Maritz Publishes Two-Part Series on Channel Engagement Study and Implications

Overview of Channel Incentives: Protecting Your Budget, Boosting Your Returns for 2025 and Beyond
Be the Best: Defining Exceptional Channel Incentive Programs
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Maritz Inc., the St.-Louis based enterprise engagement company, has recently published two reports on channel partner engagement. Channel Incentives: Protecting Your Budget, Boosting Your Returns for 2025 and Beyond, highlights the findings of a survey and their implications for managing effective channel engagement strategies. The second report, Be the Best: Defining Exceptional Channel Incentive Programs, outlines the recommendations of Maritz’ engagement design teams.
Overview of Channel Incentives: Protecting Your Budget, Boosting Your Returns for 2025 and Beyond

Effectively designed incentive programs have considerable impact on engagement, according to a survey including 308 respondents from various industries with the majority in manufacturing or technology. The respondents were primarily business owners, executives, or sales professionals and mostly located in US and Canada. They have been in their industries for an average of 14 years; are aged between 20 and 69 years of age, with the breakdown as follows: 18-34 (21%), 35-44 (43%), 45-54 (30%), 55-69 (6%).
Key findings include:
- 83% of participants said a reduction in program benefits would make them less likely to sell the product or engage with the company’s communications.
- 92% of sellers in top-tier programs report feeling more confident when selling the sponsoring business’ products. Contrast that with 45% confidence in poorly run programs, and the cost of complacency becomes clear, the report notes.
- Top four reasons participants drop out of an incentive program: 1. Rewards were too hard to earn or took too long. 2. The communications and offers weren’t relevant 3. Rewards weren’t appealing. 4. Rules weren’t clear or were confusing.
- 91% of survey respondents said that incentives have a “high” or “very high” influence on their motivation to sell a company’s products; 92% of sellers strongly agree that participating in incentive programs contributes positively to their location’s business success.
- Ability to earn rewards counts among the leading factors influencing reseller behavior, the survey finds.
- 91% of sellers said incentives have a high or very high influence on their willingness, interest, and energy to sell another business’ product or service.
- 92% of sellers agreed that incentives positively impact their business success; 45% of participants said they exert maximum effort in the “best” incentive programs.
- Competition in the channel space is fierce, with an average of 8.9 programs vying for each respondent’s attention.
- 92% of sellers said they actively keep earning opportunities in mind while performing their daily tasks.
- 63.3% of sales were attributed to incentive-driven efforts, based on the responses.
Be the Best: Defining Exceptional Channel Incentive Programs

Drawing upon on the results of the survey and the insights of Maritz program designers, this second report aims to translate survey results into concrete recommendations. “Exceptional channel incentive programs aren’t just about flashy rewards or sleek platforms – they’re about delivering what partners really value...Is it the rewards? The technology? The perks? According to our market study, the programs that stand out have one thing in common: They understand what channel partners really want, and they deliver a powerful value proposition that resonates.”
Key findings include:
Top 5 Defining Features of the “Best” Programs (according to participant survey responses)
49%: Value of rewards/benefits offered (good value for effort)
39%: Type(s) of rewards/benefits offered (appealing, unique, meaningful to me, etc.)
39%: Helped me develop new skills/knowledge (personal development, work performance, etc.)
35%: Participating was easy (clear rules, easy progress tracking, user-friendly site, etc.)
29%: Communications kept me aware/engaged.
Characteristics of a Successful Program
Simplicity. The structure is easy to understand, minimizing confusion and barriers.
Communication. Interactions are clear, relevant and timely. Very simple rules.
Personalization. The experience is tailored to individual participants or segmented groups.
Rewards. A range of appealing incentives are offered to match different motivators.
What Participants Seek
Clarity and transparency: Simple, understandable rules with clear pathways for earning rewards.
Fairness and equity: Consistent application of rules to avoid any sense of favoritism.
Attainability and relevance: Goals that are achievable and aligned with their roles and business priorities.
Design the Program With the Participants in Mind
“Most organizations design solely with their own goals in mind rather than thinking from the participant’s perspective. This is a classic misstep, as behavioral science tells us that perspective taking – or considering how the other person perceives and understands a situation – is essential for motivating behavior. Desired business outcomes don’t always translate directly to behavior. You need to map out the behavior(s) that will get you to those business outcomes and incentivize accordingly,” the report recommends.
Individual performance tracking is critical: 69% of participants said personalized reporting on performance is critical on a day-by-day basis.
Communications Recommendations
Multi-channel approach. Support outreach through various platforms, including email, text, newsletters, partner portals, social media and mobile app notifications.
Clear and consistent messaging. Provide concise, timely updates on goals, progress and rewards.
Personalized. Tailor messages and content based on individual needs, roles or partner type.
Feedback. Support two-way interactions encouraging feedback through polls, surveys and Q&A sessions.
Reward Selection
Customization and relevance: Rewards should be tailored to individual motivations.
Variety and choice. Include a broad range of rewards to cater to diverse interests.
Tangible and intangible benefits. Provide both material rewards (e.g., money, trips) and non-material rewards (e.g., recognition, skill development).
Partners say: “Give options, please, not a one-size-fits-all situation.”
Enterprise Engagement Alliance Services

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2. Learning: Purpose Leadership and Stakeholder

3. Books on implementation: Enterprise Engagement for CEOs and Enterprise Engagement: The Roadmap.
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5. Permission-based targeted business development to identify and build relationships with the people most likely to buy.
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