Creating a Channel Partner Satisfaction Survey: Tips + Template

Just like with customers, ensuring your partners are satisfied with your program efforts can maximize long-term growth and engagement. One of the best ways to measure their satisfaction and gather actionable feedback is through a channel partner satisfaction survey. If you’re looking to create one, you’ve landed at the right place! Keep reading to find templates, as well as a tips on how to roll out the best partner surveys.

👉 Your resources: Download the general channel partner satisfaction survey template above for a quick go-to template! You can also find longer versions, with all potential survey questions, in a PDF here or an editable Word version here.

How to create a channel partner satisfaction survey

Download the resources above, and then let's dig into some tips!

Before you craft any survey, it's essential to define its purpose. Do you want to gauge overall satisfaction, obtain feedback on recent changes, figure out the best ways to improve your portal, or understand areas of potential improvement?

Having a clear objective will guide the questions you ask and how you analyze the results.

Keep it concise

Respecting your partner's time is paramount. A good rule of thumb is to keep your survey under ten minutes, which usually comes out to ~15 questions. Surveys that drag on can lead to drop-offs or rushed, less thoughtful answers, diminishing the quality of feedback you receive.

However, it's also essential to be strategic. If there are multiple areas in your partner program that you want feedback on—such as incentives, products, technology, or operational processes—consider segmenting your surveys. Create shorter, targeted surveys that focus on each specific area. This allows you to gather deep insights without overwhelming your partners with too many questions at once.

Or, if you believe you need a longer survey to capture comprehensive feedback, think about incentivizing your partners to complete it. Offering fun gifts, exclusive short-term discounts, or other valuable resources can motivate partners to invest a bit more time.

This not only ensures completion but also underscores the value you place on their input and the partnership as a whole. Remember, a balance between conciseness and thoroughness will yield the most actionable insights.

Decide on your format

The format of your survey will largely depend on the information you're looking for. Some popular formats include:

• Multiple choice to gather quantitative data
• Likert scales to understand degrees of satisfaction
• Open-ended to extract detailed insights and suggestions

You may include only one type of question, or a combination of them. Overall, your questions should be direct, unbiased, and easy to understand. Some categories to consider include:

• General information: This includes company name, the respondent's role, and partnership duration.
• Satisfaction: Questions that measure overall satisfaction levels, willingness to recommend your products, and so on.
• Support: Measure the effectiveness of your communication, training and enablement resources, and the responsiveness of your support teams.
• Product evaluation: Ask questions about the quality, relevance, and potential improvements for your products or services offered.
• Operations: Gauge the ease of lead processing, effectiveness of partner portals, and logistics feedback.

Remember, relevance is key. Only ask questions specific to your goals, or create short, segmented surveys on different aspects.

Figure out your channel partner satisfaction survey rollout plan

Digital survey platforms or survey tools embedded in your PRM are excellent choices as they allow easy customization, distribution, and result analysis. Ensure the platform you choose is user-friendly for your partners.

Note, too, that some partners may be more candid with feedback if they know it's anonymous. However, if you're looking for more specific, actionable feedback, you might need identifiable responses. Decide on the level of anonymity based on the kind of feedback you're seeking.

Finally, before rolling out your channel partner satisfaction survey, test it with a smaller group. This will help you identify any complicated questions, technical glitches, or other issues that could affect the quality of feedback.

Analyze your survey results

Once you're confident in the survey's design and content, distribute it to your partners. Then, monitor response rates. If they're lower than expected, a gentle reminder or an incentive could boost participation.

After gathering all the responses, the real work begins. Use the insights from your partners to identify patterns. Look for recurring themes or sentiments. Are multiple partners raising the same issues? Are they expressing dissatisfaction in the same areas?

Then, prioritize your feedback. Not all feedback will be actionable immediately. Decide which suggestions or issues need urgent attention, and which will need to be incorporated into longer-term plans.

Next, create a plan to address the concerns your partners raised. More importantly, communicate with them about the changes you're planning to make based on their feedback and thank them again for their time. This shows that you value their feedback and are committed to enhancing the partnership.

Build an incredible partner ecosystem

A channel partner satisfaction survey is an invaluable tool for building engaged, productive partnerships. By regularly gauging partner satisfaction and acting on your partner's feedback, you can improve collaboration and drive mutual success.

With this guide, you're already on the path to strengthening your partnerships. Ready to take your partnerships to the next level? Get started with Impartner.

Each day millions of partners in nearly every industry across the globe access Impartner. Why? Because the partner experience matters and leading channel organizations agree.

Impartner is the fastest-growing, most award-winning channel management solution provider on the market. Our partner relationship management (PRM) and through channel marketing automation (TCMA) solutions help companies accelerate revenue and profitability through their indirect sales channels at every partner lifecycle touchpoint. From partner training and certifications to communications, business planning, and performance compliance, Impartner handles it all and more with best practices and automation built-in.

Need to accelerate your partnerships? We’re ready when you are.