finding and using an AI you can trust and control. You know, one that doesn’t hallucinate, that isn’t so eager to please that it gives answers it’s not allowed to, and that stays compliant with the rules set by companies and the governing bodies of their industry. Because the alternative can be catastrophic. Just imagine what a wrong answer to the wrong partner can lead to, especially if your industry is heavily regulated.
Partners expect PAM. They just don’t know it yet
With all these expectations, the question you and your team need to ask is this: how do we cater to partner demand and provide an AI that they, and we, can trust?
One answer is PAM: the world’s first autonomous AI channel manager. In fact, she was built for this very thing. PAM is an AI that gives partners and customers accurate and compliant answers, finds files on demand and trains partner reps. In their own language. 24/7. All on a model that you control.
PAM answers the question of how to give partners not just what they want, but what they need. All while giving you peace of mind, with the added bonus of growing your channel sales without adding more expensive partner managers to your staff.
How to make it happen now
If you’re still wondering whether to act now or look at it next quarter, or year, consider this: out of all the AI initiatives you may be thinking about, deploying AI across the channel is probably the one that delivers the highest and quickest ROI, because the work tends to be repetitive, the volume of inquiries is high and the cost of mistakes even higher. And if you want more information before you decide, you can read our Q3/Q4 CEO Executive summary on AI in Channel Sales here:
