Advisors and education in the spotlight as Xero launches new partner program
Xero has today unveiled its expanded global Partner Program and its open practice platform Xero HQ.
Anna Curzon, Xero New Zealand managing director, says the new program and Xero HQ was built in response to feedback from its network of accounting and bookkeeping partners.
The program is designed to activate the success rate of partners and of small business owners by connecting them to advice and services. Xero connects more accountants and bookkeepers to small businesses than any other platform. Some 89% of Xero subscribers already connect to advisors, Curzon says.
"We are really passionate about connecting an advisor with a small business customer," Curzon says.
Curzon says Xero businesses who use an advisor grow their et profit by up to 23% faster than those who don't.
"The partner program has been designed to support partners with a new Advisor Directory, enriched education and practice tools, and new levels of rewards and recognition," Curzon says.
Doug LaBahn, global VP Partner Marketing at Xero, says,"We've completely replatformed our partner program to expand and improve all the ways that partners interact with us.
"The Partner Program will help them grow, put all the leading services right at their fingertips, differentiate their practices and take on new clients," he says.
"Today, Xero is connecting over 89% of small businesses to advisors, and 29% to apps in our Marketplace ecosystem. We know that every connection on our platform increases the success of small businesses and our Xero partners."
The new partner program will become available in November.
Features of the new program include:
- New way for partners to work with Xero HQ: The new Open Practice Platform will enable partners to connect to the apps they want to use:
○ Developers can integrate with the Xero ecosystem for small business apps and develop integrations for Xero HQ
○ Prioritise work using the activity feed to see which clients need action and when
○ Drill into clients with Explorer based on industry, apps or banking relationships
○ Streamline reporting with new Report Templates
○ View a list of all clients in one place; and
○ Use staff management tools including visibility over their staff's certification status.
Curzon says businesses will be able to attract new clients with better visibility on the Xero Advisor Directory.
According to Xero, the Advisor Director is already a substantial source of client leads for partners, and has now been improved with new technology and designs to make it easier for the more than 20,000 people globally who search the directory every month to find a financial advisor.
The new geosensing feature showcases partners that operate within the area the small business is situated, while other features like the search function, detailed listings and richer profile pages equip partners with the tools to market their businesses and grow their client base.
Features continued:
- More interactive ways for partners to learn Xero: Xero U has a new look with a personalised learning experience and enriched Xero Certification process.
- Points system for partners to earn a higher status and unlock new benefits: Pioneered in Australia, partners will now receive points for growing with Xero by adding new clients, being invited in to collaborate with clients, and expanding into the Xero product suite so partners can grow at a faster pace, and unlock more benefits.
- New recognition for growing and highly trained partners : Many partners are investing to certify and grow their Xero client list. A new special distinction has been introduced in the partner program called Xero Champion, with extra rewards for partners achieving champion performance.
- Refreshed benefits, and a new Xero Store for Partners: Partners will be able to order branded Xero merchandise and other marketing resources exclusive to partners through the new Xero Store. The expanded global Partner Program highlights Xero's commitment to being the best in the industry, and follows Xero's recognition for the second year running as the number one accounting solution in Australia, according to the annual Canstar Blue report.
