Its always been a pain to form partnerships in B2B... but they are increasingly becoming the most important way to scale revenue.
David Sevitt and Butch Langlois shared their perspectives on this topic at last week's Pavilion social which we hosted in my brand new 'Level Up' venue on King Street at StartWell
Here are my takeaways from the talk:
1. Relationships work multi-laterally; express value to develop trust (not just through transactions/sales - e.g. make recommendations that can help the work ife of your partner.)
2. Direct sales will almost never get you to $100ARR+... you *need* partnerships.
3. Know who you are partnering with - the organization and, more importantly, the people who work there... *that you are talking with* - know their motivations and fears.
4. Executive sponsors can help the org understand value, but you still need to motivate the person on the other side managing your relationship.
5. Visibility takes work... if the other side is literally thinking all day long about either hitting a quota or getting fired, how can your company remain important to them?
Buyer preferences are changing. You know, some say that trust is the new data, right, people, There's so much content, so much noise, confusion that people increasingly are looking to to partners for recommendations on new SAS applications. They're looking to communities like Pavilion for recommendations, influencers. There are new marketplaces that are sprouting up to to help buyers procure technology. So I think kind of partner sourced. Opportunities are going to be happening more. I also think that. The, the, the science of partnerships is, is evolving, right? It used to be more of an art form. Now we're seeing a little bit of art, meat science. You know what's happened on the direct sales side over the last 10 years beginning to emerge with playbooks and methodologies still work to do, but but making good progress and partner tech and and I think partner tech. So you look at tools like Reveal, Crossbeam, I seen Nikita from partners stock. Speaking with someone last week who's using AI next year to help recruit partners as they move into the US. So umm, and then I think finally there's, you know, one of the challenges I. Faced a lot a few years ago a little bit less now is aligning internal teams right So on the partnership side getting pressure from product and and sales and marketing like that was always harder than than than you know doing deals with partners but I think. Given these macro trends, there's more openness and, and, and I think frankly CEO's are beginning to see the light and, and it'll be easier to align teams and get the right investment level to, to give partnerships a shot for, for a growing company. When you get to a certain size I, you need to have channel as part of your growth. There are anomalies where you can do direct and you can grow to 100 million in AR, but generally you need to have a channel. Strategy. When you look at it, depending on who you're partnering with, one of the big gaps is understanding the motivation of the people you're partnering with, right? So if I'm partnering and David's leading a sales team for Procurify. In all his metrics are about him selling direct and there is no skin in the game for him to do anything on the partner side and he's going to get fired unless he does stuff for direct. He's not gonna be engaged. When you're managing a channel, when you're developing a partnership, one, it's no different than direct. There are 100 things you have to do to actually scale that. But the people you're partnering with, you have to understand what motivates them and what gets them. That's one of the biggest mistakes and what gets them fired. People make is they, they look at A at a player and like we can get massive distribution because they have 10s of thousands of customers, but I don't think they give enough. Thought as to like what's the Better Together story what's that that mutual you need you really need an exact sponsor yeah, who understands why the combination is important Things move so much faster with that exact sponsor true. And you have to remember the person who was selling. What is in it for them? Because all that matters is their quota right now. And if you're not part of that? You are on the bottom of the list. I wanna. When we did partnerships, it was like I would go down to Square. I would take them all out. I would give them incentives. I would give them side incentives that their boss didn't know about. I would do whatever I wanted them to think about my company without that because they could be doing their best thing. But all they need when they're thinking there's I gotta hit my quota or I may be fired. How do you get that visibility and mind share with them? The only way you do that is through an executive champion who realizes the combination of the two companies as powerful or. There's an incentive for them financially and that's the most important thing. I, I always tell when in, in the early days when I was doing companies in the early 2000s, we get a, we get a, we would do a partnership and it would be with like Yahoo and it was like, Oh my God, it's going to be like everything's going to happen. We do it for our VC's. It never did anything for the company. How do you get the people in the other company and your company working together to make something happen? If you don't have that, you have nothing. You have a press release.
