Interview: Partner training as a driver of growth
Partner Training: Stefan Baumgart on strategy, motivation, and AI
In recent years, partner training has evolved from an occasional obligation to a central component of successful corporate strategy. Well-trained partners can not only increase sales and customer satisfaction, but also strengthen the brand itself and its market position.
Speaking with Stefan Baumgart, Senior Strategy Advisor at Scheer IMC, it becomes apparent how the demands on training formats have changed away from one-off, face-to-face events, towards more flexible, digital, and tailored learning offerings.
He shares practical tips for building effective partner enablement programs, warns of common pitfalls, and provides an outlook on the potential of AI-supported learning.
What role does partner training play in a company's overall strategy today?
Partner training is now much more than just a “nice-to-have.” It’s a strategic lever for sales growth, brand loyalty, and quality assurance. Well-trained partners not only better understand the products, but also the values and processes of a company. This has a direct impact on customer satisfaction, sales figures, and competitive positioning. In many industries, especially those where complex or consultation-intensive products are sold, partner enablement is a key differentiator.
What has changed in the way companies approach partner training?
In the past, partner training often took the form of one-time events, such as classroom training, trade fairs, or roadshows. Nowadays, companies are increasingly turning to continuous, digital learning formats that are more scalable and flexible. It is less about simply “dumping” knowledge and more about developing a more measurable form of competency development.
Personalisation, learning on demand, and integration into day-to-day business play a central role in this. Expectations have also evolved: partners do not want to have to wait until the next seminar takes place, but rather want access to the latest knowledge at their fingertips.
How do you maintain the motivation of external partners for continuous learning?
Motivation stems from relevance, simplicity, and appreciation. Content must be directly applicable and clearly linked to the partner's business success. Microlearning formats, practical scenarios, and playful elements such as gamification or certificates further add to the appeal.
In addition, learning should be pitched as a competitive advantage - those who continue to upskill themselves sell better and stand out as clear experts to customers. Having transparent communication and recognition for achieved learning goals in place help round out the picture.
What mistakes do companies keep making when it comes to partner training?
One common mistake is to design training courses too much from the perspective of the company and to not respond sufficiently to the actual needs and circumstances of the partners. Content is also often too extensive and too infrequently updated, which leads to overload or a perceived lack of relevance.
Other stumbling blocks include technical issues, a lack of performance measurement, and the assumption that one-time training is sufficient: partner training is not a project, but a process!
What advice would you give to companies that are starting to set up more structured training programs for their partners?
Start small, but be strategic. Identify the most important learning objectives that will have the greatest business impact and develop high-quality, easily accessible content for them. Engaging in dialogue with partners early on means you can better understand their challenges and preferences.
Choose a platform that is scalable and will later support automation, reporting, and personalisation. Finally: measure success from the outset - not just participation rates, but also the corresponding impact on sales results or service quality.
Where do you see the greatest potential for partner training to develop in the coming years (e.g. through AI or automation)?
AI can revolutionise partner training - especially through personalised learning paths, automated content adaptation, and intelligent performance measurement. Chatbots can answer support questions around the clock. With the help of generative AI, learning materials can be updated quickly, or individual training recommendations can be made based on partner data.
In addition, the integration of training directly into work processes will increase – partners no longer have to learn “on the side” but can instead receive context-related support exactly when they need it. This can transform learning from a separate event into a continuous, embedded part of everyday work.
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