Case StudyWhy Crossbeam chose PartnerPortal as their PRM
How a two-person ecosystem team automated payouts, tamed partner leads, and drove a 71% increase in partner-sourced revenue.
“We knew that being able to offer economic incentives in the form of revenue share and commissions to our partners was just table stakes. We really had no way to execute payouts. Finding a system to automate that for us was key to kickstart the whole program.”
About Crossbeam
Crossbeam is the leading partner ecosystem platform, letting two partnered companies put real data behind their partnership. We spoke with Adam Michalski, VP of Ecosystem at Crossbeam, about their partner program, the challenges they faced, and how they used PartnerPortal.io to overcome them.
The Problem
As a two-person team, Crossbeam’s manual approach to partner leads had hit its ceiling. Adam described their old method as “just not scalable. Keeping track of all the different leads that were submitted and making sure that those partners would be paid out for their efforts was done very manually” — a spreadsheet-driven system that couldn’t keep up.
They also wanted to raise the bar on partner experience: “we want to make sure the partners have a good experience — the tools we provide them need to be easy to use and implemented quickly.” And they saw untapped pipeline in getting there:
With a tool that makes it much easier for partners to submit deals, then partners are going to submit more, then we have additional pipeline that’s going to close faster.
The Solution
Crossbeam adopted PartnerPortal.io as a central system of record where they and their partners could register, track, and report on shared opportunities. “This scalable process ensures our partners get the credit that they deserve, we get partner-sourced revenue that’s legitimate, and that we have an auditable track record of who we need to pay out,” Adam explained.
Just as important, the platform delivered a smooth partner experience without a heavy lift. “The usability and quick time to value of PartnerPortal.io really stood out.”
Most companies that are strapped for resources or have a smaller partnership team can definitely benefit from the fact that it’s not going to require a long, one or two quarter implementation process.
The Results
With PartnerPortal.io in place, Crossbeam scaled and tracked partner-sourced revenue far more effectively — contributing to a 71% increase in overall partner-sourced revenue. Work that once took a team member several hours a week now takes minutes.
The platform’s analytics also sharpened strategic decisions: “The data from PartnerPortal.io shows us which partners are driving value and plays a role in our strategic decisions.” And the rollout landed well with partners themselves:
The partners really appreciated it because it’s easier, saves them time, and they now have full visibility into what happens with their deals. There was zero pushback.
Adam’s takeaway: “I would definitely recommend PartnerPortal.io to others. If you need a PRM, aren’t looking to break the bank, and want to see quick time to value, PartnerPortal.io is a great solution.”