Luke Swanek’s Post

When done right, partnerships can be the most efficient GTM motion. One key is getting buy-in from your CRO and other C-suite leaders. Here's some advice on how to make that happen!

Looking to unlock partnership budget for your program? This CRO checklist will help you get buy-in from your leadership ✔️ PartnerStack's own CRO, Mike Head, walks us through just how and when to ask for partnerships budget — step by step. Some of the key items to consider include: ✅ Understand what the org cares about ✅ Get a pulse on channel performance ✅ Formalize your care ✅ Sell your ideas cross-functionally ✅ Articulate the counter argument ...and more in the article. 🔥 🔗 Get our CRO's expert advice here: https://lnkd.in/gEiChW4f #B2BSaaS #partnerships #GTMprotips

Understanding your readiness to partner with others and how to get further and deeper with your partners can be difficult to uncover when looking at the situation from inside your company or organization. We've created an assessment to help subjectively assess where you are on the partnering spectrum so you can move initiatives forward, with confidence. #collabunity #partnerreadiness #assessment #partnershipsuccess

❓ Ever faced misunderstandings or inefficiencies in your business operations? Struggling with aligning your team's vision and goals? 👉These are common pain points that often stem from one root cause: ineffective communication. Effective communication is the backbone of all successful business endeavors. Whether you're leading a franchise field team or managing a corporate office, clear and effective communication can: 🔹 Enhance collaboration and teamwork 🔹 Prevent costly misunderstandings 🔹 Boost morale and productivity 🔹 Strengthen relationships with clients and stakeholders At our organization, we understand the critical role that communication plays in achieving business success. That’s why we're thrilled to announce our latest course, 'Effective Communications,' designed to equip business professionals with the skills they need to communicate clearly and persuasively. 📅 The course begins on May 30th and is open to all business professionals eager to enhance their communication skills and drive their teams to success. Join us and transform the way you communicate. Let's build a future where every conversation is an opportunity for growth. #BusinessSuccess #EffectiveCommunication #Leadership #Teamwork #ProfessionalDevelopment #franchisesuccess #franchisegrowth #franchising #TransformationalChange #BusinessGrowth

I look forward to the Partnership Leaders Webinar on Thursday, Aug 1, where they will discuss partnership incentives with industry leaders Karlyn Bentley, Kathleen Meza, and Tai Rattigan. Creating effective partner incentives is crucial for driving engagement and success. Here are four steps to build powerful incentives: 1. Clearly define the actions you want partners to take. 2. Tailor incentives to the specific roles involved. 3. Discover what rewards partners value most. 4. Ensure incentives can be effectively scaled and delivered. Read more: https://rb.gy/ymju6j #partnershipleaders #partnerships #innovation

Cascadia Leadership Advisors' latest blog, this time about the causes and pitfalls of the dreaded "Barney Alliance," is live!

I have to admit, this morning's Partnership Leaders newsletter has heavily inspired this post, but please, if you can bear another Phineas & Ferb meme on a Friday morning... 👇 👇 👇 This week on SaaSiest I finally got to meet Magnus Serratusell Wallin and had a long conversation of probably one of the most controversial topics among partnership professionals. Our conclusion was this: There are waaaay too many supporters of the idea that "Partnerships are based on relationships". And don't get me wrong - I'm the first one who subscribes to the idea of entire business run by relationships. BUT... - and here is where I tend to disagree with many of you: Relationships 🤝 are only a part of the equation (**especially** in B2B SaaS). They are not the magic key for long-lasting, profitable partnerships. But they should complemented by: 🎁 a well-defined joint business plan, ⚙ a smart process for executing on that plan, 🛠 and modern tools to optimize the partnership. Did I miss anything?