Thanks again for putting the panel together, moderating and organizing such a great event here Paul!
& for anyone wondering who else was on the panel - Paul, David and Butch were joined by Selena R. and Rich King Gawlas
Great event & insights Qasim Virjee. cc Ron Kunitzky who wrote a great book on Partnership Marketing... who first opened my eyes to this effective approach.
Insurance doesn't have to suck. Don't believe me? We help business and family leadership protect wealth, secure transitions, and amplify legacies. What do you value?
In the dense forest of the business world, the path to new growth often begins with a single, powerful step: a face-to-face meeting.
Did you know that in B2B sales, over 40% of in-person meetings blossom into new customers? (via LinkedIn). This statistic isn't just impressive; it’s a testament to the potent force of personal connection in the business ecosystem.
At Dinkel Business Development, we understand that networking is more than exchanging business cards—it’s about cultivating an authentic connection with your colleagues and community. It's about planting the seeds of trust and cooperation that grow into enduring partnerships and flourishing ventures. It's about branching out to new possibilities, nurturing relationships, and watching as these connections bear fruit in the form of new customers and innovative collaborations.
Tap the link below to read the full LinkedIn article:
https://lnkd.in/e-TAF5zA#LinkedIn#ReferralMarketing#RelationshipMarketing#Business#B2B#CEO#Consulting
Using your investment in event exhibiting to create long term relationships that grow your business requires thoughtful planning. Selecting the right event swag to attract engagement certainly plays a role. But so does the strategy behind who you want to engage while you are there. There are likely three groups of people to consider:
1 – Existing clients – Will there be any existing clients at the event that you could pre-notify so that you can reward them with a gift and engage while onsite?
2 – Prospects – How will you be selective about who you engage with and who should receive the swag that you have invested in? You don’t want to just hand it out to every passerby. You want the right fit prospects.
3 – Strategic partners – There will be people in attendance who would make excellent referral partners that you will want to identify and nurture.
By strategizing these different relationships ahead of time, you can make sure the team knows what they’re looking for and how to engage each type of relationship. Don’t be a simple business card collector. Make sure your team has a plan to plant deeper seeds for lasting relationships.
#eventinvestment#longtermrelationships#businessgrowth#bethoughtful#attractingengagement#existingclients#prospects#strategicpartners
Donnie Boivin highlights a game-changing approach: instead of seeking direct sales in networking, focus on building long-term relationships and making strategic introductions. This isn't just networking—it's crafting synergistic partnerships!
Join us in rethinking networking and helping each other grow in these evolving times!
#BuzzworthyMarketingShow#SuccessChampionNetwork#B2BNetworking#DonnieBoivin#BusinessGrowth#NetworkingTips
𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘇𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀
Are you torn between revenue shares and fixed fees in your B2B partnerships? Let's dive into the pros and cons:
🤝 Revenue Share Agreements:
• Pro: Encourages mutual growth - "a rising tide lifts all ships"
• Pro: Creates skin in the game, boosting partnership success
• Con: Lacks guaranteed Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)
💼 Predetermined Flat Fees:
• Pro: Offers predictable, forecastable revenue
• Con: Caps upside potential if partnership exceeds expectations
• Con: May make the relationship more transactional
🔑 The Key to Success:
1. Define clear goals for both parties
2. Engage in honest, open dialogue
3. For fixed fees, consider short terms with annual reviews
Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. The best model aligns with your specific partnership goals and dynamics.
Need help crafting the perfect commercial model for your partnerships? Let's connect and explore the possibilities together!
#B2BPartnerships#Partnerships#RevenueModels#StrategicAlliances#BusinessGrowth#CollaborationStrategies
One of the biggest mistakes in sales?
👉 Treating warm leads like cold prospects.
If you’re using cold outreach tactics on people who already know you, you’re missing the mark.
