Accelerating Co-Sell Partner Collaboration

This is the most underrated problem I've seen when trying to build or expand partnership GTM: Leadership is initially fully behind a new partnership, excited about its potential, but that enthusiasm never makes its way down to the sales teams who are expected to execute. Without alignment, even the best partnership can stall before it has a chance to succeed. Why does this happen? Sales teams are often focused on their core products, and if a partnership doesn’t clearly benefit them or fit into their day-to-day operations, it becomes an afterthought. To turn things around, you need to make sure your partnership incentives, compensation, and training are in lockstep with the teams that will be selling your product. Here’s how to align incentives and drive results: 1. Ensure your incentives are compelling enough for frontline teams. It’s not enough to excite leadership—sales teams need a clear, tangible reason to sell your product. - Introduce a financial incentive or bonus structure that’s competitive with what reps earn on their core products. This could be a one-time bonus for the first sale, or an ongoing commission that rewards consistent effort. -Tie the incentive to their existing sales goals. If your product helps them hit their targets more easily, they’ll naturally prioritize it. 2. Structure partner compensation to motivate co-selling. If your partner compensation doesn’t align with their core goals, they won’t push your product. - Design a compensation plan that aligns with both the partner’s and your business objectives. For instance, if your partner’s core offering is hardware, incentivize bundling your software as part of the sale to create a win-win situation. - Offer performance-based incentives that reward partners for hitting key milestones—whether that’s a certain number of units sold, a specific revenue target, or even customer engagement metrics. Keep it simple and measurable. 3. Provide consistent training and engagement so your product isn’t just another checkbox. Sales teams won’t advocate for your product if they don’t fully understand its value or how to sell it. - Develop ongoing, bite-sized training sessions that fit into their schedules. Instead of overwhelming them with lengthy sessions, focus on 15-minute, high-impact trainings that teach them how to identify the right opportunities. -Pair training with real-time support. Join sales calls, offer one-pagers, and provide direct assistance during key customer engagements. When they feel supported, they’re more likely to feel confident pushing your product. This kind of alignment can make the difference between a stalled partnership and a thriving one. When sales teams are motivated, equipped, and incentivized to sell your product, the partnership stops being just another checkbox—it becomes a key driver of growth.

On the road 🚘 to success in EMEA continues... and the data tells a powerful story. Partner-sourced revenue grew 42% faster than direct sales across EMEA SaaS companies in 2024. Yet most organizations still struggle to unlock it. Why? Because they treat partners as lead generators instead of co-selling engines. Here's what separates high-performing channel programs from the rest—backed by real practices from scaling across 10+ EMEA markets: 🎯 **Start with Account Mapping, Not Cold Outreach** Use ecosystem intelligence tools (Crossbeam) to identify shared prospects between your CRM and your partner's customer base. These "warm overlaps" convert 3-4x higher than cold partner referrals. 🎯 **Apply MEDDIC Before You Involve Sales** Train partners to qualify using Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, and Champion *before* they register a deal. This eliminates 60%+ of low-quality leads that waste AE time. Shared qualification frameworks = higher win rates and happier sales teams. 🎯 **Protect Partner Investments with Deal Registration** Implement a robust deal reg process in your PRM that credits partners for their sourced leads within 24 hours. Channel conflict kills trust faster than anything else. When partners know they're protected, they invest more energy in your pipeline. 🎯 **Build Regional Partner Hubs, Not Generic Programs** EMEA isn't monolithic. A partner strategy that works in Nordics rarely works in DACH or Middle East. We identify 2-3 strategic SIs per region who already have trust with local economic buyers. Regional specificity drives 2x more sourced pipeline than broad, generic programs. 🎯 **Shift from Referrals/transactional to Co-Selling Motions** The best partners don't just pass leads—they stay in the deal. Joint discovery calls, co-authored proposals, and coordinated executive engagement accelerate cycles by 30-40%. This requires internal sales alignment: your AEs must be compensated equally (or better) for partner-sourced deals. 🎯 **Track the Right KPIs** Stop measuring "number of partners." Start measuring: → Partner-sourced pipeline value → Win rate (sourced vs. direct) → Time-to-first-deal (onboarding effectiveness) → Partner engagement score (portal activity, training completion) The companies winning with channels aren't the ones with the most partners. They're the ones who've mastered Sales-Channel Alignment—where every partner motion directly supports AE quota attainment. More insights coming as we continue building value-based partner ecosystems across the region. 🚀🐳 #partners #channelstrategy #EMEA #salesalignment #partnerecosystem #revenue

🚀 Is Your Sales Team Missing the Mark on Partner-Led Sales? Your partnerships are only as strong as your sales team’s ability to execute. If reps don’t know how to sell with partners, leverage co-selling opportunities, and position partner solutions effectively, your partnerships will underperform. ❌ At one of my previous leadership roles, we faced this exact challenge. Despite strong alliances, our sales reps weren’t fully integrating partners into their sales cycles. The result? Missed opportunities, lost deals, and an under-leveraged partner ecosystem. 💡 The Fix? A Strategic Partner Sales Enablement Program. By training our sales teams on the value of partnerships, building clear co-selling frameworks, and aligning incentives, we saw: ✅ 500% increase in Tableau pipeline ✅ 300% revenue growth across the practice ✅ Higher win rates on partner-led deals 📈 And the data backs this up: 🔹 Companies with strong partner sales enablement see 48% more partner-led deals (TSIA) 🔹 Co-selling can increase win rates by 30-40% (Accenture) 🔹 Partner-first companies grow 20-25% faster (IDC) 🔑 So, what can you do to enable your sales team for partner success? 1️⃣ Train sales reps on why partners matter and how to position their value 💡 2️⃣ Create a co-selling framework to define roles & engagement 📊 3️⃣ Provide partner-specific sales tools like battle cards & playbooks 📖 4️⃣ Incentivize partner-led wins with aligned compensation & recognition 🏆 Without proper enablement, partnerships become just logos on a slide deck instead of revenue drivers. But with a structured approach, your sales team can unlock new opportunities, bigger deals, and stronger ecosystem growth. 🔥 Let’s make partnerships work for you, not against you! Ready to refine your partner sales enablement strategy? Let’s talk.

