Channelscaler VP of Marketing Pamela Erlichman’s Exclusive Interview with MarTech Pulse on AI PRM
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Pam Erlichman VP of Marketing Channelscaler, shares how rethinking PRM as an AI-driven growth system unifying deal registration, journeys, incentives, and GTM alignment accelerated partner engagement and pipeline in 2025, and why CMO’s in 2026.
Channelscaler in 2025.What 2–3 pivots unlocked this growth, and where should partner marketers and channel chiefs double down in 2026?
The growth didn’t come from a single AI feature; it came from a mindset shift in how channel marketing treats the partner ecosystem.
Three pivots unlocked the impact:
First, we elevated PRM from a system of record to an AI-orchestrated workspace. Instead of treating PRM as a place to store partner data, we embedded AI directly into high-friction moments like deal registration, lead routing, and incentives. That allowed partners to move faster and marketers to influence outcomes in real time, not after the fact.
Second, we shifted from campaign-led thinking to journey-led partner experiences.
Onboarding, enabling, co-marketing, and co-selling were historically treated as separate motions. We connected them into continuous, AI-guided journeys so partners always know the next best action to take, which materially shortened time-to-pipeline.
Third, we moved analytics from hindsight to foresight. Instead of backward-looking dashboards, channel marketers gained AI-driven signals showing which partners, offers, and motions were most likely to convert next. That let teams to reallocate spend and effort while deals were still in flight.
Where CMOs should double down in 2026:
Place ease of doing first in all channel marketing motions. Then make AI operational, not experimental. Embed it into core workflows, design partner experiences around outcomes, and tie every AI investment to revenue velocity or efficiency vs. engagement.
Read More: Treasure Data CEO Kazuki Ohta’s Exclusive Interview with MarTech Pulse on AI-Driven B2B Demand
Your AI Deal Registration Agent automates partner rewards. How does it transform partner marketers from order-takers to revenue architects?
Deal registration has traditionally forced marketers into a reactive role, reviewing forms, approving exceptions, and processing rewards. AI flips that model. With an AI Deal Registration Agent, marketers move from processing transactions to designing the revenue system itself.
Instead of manually reviewing deals, marketers define the rules: which partner behaviors to reward, which segments to prioritize, and which motions drive margin. The AI enforces that logic consistently at scale.
Because deal intake, approvals, and rewards are automated and synced to CRM in real time, marketers gain live visibility into partner-sourced pipeline by region, tier, and partner type. That allows them to actively shape demand, adjust incentives, funding, and reward partners appropriately.
Most importantly, the loop between incentives and outcomes is closed. Marketers can see exactly how a reward structure influences pipeline, conversion, and revenue, then iterate like a portfolio manager, not an order taker.
Partners, marketing, and sales are still disconnected. What’s Channelscaler’s secret to unified GTM, and what did Jebbit and Oracle teach you?
What I learned at both Jebbit and Oracle is that GTM alignment comes from shared strategy, shared insight, and shared accountability.
The most effective partner-led GTM motions behave like ABM programs. Marketing, sales, and partners are aligned around the same target accounts, the same priority segments, and the same definition of success. Instead of marketing “handing off” to sales or partners, everyone is working from the same playbook.
At Channelscaler, that philosophy shows up in how we orchestrate partner GTM. Account targeting, deal registration, lead routing, incentives, and partner journeys all reinforce the same strategic priorities. AI helps surface which accounts, partners, and motions are performing — but just as important, it enables teams to test, learn, and adjust together.
The strongest ecosystems we see aren’t rigid. They’re built around rapid experimentation: testing new partner plays, adjusting incentives, refining journeys, and scaling what works. When marketing, sales, and partners can see the same data and act on it in near real time, alignment becomes a byproduct — not a management exercise.
That’s how GTM moves from disconnected motions to a shared growth engine.
How does someone activate Channelscaler for instant pipeline wins?
The fastest wins come from activating the moments where partner intent already exists.
Most of our customers start by enabling deal registration and intelligent lead distribution. That immediately converts partner activity into real CRM opportunities with IDs, ownership, and pipeline visibility from day one.
Next, they automate journeys for their top partner tiers. Guided onboarding, enablement, and co-selling paths shorten time-to-productivity and accelerate early wins.
Finally, they turn incentives into operational levers instead of a spreadsheet, activating rebates, SPIFFs, or commissions that auto-calculate and pay out on approved deals. Enabling Channel Marketers to drive desired behaviors in their partner ecosystem that align to your business goals.
