Kaspersky Enhances Partner Portal With Mobile Sales And Enablement Tools

An increasing number of channel executives travel throughout the year to hold client meetings, attend partner and trade shows, and establish relationships with current and potential customers. 

As a result, it is becoming more important that sales teams have real-time access to partner portals, marketing resources and product information. With research from Frank N. Magid Associates confirming that more than 74% of U.S. mobile users have smartphones and 52% own tablets, it is evident that making the channel mobile-ready is going to be a necessity for success in 2014 and beyond.

Kaspersky Lab North America is delivering on the new mobile imperative by making significant enhancements to its partner portal. In October, the endpoint protection solution provider unveiled a new sales and enablement mobile site to provide partners with solution-focused sales and marketing toolkits, which they can access anywhere and at any time.

“Our partners are increasingly mobile and using smartphones and tablets as their device of choice in their daily routines,” said Jon Whitlock, Director of Channel Marketing for Kaspersky Lab North America. “That includes how they interact with their — and our — customers and prospects, via communications and/or during meetings and follow-up.” 

For the new enhancements, Kaspersky Lab North America focused on two key objectives, according to Whitlock: ease of use and providing self-service opportunities and tools.

To address these goals, Kaspersky Lab North America added a new dashboard home page, which includes relevant information about the overall relationship between the company and a specific partner. For example, the dashboard can include information on how many deals are registered by the partner, as well as important links to portal functions the partner uses on a daily basis.

Kaspersky also improved the navigation features to help partners “find other related portal resources they may find useful based on where they are at any given time in the portal,” Whitlock explained. New partners also receive detailed information on the portal environment so they have a “clearly marked path to help them find what they need and in turn, get the most out of the partnership.”

New Sales Toolkits And Partner-Ready Campaigns

Partners now have instant access to resources regarding solutions, products and customer challenges, empowering them to make the most out of their interactions with prospects and customers alike.

Sales Toolkits are available in the new mobile experience, providing partners with everything they need, “regardless of where their prospects may be in the buying cycle,” Whitlock said. Customer challenges and solution positioning assets, questions to ask, PowerPoint decks, solution videos, data sheets and other assets are packaged based on “common security challenges customers are facing.” These challenges include: protecting data, securing mobile devices, and the need to reduce the complexity and associated risk of managing multiple security systems with limited resources.

Partner Ready Campaign toolkits also are focused on providing thought leadership to “help reinforce our partners’ position as their customers’ trusted advisor,” Whitlock said. “These toolkits provide all the assets required to run online campaigns and events, including detailed instructions on how to use them.”

Whitlock explained that providing partners with assets they can access and leverage easily through their mobile devices is “critical” to the ongoing growth and success of the Kaspersky Lab North America channel.

 “We all know that partners typically represent a number of different solutions and product lines, so they are looking for access to short bursts of information and sales resources that help them prepare for customer meetings, understand customer needs and position our security solutions that solve them,” Whitlock said. “It’s our job to help them succeed in both pre- and post-sales efforts and the easier we make it for them to access our resources whether via their desktop, laptop or mobile device, the better we can do just that while helping to stay top of mind with them as well.” 

Kaspersky Lab conducted extensive research across its channel community to ensure partners received the tools and resources they craved. The company polls partners on an ongoing basis to collect feedback on a number of issues, Whitlock explained, “including our annual partner satisfaction survey with a strong focus on partner sales and marketing support needs.”

The Partner Advisory Council also helps Kasperky Lab understand partners’ ongoing needs and requirements, helping to turn feedback into programs and assets, according to Whitlock. Finally, distribution partners, third-party companies and the field channel sales and marketing teams all play a role in identifying new business opportunities and areas for improvement.

• channel networks
• channel partnerships
• Frank N. Magid Associates
• Kaspersky Lab North America
• marketing toolkits
• mobility
• partner networks
• research
• sales toolkits
• smartphone
• tablet