Setting up partner types, tiers and commissions

These functions are available only to the vendors.

Within the Admin Panel of Partnerplace you can manage and organize various types, commissions and tiers of partners. You can find this section under the "Partner types" menu section.

Hint: You can use any names you want for both the partner type & tier. Remember that if you use public-facing modules (like the partner directory), these names might be visible to the outside world.

Hint: You might want to jump into action and just set up the bare minimum to get started. Don't. It is much easier to create a new structure than it is to modify an existing one (e.g. you don't need to explain yourself to partners). Time spent on planning your partnership's organization is time well spent. Assume you will be changing this very rarely, so it is better to set up the whole structure on the first day.

We build Partnerplace with elasticity in mind. Because of this you can create many different ways of organizing your partnerships:

Key Functionalities

Creating partner types:
- Define new types of partners based on the roles they play in your sales and distribution channels.
Setting tiers and commissions:
- Assign tiers (e.g., Gold, Silver, Bronze) to differentiate between levels of partners based on criteria such as sales volume or strategic value.
- Configure default commission structures tailored to each partner type to incentivize performance (see more in "Commissions" section).
Editing existing partner types:
- Update details of existing partner types to reflect changes in strategy or partnership agreements.

Steps for configuration

Creating a new partner type:

Navigate to the "Create & Manage Partner Types" section.
Enter a name for the new partner type in the designated field.
Click "Create" to establish the new type.

Editing partner types:

Click "Edit" next to an existing partner type to adjust its name, tier, or commission.
Make necessary changes and save to update the partner type information within the system.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Partner type not creating.

Solution: Confirm that the name field is not left blank and that the name used does not duplicate an existing type.

Issue: Changes to partner types not saving.

Solution: Double-check that you have the correct administrative permissions and that all fields are filled out correctly. Try refreshing the page or clearing your browser cache.

Conclusion

The way you structure your partnership can have a direct influence over the results you will get. By clearly defining partner categories and associated benefits, companies can better align their partners with business objectives. More tiers mean that you can prioritize partners based on performance more easily. More types allows you to keep them separated logically and e.g. collect different data via the referral forms or have different settings per type. Having said that, too many different types and tiers can become an organizational burden. If you are just building your partner network, we would recommend to start with 1-2 types with up to 3-4 tiers (levels). This should give you enough flexibility to grow the partnership channel.