Jessie Shipman’s Post

Dear Founder, "What exactly are they doing over there in partnerships?" Imagine this: Sarah, a CRO at a fast-growing SaaS company, is sitting in her QBR with her CEO.👔 She's asked a tough question:❓ "How do we know how much revenue is coming from our partnerships?"💰🤝 Sarah hesitates.😕 She knows partnerships can play a key role in the sales process —but tracking and attributing that impact? That's been a real challenge.🧩 Quantifying partner influence, determining ROI, and accurately attributing deals are tricky business, especially when compared to clear-cut direct sales.📈 It's one of the top reasons our fellow revenue leaders are hesitant to double down on partnerships.🎲 But here's the thing: the value of partnerships is both quantitative and qualitative.💡 That means it's time to redefine the metrics of success and integrate partner operations into revenue operations.🎯 What if we started by simply measuring the same KPIs sales measures, and added "partner-sourced" and "partner-influenced" filters?📉 Wouldn't that be a marvelous head start?🏇 Start simple, then establish unique KPIs that only partners can deliver on.🚚 What's your take? How are you measuring partnership success?🤔

Your guide to succeeding in Partnerships 🚀 Here’s what you need to prioritize to make your partnerships thrive👇🏻 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐲-𝐈𝐧 🤝 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Without the backing of your internal teams, whether it’s sales, marketing, or leadership... your partnerships won’t get the attention and resources they need. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭: → Align your goals with the company’s broader objectives. → Regularly communicate wins and progress to stakeholders. → Demonstrate how partnerships contributes with clear data 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐎𝐈 📈 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Without data you're blind, measuring the ROI is critical for proving your value. However, this requires you to have great processes and a solid tech stack. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭: → Implement partnership-specific tools that integrate with your existing systems, enabling precise tracking and reporting. → Align with rev-ops to ensure data consistency and avoid the pitfalls of disconnected systems. → Stop thinking about attribution as a zero-sum game and you'll be able to capture the full impact of your partnerships 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 🥇🥈🥉 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Not all partners will deliver the same value. Focusing on the right ones ensures your efforts are spent where they’ll have the most impact. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭: → Use data to identify which partners drive the most value and create a solid Ideal Partner Profile (IPP) → Regularly review partner performance and adjust your focus as needed. → Develop a clear strategy for engaging high-potential partners and breaking up with low-potential ones Success in partnerships isn’t just about building relationships it’s about strategic prioritization.

Last week I was a guest speaker at Attacama’s Partnerships Team Offsite. All of their key questions boiled down to one critical focus: ALIGNMENT. Here were the top 6 (and my answers): 1. “What are some tips for activating new partners?” If you align on your process and goals early, it will be very clear how to activate a partnership. Sometimes it’s just following the steps of the process. Sometimes it’s bringing them a piece of business to kick things off. If you don’t align you won’t know. 2. “Any recommendations on managing partners for success?” Once you’ve built the relationship and set goals, staying aligned through consistent and open communication is the best way to manage partners. Keep them updated in as many ways as possible and do QBRs to reset on goals. 3. “How do you build partnerships that last?” Just like any relationship, partnerships that are built on a foundation of mutual trust and similar goals outlast the rest. Aligning early can establish both of these, and staying aligned can maintain them. 4. “What’s the easiest way to triangulate deals with partners?” Aligning on target and pipeline data, through account mapping and consistent communication, makes it easy to triangulate deals so there’s no need for a last minute Hail Mary. 5. “How do you garner cross-functional support internally?” Aligning with cross-functional leaders and reps is as critical internally as it is externally. Just as with external partners, always think about “what’s in it for them?” And keep them updated on it. 6. “What’s the secret to converting one-off referrals to lasting partnerships?” The moment someone sends you a referral, that is your signal to find out exactly why they did it and what you can do to make it happen consistently. Alignment is the most powerful and important tool when building a partner program. It can either be your cheat code for success, or your Achilles’ heel. Thanks for having me Jessica Goulart, you have a great team and I'm excited to see you all kill it!