Because Channelscaler integrates natively with CRM and core systems, pipeline lift becomes visible almost immediately.
What are the top two AI PRM mistakes that kill partner programs — and the fixes you’ve seen work?
The biggest mistake is simply AI for the sake of AI – it has to solve a real business problem.
Mistake one: Treating AI as a feature instead of a system. Many programs bolt AI onto dashboards or chatbots without embedding it into workflows. That creates novelty, not impact. The fix is to apply AI where friction exists such as approvals, routing, validation, and incentives, so it directly affects speed and revenue.
Mistake two: Optimizing for vanity metrics instead of partner reality. Programs often chase total pipeline or partner count while ignoring engagement depth and profitability. At Jebbit, the shift to zero-party data worked because we focused on intent, value exchange, and outcomes. The same applies to PRM: design programs around actions that signal real selling behavior, then reward them consistently.
Which two Channelscaler features deliver 3x partner engagement without adding headcount?
Two capabilities consistently stand out.
Partner journey automation keeps partners engaged without manual follow-up. Clear, guided steps for onboarding, enablement, and co-selling reduce confusion and drive repeat participation.
Intelligent lead distribution reinforces engagement through attribution. Partners receive qualified leads quickly, know exactly what to do next, and see rewards tied to action, which increases response rates and portal usage without human intervention.
Together, they create always-on engagement at scale.
Pipeline vanity vs. partner reality — which three metrics should CMOs obsess over daily?
CMOs should stop optimizing for volume and start optimizing for signal.
First: Partner-sourced, approved deal registrations. This shows where real demand is coming from, not just leads passed out.
Second: Active partner engagement in revenue motions. Logins alone don’t matter. Participation in journeys, programs, and co-selling activities reveals who is actually selling.
Third: Revenue and renewal performance by partner and motion. Closed-won and retained revenue tied back to specific partners and incentives tells you which plays create durable growth.
Together, these metrics reflect reality, not optimism.
Read More: Highspot CEO Robert Wahbe’s Exclusive Interview with MarTech Pulse on Deal Agent
Final advice: how should CMOs restructure now to own the partner ecosystem in 2026?
The biggest shift CMOs need to make is to stop treating the partner ecosystem as a side channel and start managing it as a core growth engine.
That requires restructuring teams and processes around partner outcomes, not just campaigns or tools. Marketing needs ownership of partner strategy, journeys, and incentives, with tight alignment to sales and finance on target accounts, plays, and profitability goals.
AI becomes essential at this stage, not as a layer of insight, but to move faster and operate smarter at scale. Embedded AI can automate high-friction workflows like deal registration, incentives, and approvals, freeing teams to focus on strategy instead of administration. At the same time, AI-driven insights help CMOs see which partners, motions, and investments are actually driving profitable growth, not just activity.
Most importantly, CMOs should use AI to protect and improve partner profitability. In a margin-compressed environment, the winners will be those who make it easier for partners to do business, get paid faster, and focus on the opportunities that return the most value.
The CMOs who succeed in 2026 will be the ones who orchestrate partner ecosystems with speed, clarity, and profitability at the center.
Thank you, Pam Erlichman, for taking the time to share your insights with us.
Write to us [wasim.a@demandmediaagency.com] to learn more about our exclusive editorial packages and programmes.
Pam Erlichman is the SVP of Marketing at Channelscaler, where she leads brand strategy and marketing initiatives. With over 25 years of experience in marketing and technology, Pam brings deep expertise in scaling brands, building go-to-market strategies, and driving growth.
Prior to Channelscaler, Pam spent seven years at Jebbit (acquired by BlueConic), serving as CMO and later as Chief Evangelist Officer, where she helped position the company as a leader in zero-party data and consumer engagement.
Channelscaler is the result of the merger of two leading vendors in the partner technology market: Allbound and Channel Mechanics. Together, we deliver what channel leaders need most: an exceptional partner experience on the front end, and enterprise-grade automation and flexibility behind the scenes. Now as Channelscaler, we provide the full spectrum of capabilities modern partner programs demand. From frictionless partner engagement and deep automation, to a relentless focus on customer experience and the flexibility to scale. We call it channel expert ease: a unique combination of customer commitment, AI-powered technology, and deep domain expertise that helps you win partner mindshare and deliver measurable results..