Delighted to contribute this piece to Grit Daily News, delving into the advantages of forging strategic partnerships and alliances with fellow businesses or organizations. These alliances offer a pathway to mutual growth opportunities, bolster organizational capabilities, and open doors to untapped markets. The age-old adage, "It’s not what you know, it’s who you know," may underscore the significance of relationships over mere knowledge. However, it underscores the crucial role of strategic alliances across industries. Thoughtfully curated partnerships can catalyze growth, empower companies with enhanced capabilities, and pave the way for expansion into new market territories. Discover more insights and actionable guidance in this article for businesses keen on harnessing the power of strategic partnerships and alliances to fuel their growth trajectory. . . . #StrategicPartnerships #Alliances #BusinessGrowth #Collaboration #PartnershipGoals #GrowthOpportunities #MarketExpansion #CapabilityEnhancement #BusinessAlliances #MutualGrowth #IndustryInsights #CorporatePartnerships #MarketAccess #BusinessStrategy #PartnershipSuccess #StrategicAlliances

The Book on Partnerships is a new release that tackles several challenges in the modern partnership landscape, covering some key concepts across a wide range of partner types. Franz-Josef Schrepf has done a great job collating information from a significant number of partner pros. This is a great book for executives who are trying to figure out a partner play, particularly CEOs and founders. Hint, if you don’t have a partner strategy, you’re missing out. I won’t go through everything in detail, but want to point out three key highlights: 1️⃣ Don’t assume. Test. One scenario that backs this up is that offering something for free in a partnership may not get the results you want. G2’s “review syndication API” was offered for free. People weren’t adopting it. When they opted to charge for it, people discovered the value and adoption grew and the investment to develop stopped being an issue. 2️⃣ The point of a partnership is to have a multiplier effect. “No customer uses your tool in insolation.” Regardless of the partner type(s), it’s an aggregate game. Make sure you’re promoting that across your team and any partners involved in this motion. Getting that clarity of purpose and buy-in early will pay big dividends in the long run. The better you can have this cascade like an OKR from the CEO down through the different parts of the organization involved, the better. 3️⃣ Judge your alliance pursuits wisely. Alliances are rocket fuel. Make of that what you will. Used properly, you can put your company in proper orbit. Done poorly, your alliance partner can throw a match at your fuel and do significant damage. If you do not properly align expectations with your team about what an alliance is, what you want from the alliance partner, and an executable plan to make it reality, you are handing them the match. The common thread to these points, clarity, leadership driving the vision, and make sure partnerships are creating new value. If you can’t clearly see those points, keep working to clarify them early. It will save time, money, and the significant potential for a massive failure. Partnerships can be difficult to do right even with everything aligned. They will cause more angst and bad blood if they aren’t clear.

My Sunday Partnerships Take: Overcoming buzzword fatigue in partnership discussions: A (hopefully) fresh perspective on "Going to Market" Do you find yourself drowning in a sea of buzzwords every time you discuss GTM strategies with partners? I know I do! It seems like "going to market" has become the go-to phrase for every business discussion, to the point where its effectiveness is starting to wane. I have been thinking probably far too much about ways to breathe new life into partnership narratives without succumbing to buzzword bingo. Basically, I am tired of GTM-ing myself to death. Perhaps instead of mindlessly repeating the phrase "going to market," we can focus on the underlying strategies and collaborative efforts that drive successful market engagements. Here are some alternative approaches to consider: Market Entry Strategy: Shift the conversation towards strategic planning, market analysis, and segmentation to ensure a solid foundation for your GTM initiatives. Collaborative Market Engagement: Emphasize the teamwork and shared goals involved in partnering to bring products or services to market, fostering a sense of synergy and mutual benefit. Market Penetration Approach: Frame discussions in terms of ambitious market expansion goals, highlighting the potential for growth and innovation through strategic partnerships. Partner-Centric Market Expansion: Showcase the pivotal role that partnerships play in expanding market presence and accelerating business growth, leveraging the unique strengths of each partner. Market Access Strategy: Explore how partnerships can provide access to new markets or customer segments, tapping into partner networks and expertise to unlock untapped opportunities. Market Amplification Initiatives: Highlight the power of partnerships in amplifying brand visibility, market reach, and customer engagement, creating a ripple effect of positive impact. Coordinated Market Rollout: Stress the importance of coordinated planning and execution in rolling out products or services to the market, ensuring a seamless and impactful launch. Market Collaboration Framework: Establish a structured framework for collaboration, including joint planning, execution, and performance tracking, to maximize the effectiveness of partnership engagements. By using some of these alternative phrases and approaches, I think we can inject fresh energy and clarity into our partnership discussions, paving the way for more meaningful and impactful collaborations with our partners. I'm curious to hear how you navigate the challenge of buzzword overload in your GTM discussions. Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. I'd love to keep the conversation going. #gtm #buzzwordbingomustdie #partnershipleaders #bettertogether