+2 new guides! 🎉 Our Learning Hub is growing with even more resources on partnerships—grab yours today and kickstart your collaborations! At PARTNER2B, we’re all about making partnerships easy. Our Learning Hub is packed with downloadable PDFs full of tips and insights to help you partner smarter and grow faster. Let’s take the mystery out of partnerships and help your business thrive! 🚀 What's Coming: ❓ Where to start with partnerships 🎯 Understanding your business goals Identifying potential partner profiles Initial partnership strategy development 🔢 Types of partnerships: Technology Partnerships Marketing Collaborations Referral Networks Strategic Alliances Integration Partnerships 🎁 Deep dive into partnership benefits Cost-effective market expansion Accelerated lead generation Enhanced brand credibility Innovation through collaboration Risk mitigation strategies These aren't just guides – they’re your roadmap to partnership success. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your strategy, we’re building resources to help you every step of the way. Stay tuned for practical, in-depth guides designed to transform the way you think about business partnerships! Big thanks to Elena Zapolyanskaya, partnerships expert at PARTNER2B, for all your hard work in making this happen! 🙌

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. Over the past few years, I’ve been deeply involved in building and running partnership programs, and here’s what I’ve learned: Building a successful nearbound approach involves 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, and the 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬. At the heart of any partnership program is making sure your partners have the best experience. This includes everything from a 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 to 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, where you give them the tools, resources, and training they need to succeed. It’s also important to have a 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. This way, every partner understands the specific benefits of working with your business, making the collaboration much smoother. When partners feel supported, they’re more likely to deliver results. Here’s why nearbound works: - Leverage trusted relationships—partners, customers, and even competitors. Expand your market reach—without needing to grow your sales team. - Boost your value proposition—65% of companies say partnerships are essential for future growth. - Cost-effective growth—50% of businesses say over 26% of their revenue comes from partnerships (HubSpot 2022). According to IDC, companies that prioritize ecosystems grow 50% faster than those without a strategy. Curious about how nearbound can drive your growth? I wrote a detailed guide--link in comments.

I built a partnerships team from 1 → 15 people worldwide. Data was the number #1 thing that made that possible. If I had to do it again this is how I would do it: 1. Start with revenue. Always. New revenue generated should be your north star. It justifies your existence by taking you from a cost center to a revenue generator 2. Partner-influenced revenue. Show the total value you're driving WITH partners, not just FROM them. This helps expand the value you and your partners are bringing to all revenue conversations 3. Measure partner efficiency. Start tracking ACV, Deal Velocity, CAC and LTV:CAC ratios for partner-sourced deals vs. direct sales. Once you're able to prove that deals from partners are better deals from a financial perspective then you'll get a lot more buy-in 4. Partner activation rates. What percentage of your partners are actively engaging and driving results? This helps you justify the need for further resources if you can improve the activation rate from 10 -> 20% that's often a significant increase in revenue 5. Measure retention rates & adoption metrics - Are partner-sourced customers stickier? - Are customers using more of your product when partners are involved? This is where you need to get CSM involved and something you can only track after a while, but once you have the new revenue metrics locked down then look at how your partners help improve value for existing customers 6. Track cross-functional alignment. How many internal teams are actively engaging with partners? Partnerships can't exist in a vacuum, and you need the entire organization to be onboard, once you can prove positive metrics for new & existing customers then you should work on getting the entire organization involved The goal isn't just to measure for the sake of measuring. It's about proving value, driving alignment, and continuously improving your program. Start with these, but don't be afraid to get creative. The best KPIs are often unique to your business and strategy. Just make sure they're tied to real business outcomes. And if you're struggling to get buy-in, remember: data is your best friend in partnerships. Use it wisely, and you'll never have to justify your existence again. What would you add?

