Customer experience (CX) and IT leaders have consistently told us all that by the end of the decade, CX will be the biggest differentiator for brands. We’ve listened. We’ve heard that message. And we’re empowering CX and IT leaders to be the heroes of transformation. That’s why we’ve rebranded and reimagined ourselves to meet the future head-on. For our partners, that means we’re empowering your growth, together. What’s beneficial to them, is often beneficial to 8x8. So, whatever we can do to improve their customers’ CX is a win for us all. That’s why, over the past year, we’ve introduced the changes we have. And that’s why I would like our sector to find ways to meet the needs and challenges of partners over the next five years, too.

Looking back on 2024

Around this time last year, we were already bracing for change. We knew we wanted to improve things for our partners, so we transferred to a learning management system (LMS) that would unlock more.

The process was a significant undertaking. We migrated around 5,000 learners to our new system from both sales and technical backgrounds. Doing so came with several improvements and laid the foundation for two big changes that have delivered significant benefits to our channel partners:

  • Setting up our technology partner ecosystem (TPES) training
  • Launching training journeys

Technology partner ecosystem (TPES) enablement

The 8x8 Platform for CX comes with a highly-curated technology partner ecosystem that lets customers tailor solutions to their CX goals with no integration development complexity. Its native-like features allow for deep synchronization across apps and workflows, giving customers the ability to add on industry-leading CX and AI tools.

With a wealth of new products and features, we had to create clear and concise training that would let partners more effectively sell the benefits of each solution to their customers to drive their sales. We added roughly 50 new product updates and releases every quarter.

Training journeys went live

‘Journeys’ comprises 8x8’s dedicated training pathways that guide learners through a series of courses specific to their job. Each pathway ends with a certification and can take between 4 and 14 hours to complete. They are separated into Sales and Services and benefit partners in several ways:

  • Certification creates authority and differentiation for partners
  • Enablement boosts sales by up to 50%
  • Training gives partners greater ownership over customer relations, creating more touchpoints over the customer lifecycle for cross- and up-selling opportunities

Speaking with many partners over the past year, they’ve told me that certification training has helped in holistic ways too, boosting employee morale and even mental health.

Looking forward to the future of CX enablement

Halfway to the CX vision of 2030, here are the big challenges and changes I’d like to see more of in our sector over the next five years. All are based on my frontline experiences with partners big and small.

Hybrid training courses

Many channel partners have hybrid workforces that are spread out across different offices and locations. This creates a problem when they are looking for in-person training, which is becoming one of the most popular training options. Organizations that have to get a large workforce to travel from several places to a central location find it expensive and time-consuming, especially for a course up to 14 hours in length.

Hybrid training strikes a balance between in-person and online, self-led training options so that channel partners can get the best of both worlds. Hybrid allows employees to take ‘core’ or ‘introductory’ modules in a self-led format, then have in-person training, which is bespoke to their organization (more on that below). This helps partners keep up to date with technological developments and drive sales with customers without breaking the bank on expenses.

More bespoke training

One-size-fits-all training is going to go the way of the dinosaurs. It isn’t sustainable in a competitive climate where partners are fighting for every customer they can get. What works for an organization selling to manufacturing firms won’t work for those selling to retail customers. They have different ideal customer profiles (ICPs) who have different pains, challenges, and goals; they’ll be looking for different benefits and advantages.

The same is true for different teams within partner organizations. Our enablement team has trained organizations with hundreds of salespeople grouped to focus on different ICPs. In these situations, bespoke training is the only way to go, and it’s what the future holds: breaking out of the one-size-fits-all box to focus on more bespoke enablement.

Channel and complex product training

The need for training, especially certified and bespoke training, is amplified by two more things:

  • The complexity of the end product: applications are becoming more complex and growing in number.
  • The channels devoted to CX: consumers are using a growing list of new channels that end-users and channel partners need to adapt to.

All new technology comes with challenges. So, too, do the new channels that consumers are using, like Bluesky, Threads, and WhatsApp. But focused, knowledgeable, and empowering enablement can turn those challenges into benefits.

For example, WhatsApp means CX must be more personalized, more responsive, and as consistent as a conversation with a friend. With the right platform and training, we can show partners how to set up systems that meet these criteria. And we can show them how to sell those advantages to their customers.

Here, AI has a significant role to play. End-users, and therefore partners, will need platforms that integrate AI at every level, enabling greater personalization and efficiency across the board. While there might be fears around this, the right training can highlight how and why AI and human input lead to the best results.

Reporting on enablement

Lastly, we know that partners who invest in enablement do sell more. There is a clear positive correlation. To help partners further, I believe richer reporting on enablement activities is needed. Partners with more detailed reporting can track what is successful. They can do more of it and, ultimately, increase their enablement ROI.

What’s more, it’s key that vendors are aware of this given the reality on the ground: partners use many vendors, and those who demonstrate their value will lead to the most success for partners.

To 2025 and beyond!

8x8’s free courses and 100+ hours of training videos are available for partners to access immediately. Start 2025 in the right way and go to our partner training page for more.