Client Background:Porter is a revolutionary platform specializing in creating visually appealing hotel websites designed to leave a lasting impression on visitors and drive higher conversion rates for bookings. Porter is the latest product launched by BeCurious, a digital marketing agency with 20 years of expertise in building custom websites for high-scale hotels and hotel chains in the Netherlands.

Challenge:Porter aimed to help more hotels reduce their reliance on external parties and generate commission-free reservations. They sought partner companies that shared the mutual objective of facilitating direct bookings for their hotel clients. The primary challenges included:

1. Referral Partner Program: Porter needed to create an effective Referral Partner program to engage like-minded companies and professionals with a shared goal of increasing commission-free reservations.
2. Efficient Partner Journey: Developing a streamlined partner journey and sales funnel to manage inbound leads from Porter's partners effectively.
3. Partner Onboarding: Simplifying partner sign-up, enabling partners in their sales efforts, and establishing clear reporting mechanisms for performance tracking.

Solution:Porter collaborated with Bond to develop and implement a comprehensive Referral Partner program. The solution involved several key components:

1. Referral Partner Program Development: Bond worked closely with Porter to define the program's specific needs and objectives. This included setting up an efficient partner journey, sales funnel, and KPIs for measuring partner performance.
2. Efficient Partner Journey: Bond created an automated workflow in Porter's CRM system that included a complete partner journey with defined lead stages, ensuring efficient partner management and engagement.
3. Legal Partnership Agreements: Bond provided legal partnership agreements to establish clear terms and conditions for partner collaborations.
4. "Become a Partner" Page: A user-friendly "Become a Partner" page was designed and implemented to facilitate partner sign-ups.
5. Sales Resources: Bond created sales resources for all partners, empowering them to effectively promote Porter's solutions.
6. Partner Prospecting: Bond conducted partner prospecting efforts, defining the ideal partner profile and reaching out to potential partners through platforms like LinkedIn and hospitality communities. This process included conducting interviews to qualify partners before introducing them to Porter.

Results:The partnership between Porter and Bond yielded significant results and achievements:

• Referral Partner Program Launch: Within six weeks of project initiation, Bond and Porter successfully launched the Referral Partner program, engaging partners who shared the goal of increasing commission-free reservations.
• Efficient Partner Journey: An automated workflow in Porter's CRM system, complete with a well-defined partner journey and lead stages, streamlined partner management and engagement.
• Clear Legal Agreements: Legal partnership agreements were established to provide transparency and clarity in partner collaborations.
• User-Friendly Landing Page: The "Become a Partner" page simplified partner sign-ups, making it easy for interested parties to express their interest.
• Empowered Partners: Sales resources were created to empower partners in their sales efforts, equipping them with the necessary tools and resources to succeed.
• Partner Prospecting: Bond identified and introduced Porter to eight potential partners who aligned with their objectives, fostering potential collaborations.

Conclusion:Porter's strategic partnership with Bond exemplifies the potential of Referral Partner programs to drive growth and empower partners with shared goals. By creating an efficient partner journey, implementing legal agreements, designing a user-friendly landing page, providing sales resources, and conducting partner prospecting, Porter successfully engaged partners and accelerated its partner program launch. This case study underscores the power of strategic partnerships in the hospitality technology sector.

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