Want to grow your ERP business faster than your competition?
Well, the ERP market is booming right now and continuing to grow.
The global ERP software market reached $64.83 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at 11.7% CAGR through 2030.
That’s a massive market opportunity. But unfortunately, most ERP channel partners struggle to generate quality leads. They have the technical expertise, but not a great strategy to fill their pipeline with qualified prospects.
Luckily there are proven ERP channel partner lead generation strategies that work for growing a business. In fact, recent data from Sales Special Forces revealed exactly what the top-performing ERP channel partners are doing differently…
And it’s not rocket science.
Below you will find everything you need to start driving serious business growth through smart channel partner strategies.
Here’s What You’ll Discover:
- Why ERP Channel Partners Need Better Lead Generation
- The Most Effective Partner Strategies In Play Right Now
- How To Build A Scalable Lead Pipeline
- Common Mistakes That Kill Partner Growth
Why ERP Channel Partners Need Better Lead Generation
ERP vendors are changing how they work with partners.
Most ERP software publishers now prioritize their direct sales teams over partner channels. This leaves VARs (Value Added Resellers) to figure things out for themselves in a highly competitive marketplace.
Think about it…
Oracle spent $8.8 billion on marketing in 2023. Salesforce invested nearly $13 billion in 2024. How can a small business compete against that kind of firepower without a rock solid lead generation strategy? Pretty much impossible.
The channel partners that are able to consistently grow and outperform are the ones that figure out how to become self sufficient at generating their own leads.
They don’t wait for vendors to provide them with opportunities, they create them.
The Most Effective Partner Strategies In Play Right Now
Okay, so what exactly works for ERP channel partner lead generation?
The best strategies in play right now consistently deliver results. These are they:
Multi-Channel Outreach
Single channel campaigns are more expensive and less effective than multi-channel alternatives.
Research shows multi-channel outreach can reduce cost per lead by up to 31%. When building a lead generation program, that’s a big difference.
The trick is to layer in:
- Email sequences
- LinkedIn outreach
- Phone calls
- Content marketing
Messaging that flows across multiple channels reinforces each individual message. When a prospect sees consistent communication through a variety of channels trust builds faster.
Co-Branded Campaigns
ERP channel partners report that co-branded campaigns that feature the ERP vendor deliver strong results.
The reason? They leverage the brand authority of the vendor while spotlighting the partner’s unique value proposition and expertise.
The most successful co-branded campaigns include:
- Joint webinars
- Shared case studies
- Combined email campaigns
- Partner spotlight blogs and articles
This works because prospects get the trust and credibility of the vendor brand and package that with the personalized service of a local partner.
Referral Networks
There is nothing more powerful than a warm introduction.
The best ERP channel partners invest a lot of time and effort into building referral networks. These networks include existing customers, complementary service providers, industry connections, and more.
The value of a referral is the built in trust. A prospect already has a relationship with someone who knows and vouches for the quality of the partner’s work.
That dramatically shortens the sales cycle and skyrockets close rates.
Case Studies And Success Stories
Case studies are one of the most powerful types of content for attracting qualified leads.
Data proves case studies help partners attract the right kind of leads by sharing real success stories and quantifiable results.
The best case studies include:
- Specific business challenges
- The solution implemented
- Quantifiable results
- Customer testimonials
This type of content demonstrates credibility in a way that generic marketing collateral never can.
How To Build A Scalable Lead Pipeline with ERP
Building a sustainable pipeline is more than just tactics. You also need a system.
Below is the step by step process…
Step 1: Define The Ideal Customer Profile
ERP vendors serve many different types of businesses. Not every customer is a good fit. The most successful channel partners get laser-focused on who they serve best.
This should include:
- Industry vertical
- Company size
- Geographic location
- Tech environment
- Budget range
The more specific you get, the more effective your marketing will be and the less wasted effort there will be chasing unqualified leads.
Step 2: Create Valuable Content
Content marketing fuels long term lead generation success.
ERP sales cycles are long and expensive. Prospects spend many months researching before ever speaking to a salesperson. Creating valuable content positions the channel partner as a trusted advisor during that research phase.
Content should answer real questions that buyers have while they are in the evaluation process.
Step 3: Implement CRM Management
CRM management is another important part of the lead generation process for ERP partners.
CRM software helps track every interaction, nurture and qualify leads over time, and identify the right time to convert prospects into sales opportunities.
Without solid CRM management, leads fall through the cracks and opportunities get missed.
Step 4: Measure And Optimize
If you don’t measure, you can’t improve.
Keep track of these key performance indicators:
- Cost per lead
- Lead to opportunity conversion
- Sales cycle length
- Customer acquisition cost
Then use that data to double down on what works and prune what doesn’t.
Common Mistakes That Kill Partner Growth
Great strategies will always fail if these mistakes are made.
Waiting on vendor leads. Vendors want to prioritize their own direct sales teams. Partners who rely too heavily on vendor supplied leads will never grow consistently.
Neglecting content marketing. The ERP buying cycle is long. Partners that do not create and publish valuable content are missing out on prospects who are not ready to buy.
Failing to follow up. ERP sales cycles can be 6 to 18 months long. Giving up after a few touches means lost deals to the competitors that stayed in the game.
Focusing on lead volume over quality. 100 unqualified leads is a waste of time and money. 10 highly qualified leads close sales. Partners need to focus on the right kind of leads, not the highest volume.
Bringing It All Together with ERP
ERP channel partner lead generation doesn’t have to be this complicated.
The ERP partners that are outperforming and growing their businesses focus on a few proven strategies and execute on them consistently. They invest in building referral networks. They create valuable content. They build and automate multi-channel outreach programs.
They also track everything so they know what’s working and what’s not.
The ERP market will continue to grow at a rapid pace. Partners who invest in strong lead generation strategies right now will capture market share from competitors that continue to struggle with outdated methods.
It really comes down to this:
- Clearly defining the ideal customer
- Building a multi-channel outreach system
- Creating content that attracts qualified leads
- Nurturing relationships throughout the long sales cycle
- Measuring everything so you know what to improve
Start with one or two strategies and get really good at them. Then scale by adding more tactics over time.
That’s how sustainable business growth is created in the ERP channel partner space.
