How to Move Dealers to a Portal: A 90-Day Implementation Plan
Contents
Building a portal is only half the battle. The second half is getting dealers to use it. Companies that treat a launch like pressing an "on" button get an empty portal and disappointment. Below is a plan for the first 90 days after technical readiness.
Before launch: preparation
- verify that prices, stock levels, and documents match the accounting system;
- select 5-10 dealers for the pilot: loyal, active, with varied profiles;
- prepare a short 3-5 minute video tutorial;
- agree with managers on incentives: orders placed by their clients through the portal are credited to them;
- appoint an internal portal owner.
Days 1-30: pilot
Goal: find and fix everything that gets in the dealers' way.
- A personal call to each pilot dealer and assistance with the first login.
- The dealer places their first order together with the manager.
- Weekly feedback collection.
- Fast improvements: issues are fixed in days, not months.
- Daily monitoring of sync with the accounting system.
Pilot metrics: share of pilot dealers who placed an order; share of orders without manual edits; order placement time.
Days 31-60: expansion
Goal: connect the main part of the network.
- Connecting dealers in groups of 20-30.
- An email with a video tutorial and personal login credentials.
- Managers transition repeat orders to the portal: "place it in your account, and I'll confirm it right away."
- Introducing advantages: priority processing, promotions available only in the client portal.
- Weekly report: who joined, who hasn't logged in, who is placing orders.
Days 61-90: consolidation
Goal: make the portal the main channel for repeat orders.
- One-on-one outreach to dealers who haven't started using it.
- Adding features requested during the pilot.
- Analysis: which use cases are being used and which are not.
- Development plan for the next quarter.
The role of managers
A manager can become the portal's greatest ally or its greatest obstacle. What works:
- maintaining commission on client orders placed through the portal;
- portal orders are visible to the manager in their work system, such as Bitrix24;
- freed-up time is directed toward new clients and upselling;
- the share of client orders placed through the portal is added to KPIs.
What to say to dealers
Not "we have a new portal", but concrete value:
- "your prices and stock levels at any time, with no waiting for a reply";
- "one-click reordering of past orders";
- "invoices and reconciliation statements appear automatically in your account";
- "orders placed from your account are processed first".
Metrics on day 90
| Metric | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Share of active dealers | How many actually use it |
| Share of orders via the portal | To what extent the portal has become a channel |
| Share of orders without edits | Quality of data and scenarios |
| Calls regarding statuses and documents | How much managers' workload is reduced |
| Order processing time | Speed for the client |
Frequently asked questions
What should you do with dealers who refuse to use the portal on principle?
Keep their familiar channel, but log orders in the same system. Some clients will always call.
Do you need to provide training?
A short video and assistance with the first order are usually enough. If training is needed, the interface should be simplified.
How soon can you expect results?
The first steady results are visible 2-3 months after the pilot starts.
