Dell raises incentives for partners that co-invest in growth

Dell partner incentives are being increased to reward a targeted group of partners that co-invest in growth initiatives and deliver significant impact across storage and client solutions. The updated approach reflects a strategic focus on strengthening collaboration with partners that demonstrate the capability and commitment to expand market share and deepen customer engagement.

Denise Millard, chief partner officer at Dell Technologies, said the decision centers on partners that actively align with Dell’s growth programs, saying that “there are some partners who really organize and get behind a growth program and they want to co-invest with Dell, and those are the partners that we want to reward with the growth program”. She added that these partners “are also the needle movers in terms of making a really big impact in terms of us demonstrating growth through the partner ecosystem”.

A focus on targeted partners with strong practices

The updated program is being directed at a focused subset of Dell’s largest partners with strong storage and workplace practices, reflecting a move toward deeper, more strategic engagement rather than broad, volume-led incentive structures. The intention is to establish jointly defined growth plans with selected partners, governed by shared performance indicators that align both organizations around common objectives.

Millard explained that the program is structured around coordinated planning and execution, saying that “there’s a set of KPIs between the two organizations that really govern how the program will get structured”. She said this alignment allows Dell to reimagine engagement with partners positioned to drive storage and client growth at scale.

Tiered targets to accelerate profitability

A further change involves the introduction of two achievement levels within the growth program, designed to give partners earlier access to financial rewards and improve profitability visibility. The revision follows partner feedback that previous models were too rigid and delayed earnings recognition until late in the performance cycle.

Millard said that “it was an all or nothing last year” and that the new structure now offers “two target levels to achieve” which will give partners “an opportunity to get to the money earlier”. This adjustment is intended to create a more flexible pathway for partners to benefit from incremental progress toward agreed growth objectives.

New business and swap rebates return

Dell is also reintroducing new business incentives and competitive swap rebates for Titanium partners, a move expected to significantly enhance profitability for partners consistently delivering new storage and client wins. The return of these incentives reflects recognition that partners who actively bring net-new business require stronger commercial rewards to sustain continued investment in sales and technical resources.

Millard said that partners consistently generating new business “are going to be quite lucrative with the competitive swap program and rebate” and added that combining these incentives “represents huge profitability potential for partners”.

Broader channel growth and collaboration goals

The incentive changes form part of a wider effort to drive efficient scaling through its partners while simplifying collaboration and removing operational friction. By concentrating resources on partners that deliver measurable growth and commit to joint planning, Dell aims to accelerate expansion into new markets and strengthen its overall share of wallet with customers.

Millard emphasized that the overarching objective is to empower partners to lead customers through transformation while capitalizing on emerging opportunities, reinforcing a model in which targeted collaboration and co-investment become the primary drivers of sustained channel growth.