Best Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Software
Partner relationship management (PRM) software equips businesses with tools to manage their relationship with channel partners such as sales partners, resellers, distributors, and other service providers that promote and sell a vendor's products or services. By streamlining communication and offering end-to-end support, PRM software helps these partners drive sales and increase market reach.
PRM software provides a private portal for each partner to access documents, campaign materials, market development funds (MDF), opportunities, and deals. Sales leaders, particularly those in channel sales, utilize PRM software to maximize their channel partners, including value-added resellers (VARs) and specialty retailers. PRM software distributes opportunities and MDFs fairly, ensures partners remain on brand with messaging, captures activities, and measures partner success.
While some PRM solutions may also track compliance with laws, contractual agreements, and incentive and loyalty programs, these are typically considered as secondary capabilities. In contrast, channel incentives management (CIM) software is purpose-built to design, track, and modify incentive programs such as rebates, discounts, loyalty, gamification, and other activity-based incentives to reward channel partners.
It is important to emphasize that there are partner management solutions that can support specific types of partnerships. For example, affiliate marketing software focuses on performance-based partnerships with affiliates, influencers, and publishers who earn commissions or rewards based on measurable outcomes. In contrast, PRM software focuses on strategic co-selling partnerships with B2B sales channel partners.
These solutions should not be confused with other software products that manage relationships, like CRM software, which is used only for customers, or supplier relationship management software, which is part of supply chain management. Also, PRM software differs from partner ecosystem platforms as these platforms provide account mapping features and enable multi-partner collaboration on an ecosystem-wide scale for the entire network of channel partners. On the other hand, PRM software facilitates direct, one-to-one relationships between a company and its channel partners.
To qualify for inclusion in the Partner Relationship Management (PRM) category, a product must:
Featured Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Software At A Glance
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Grow revenue with a personalized partner experience, built using the #1 AI CRM. Win with outcomes-based onboarding and branded marketing assets. Guide faster partner selling with generative and predic
580,855 Twitter followers
Managing partnerships across multiple platforms kills efficiency and growth potential. impact.com eliminates this friction with the only comprehensive platform that unifies affiliate, creator, and
Impact.com is a platform that allows users to manage affiliate and brand partnerships, track performance, and discover new opportunities. Users frequently mention the ease of use, detailed reporting, and the wide variety of partnerships available on the platform. Users mentioned that the platform can feel complex for new users, there are occasional bugs, and the support quality isn’t great.
7,738 Twitter followers
ZINFI Empowers partnerships that thrive. We provide organizations with infinite pathways to scale their Partner Ecosystem and drive profitable growth. We do this by enabling our customers to accelerat
ZINFI Unified Partner Management (UPM) is a platform that centralizes and automates partner-related functions such as onboarding, training, deal registration, co-branding, MDF management, and performance analytics. Users frequently mention the comprehensive and centralized nature of ZINFI UPM, its user-friendly interface for lead management, and the ease of tracking partner activities, accessing materials, and managing deals. Reviewers experienced a complex setup and steep learning curve, less intuitive menus for some users, occasional slow loading times, and an inconsistent or overwhelming notification system.
1,166 Twitter followers
PartnerStack is the leading partner ecosystem platform, designed to accelerate growth for B2B software companies. From affiliates and influencers to agencies and publishers, PartnerStack empowers you
PartnerStack is a platform that allows users to manage and track their affiliate partnerships, monitor commissions, and streamline communication with partner programs. Reviewers like the organized and transparent interface of PartnerStack, which provides clear tracking of referrals, commissions, and payouts, and the ease of initial setup. Reviewers noted that the dashboard can feel overwhelming at first, especially for new users, and that payout timelines and tracking updates can sometimes feel unclear.
940 Twitter followers
Impartner is a leading provider of award-winning partner relationship management (PRM) and through-channel marketing automation (TCMA) solutions available within a single AI-native revenue orchestrati
9,042 Twitter followers
Introw is a next-generation Partner Relationship Management (PRM) platform designed to assist B2B companies in launching partner portals seamlessly integrated with their existing Customer Relationship
Mindmatrix is the award-winning, AI-native Partner Operating System designed to unify PRM, Through-Channel Marketing (TCMA), and Channel Sales Enablement into a single, high-performance platform. Reco
1,208 Twitter followers
Channelscaler is the result of the merger of two leading vendors in the partner technology market: Allbound and Channel Mechanics. Together, we deliver what channel leaders need most: an exceptional p
EULER is an AI native Partner Relationship Management (PRM) software and Partner Operations automation platform that helps B2B startups and enterprises manage, measure, and scale partner-sourced reven
Kiflo: The All-in-One Partner Relationship Management Platform Manage more partners, onboard them at scale, and keep track of all partner-influenced revenue without touching a spreadsheet again.
1 Twitter followers
Magentrix is the only enterprise PRM that's a PaaS, is 100% no-code, out-of-the-box (no PS required to get you up and running), has a data & schema mirroring integration with Salesforce & Dyna
959 Twitter followers
Channeltivity is the leading Partner Relationship Management (PRM) software platform built for tech companies. Channeltivity is easy to use, fast to set up and empowers you and your partners with the
340 Twitter followers
WorkSpan is the #1 platform for growth and scalability through co-selling partnerships. We embed your most valuable partners' selling motions directly into your existing sales process. Today, your
831 Twitter followers
Unifyr One is a Partner Relationship Management (PRM) and Through-Channel Marketing Automation (TCMA) solution designed to give channel managers everything they need to build and scale a partner chann
1,452 Twitter followers
Kademi’s Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Software helps companies globally turn transactional B2B relationships into long term high performing partnerships. With over 10 years industry experie
73 Twitter followers
Learn More About Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Software
What is Partner Management Software?