🎁 Our gift to founders looking to scale internationally and plan to leverage partnerships to do it: Introducing our GTM with Partnerships Article Series! Read the first article here: https://lnkd.in/e4hkcqHe   Head of Partnerships, Aisling Curley dived into the world of strategic partnership building with guests that combined have decades of experience and a wealth of knowledge. Here’s a sneak peek at the upcoming features: 🚀 The Deal & Beyond: Building Lasting Partnerships for Scale with James Windsor 🏆Winning Together: Sourcing Partnerships for Growth & Presence with Claire McFarlane 🌏From Unknown to Unstoppable: Partnering with Industry Giants as a Smaller Organization with Jason Hill 📈Pioneering Partnerships: Building Partner Strategies from the Ground Up with Marc Tan 📢Cultural Alignment: Leveraging Events & Partnerships in a New Market with Natalie Di Donato  🧬The DNA of Partner Sales: The Power of Relationship-Building with Will Padman First up, Pioneering Partnerships: Building Partner Strategies from the Ground Up with Marc Tan, APJ Channels and Alliances Manager at Traceable. Highlights – 🍔 ”Partnerships are fundamentally about scaling a business. Regardless of the product—whether it’s SaaS, cloud, phones, or burgers — at some point, it makes sense to leverage an ecosystem to expand your product’s reach more broadly.” ⚡ ”Recognize not just your customer’s pain points, but how they think and work: This insight is foundational to providing effective solutions and building strong partnerships.” 🤝 ”If given the chance to approach partnership roles again, I would adopt a more deliberate approach to partner selection, prioritizing organizations that demonstrate genuine interest and commitment to mutual success.” Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e4hkcqHe #partnerships #partnershipcontent #GTMpartners #globalexpansion

When scaling a partner program it can be quantity — and then quality — that makes the difference when you’re growing your partner program. Partnerships expert Cory Snyder shares his growth secrets, hard data and revenue targets for Teamwork.com’s partnerships program in 2024 in our latest article ⚡ 💰 Find out how this partnerships leader is driving $850k in ARR this year here: https://lnkd.in/gBRzDP7C #partnershipsuccess #gtmstrategy

Cory Snyder, Head of Partnerships at Teamwork.com, unveils a comprehensive strategy for 2024 that aims to elevate their partnership program. Let’s have a look at the pillars of their approach: 1️⃣ Streamlining Partner Acquisition. → Overhaul processes to reduce manual tasks and inefficiency.  → Utilize PartnerStack and HubSpot to automate 90% of manual work, focusing on effective acquisitions and targeted outreach. → Launch updated partner pages for clearer program offerings, enhancing partner sign-up and engagement. 2️⃣ Focusing on Quantity to Identify Quality. → They've recently expanded their partner base from 80 to 300. → Larger volumes provide valuable data to develop an Ideal Partner Profile (IPP).  → This is based on metrics like employee count, services offered, and industry engagement. 3️⃣ Maximizing Partner Value. → Align the team on KPIs and goals. → Emphasize collaborative growth with partners through support in registration, enablement, and go-to-market strategies. → Enhance partner success with directory listings, internal referrals, and other incentives, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem. TL;DR: 🔹 Focus on quantity to find quality. 🔹 Eliminate 90% of the manual labour. 🔹 Create mutual partnerships where both sides benefit. To read the full strategy, the PartnerStack link is in the comments!

The first VP of Partnerships I ever worked for had one hard and fast rule. This rule made him one of the most successful partnership leaders I’ve ever met (and it has nothing to do with “add value”): The rule? His first hire was ALWAYS Partner Operations. Most folks are surprised by this, but his focus on process and data are what made his programs so scalable and successful. In the case of Bronto, where I worked for him, our 5-person partner team was generating 65% of the new business against a 60 person sales team. This is the power of great partner ops. It is the only thing that truly allows you to measure, scale, and optimize your partner program. This is ultimately the why I decided to build EULER. Because most partnerships teams don’t have partner ops. They struggle to keep their heads above water juggling 15-20 jobs each week. And there has been no way to operationalize, track, measure, and optimize all of this for scalable success. When we started building Euler we affectionately called it “partner ops in a box”. It has been developed on the back of a decade of pain points, hurdles, obstacles, and frustrations. The first end-to-end, partnerships management platform that’s so easy to use even a partnerships team of 1 can quickly stand up, operationalize, and grow their partner program. One system to manage, track, measure, and optimize your entire partner lifecycle from A to Z. From partner contracting, to onboarding, enablement, activation, incentivization, and growth EULER creates ease, automation, and scalability across your entire partner experience (PX). Built with details that only a former partner manager would think of (e.g. spiff management, deal collaboration, and more). If you’re invested in scaling your partnerships revenue, we can help you get there much faster. We’ve booked over 50 demo’s since our launch last week. Come see why partnerships teams are GIDDY about EULER. #partnerships