Here’s what to do instead:
1️⃣ Coffee Appointments – Invest time in key connections. Relationships grow over face-to-face conversations. ☕
2️⃣ Private Client Events – Create exclusive gatherings for past clients, ambassadors, and referral sources. Make them feel valued.
3️⃣ Direct Messages with Context – Don’t send generic DMs. Reference shared experiences, mutual connections, or past interactions.
4️⃣ Local Collaborations – Partner with businesses in your network to create win-win promotions. Expand your reach and deepen trust.
The secret? It’s all about strengthening relationships and staying top-of-mind. 🧠
Question: How do you nurture relationships with people in your network? Share your strategy below! 👇
#SalesTips#SalesGrowth#EntrepreneurLife#WarmLeads
The Connection Expansion Exercise was built to help you shift how you are approaching your networking, marketing, and sales efforts.
So often, all of our efforts are built around targeting ideal clients. That is great, but is a limiting away to approach relationship building and revenue generation. Instead, the Connection Expansion Exercise helps you define what types of individuals and/or organizations have access to many of your ideal clients.
You should get a list of 3 – 5 specific individuals and/or organizations that best fit you. Next we go through the process again and figure out how to get to individuals and/or organizations that have access to many of our ideal many-to-many relationships.
This is covered in-depth in Chapter 3 of the Connection Expansion Book: https://a.co/d/cwsdymY
There is also a template and a walk-through video in the book resources section on the website: https://lnkd.in/gMhTwACJhttps://lnkd.in/gY3ZHq_v
In the dynamic world of channel partnerships, quality leads are the lifeblood of success. But here's the catch: it's not just about quantity; it's about quality. Vendors have a crucial role to play in ensuring that the leads passed on to partners are not just piles of data but valuable opportunities.
💡 Why does it matter? Quality leads mean higher chances of conversion. By qualifying leads before passing them on, vendors empower partners with actionable insights, relevant information, and a better understanding of the prospect's needs and pain points.
🎯 Think about it this way: Just as vendors expect partners to bring high-quality opportunities, they expect the same from you. It's a reciprocal relationship where both parties benefit from mutual trust and collaboration.
💼 Moreover, qualified leads save time and resources for everyone involved. Partners can focus their efforts on engaging with prospects who are genuinely interested and likely to convert, leading to higher ROI and happier customers.
🚀 So, let's commit to prioritizing quality over quantity. By qualifying leads effectively, vendors can empower partners to drive meaningful outcomes, foster stronger relationships, and ultimately, achieve greater success together.
#ChannelPartnerships#LeadQualification#PartnershipSuccess#QualityOverQuantity#Collaboration#BusinessGrowth
Struggling to close deals with big brands?
I’ve uncovered a playbook that turns your existing customers into your best salespeople.
This simple 3-step strategy has been crushing for us at FERMÀT, and it can work for you too—assuming your product rocks 👇
When trying to land larger brands, you need social proof to support your case and close those deals. Specifically, get your biggest prospects to talk to your biggest customers.
Here’s the playbook:
→ Host an event. Something actually interesting/fun.
→ Invite 2 customers, and 8 prospects (or something along that ratio).
→ Get them talking to each other, and then just hang out and do nothing. Don’t force anything.
Over the course of those conversations, which will largely be about more general business stuff, someone is going to eventually ask “Do you work with X?” One of your customers will answer “Yes” and go into what the outcomes of working with you have been.
It’s that simple. You need to orchestrate situations where your top customers—names that other people will know—are surrounded by your top prospects. Just keep doing that, over and over and over again.
That’s the single most effective playbook to engineer a referral.
It’s been working for FERMÀT, and if you’ve got a great product it should work for you as well.
I'm curious - when it comes to company-sponsored events—what's one event that really stood out to you, whether because of the relationships you built or the event itself?
StartWell - Offsites & Media Production (Toronto)
2wThanks again for putting the panel together, moderating and organizing such a great event here Paul! & for anyone wondering who else was on the panel - Paul, David and Butch were joined by Selena R. and Rich King Gawlas