No company is an island, just as no individual person is an island. Business relationships are instrumental to the success of all companies involved. This is especially true for today’s software developers, who engage with clients to resell their solutions and assist with ongoing support. This synergy is made increasingly possible with technology platforms that help facilitate, monitor, and renew relationships with channel partners. Partner relationship management software, also known as PRM software, assists with the various tasks that come along with having a reseller network.
Due to the particular use cases for this breed of software, your organization might not have the demand for these solutions without a significant focus on channel partners and partner enablement. If you are a vendor who has established some channel partnerships or plan to in the future, PRM software offers various apps and tools that are specifically designed to assist in this arena. Not only do these solutions help streamline associated workflows, but they can help maximize the return on these channels and put your product in front of any number of new users.
Key Benefits of Partner Management Software
- Organize channel partners in a secure directory
- Track partner agreements and assist with onboarding and renewals
- Monitor deals, marketing, and overall performance related to each partner
- Provide tools for assisting partners in customer support
Why Use Partner Management Software?
Selling your product or service using an internal sales staff remains a win for your brand. With certified partner sales, though, you can multiply the potential users of your technology with each new channel partner. Channel sales have made a difference for thousands of companies both big and small. The applications in this category enable your brand to find and collaborate with these invaluable business partners. Empowering your sales team with PRM software can impact your company in every aspect, from revenue to reputation.
In addition to catalyzing your future partner relationships, PRM software assists with the complete oversight of these new sales channels as they develop. As your sales increase through these partner relationships, so will the responsibilities of monitoring your growing portfolio of customers. PRM solutions facilitate a steady flow of communication with service partners so you have a finger on the pulse of your customer experience and can respond accordingly to issues and feedback. They also allow you to guide your distributed account managers and sales reps through the proper way to market and support your offerings. With the enablement features and integrations included with these solutions, you can assemble and maintain a world-class group of channel partners and reach more customers than ever before.
Who Uses Partner Management Software?
The handling of channel partnerships is a challenging task for an organization. These partnerships demand a high level of communication and collaboration to help resellers with everything from marketing to product deployment. In the early stages, a sales rep may be assigned to onboard and support channel partners and collect data and analytics on their performance. Once this sales network is established, though, a company may assign these responsibilities to one of the following specialists.
Partner manager — A partner manager, or partner account manager, is an individual who specializes in channel partnerships. Depending on the size of an organization and its partner network, there may be one or more partner managers—or in some cases, none at all. By establishing a focused point person for managing these relationships and using the appropriate tools, companies can ensure that partnerships are accounted for through the agreement lifecycle. These individuals assist with partner marketing strategies and maximizing partner revenue by assessing channel partners’ performance and offering timely guidance whenever necessary. They may also be tasked with scouting new partners and closing partnership deals when the time calls for it.
Other common terms for these employees are strategic partner manager, strategic partnership manager, strategic alliance manager, partner services manager, and head of partnerships. Different companies may assign a different label to this position or curate an entire team with a unique organizational structure based on the company’s specific needs and strategies in the area.
Sales manager — In lieu of a proper position built solely around partnerships, a sales lead may be given the reins to manage these relationships and oversee the partner experience. In this situation, the corresponding sales team leader or sales manager would benefit from using PRM technology. In addition to their other sales software, these individuals can use these apps to help juggle the responsibilities of channel management and ensure satisfaction among any new customers discovered by this network.
In some cases, sales leaders who take on partnerships can assign subtasks to other sales reps, such as drafting important documents or analyzing data that is generated through channel sales. They may also assign salespeople to certain clients to add a personal touch to licensing relationships. Each new revenue stream that is brought about by these sales may be factored into overall sales goals, so any effort toward enablement of channel partners serves to benefit the entire department.
Partner Management Software Features
PRM software makes channel sales enablement possible with features designed for both technology companies and their partners. The following are some specific features you may encounter as you research the software products in this category.
Lead management — Successful partner sales begin with a quality list of leads, gathered from the disparate networks of each new partner and the original company themselves. Lead management helps with sorting these leads and scheduling the marketing automation and personalized marketing campaigns that will translate to eventual sales. Using the features in certain products, users can monitor the status of leads, score leads, and assign leads to partners based on their potential interest and value they can bring.
Recruiting and onboarding — There are tens of thousands of potential channel partners. PRM software assists with finding the most valuable partners for your particular needs and establishing a line of communication. Once a software developer and channel partner agree to do business, these platforms can assist with the onboarding process, from finalizing contract details to product education and support. Though external communication channels are likely to be established at some point, PRM software should provide some tools that enable these initial conversations and help establish the terms of an agreement.
Activity tracking — Monitoring partner activities is an essential aspect of partner management, from the customers they are signing and supporting, to the marketing tactics they are applying. The more analytics that users can gather, the better they can understand these diverse channels and identify areas for improvement. Based on the revenue that different partners are generating or their reputation among customers, administrators may choose to segment these partners within the platform and adjust their workflows as necessary. Activity tracking can provide to-the-minute analytics across the spectrum of partner activities so partner managers have a firm grasp on the health of these channels and can predict upcoming service or product demands.
Partner portal — A secure partner portal offered by some products in this category provides partners with the data and product updates required to best sell and support a company’s products. These portals might include detailed dashboards and custom content or pages built around their specific sales and certifications. Partner-facing features can also include tools for automation of renewals and a knowledge base for the products or services they are licensed to resell. They can also include communication tools that connect to the salesperson or partner manager in charge of an agreement, as well as support or product staff that can help with troubleshooting or customer requests as they arise.
Other Features of Partner Management Software: Recognized Escalation Capabilities