Too many strategic alliances with Global System Integrators (GSIs) fail to deliver promised revenue. The #1 reason? They skip the basics — and then scale chaos. 👇 Here’s how to do it right. If you’re partnering with GSIs like Accenture, Capgemini, TCS, or Infosys, you already know they’re powerful growth channels — but only if your alliance is strategically designed, operationally aligned, and commercially activated. At Alliance Best Practice, we’ve studied over 800 high-tech alliances and found that commercial success with GSIs isn’t magic — it’s method. The most successful partnerships follow a repeatable pattern across three critical stages: 🔹 Initiation: Get the Foundation Right Secure real executive sponsorship (not lip service). Co-create a joint value proposition that solves real customer problems. Build a 12–24 month joint business plan with targets, priorities, and a shared “why now.” 🔹 Activation: Make It Real Launch field enablement with role-based playbooks, demos, and deal support. Identify 10–50 strategic accounts for joint pursuit. Share pipeline, assign pursuit leads, and celebrate early wins publicly. 🔹 Acceleration: Scale What Works Invest in repeatable, co-branded solution offerings. Launch joint marketing campaigns and track sourced/influenced revenue. Embed governance, metrics, and incentives that make the alliance sustainable. 💬 As one alliance leader told us: "If you can’t describe how the GSI makes money with you, they won’t put you in front of a client.” If you're building or rebooting a GSI alliance and want a proven roadmap — ✅ Read our latest article: Best Practices in GSI Alliances 📍 Now live on the Alliance Best Practice site: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eJaHMXE #alliances #partnerships #GSI #channelstrategy #cosell #strategicalliances #growth #b2bpartnerships #alliancemanagement #hightech

I shared some thoughts last week from my co-selling roadshow on tips for scaling co-sell with AWS. TL:DR it was about focusing where you are already strong in your GTM for any cloud co-sell. This week, I want to talk to you about teaching your sales team how to sell with cloud providers. Co-sell deals live and die in the field, between your sellers and cloud sellers. Don't leave this delicate dance to chance. If you are an Alliance Leader, learn all you can about the partner cloud sales team and incentives. You are the translator between your sellers and the partner cloud sellers. Dive deep. Be the expert. But that isn't enough. You need your sellers to know what to expect and be ready for a co-sell call with a cloud seller. We are different than your other partners. We aren't a reseller, our sales team is large, and every cloud provider has tons of native services and solutions they are selling (AWS has more than 200). We also think differently, we are customer obsessed, work backwards from customer problems and are long-term focused (a cloud transformation is a long journey). Your sellers need to understand: - who they may run into on the call - demystify the roles at a cloud seller - how they are paid on co-sell deals, what's in it for each seller - how big the cloud seller patch is and how it aligns to your field team territories - what they can ask for from a cloud seller (and what to avoid) - what expectations to have going in to a co-sell call If you are early in your co-sell journey, you need to babysit all these co-sell calls. You may not have the right to educate and enable your whole sales team right now, so instead, focus on just-in-time prep of a seller before a co-sell call and YOU run the call for maximum outcomes. As you gain mindshare and wins with the cloud partner, use your sellers as your PR team, have them share their wins with their peers at every sales team call. Once the co-sell flywheel starts spinning, survey your sellers on what they know and don't about cloud co-sell and build a solid training and enablement plan. Every new hire needs to learn the ropes, each seller should be able to understand the co-sell strategy and mechanism at your company and how we help each other. Are you thinking about your cloud co-sell session at Sales Kick off? You should be. Call to action: End the year strong with a few key co-sell wins, some sellers who have drunk the cool-aid (and made money), and earn the right to take the stage at SKO to talk about cloud co-sell for 2025. Need to learn more about co-sell with AWS? Link in the comments is to a co-sell foundation course with AWS. Great for alliance leaders and sellers to take (all types of partners: consulting or ISV partners). Want to learn more? Let's talk.

**Maximizing B2B Marketing Success: The Power of Including Channel Partners in Your Strategy** In today’s competitive B2B landscape, a robust marketing strategy is essential. However, one critical element often overlooked is the inclusion of channel partners. Integrating these partners into your marketing plan can significantly amplify your reach, enhance brand credibility, and drive sales growth. Here’s why and how you should include channel partners in your B2B marketing strategy: **1. Amplified Reach and Visibility** Channel partners have established networks and customer bases that you can leverage. By collaborating with them, you can extend your brand’s reach far beyond your direct efforts. Co-branded marketing initiatives, joint webinars, and shared content can introduce your products or services to new, highly relevant audiences. **2. Enhanced Credibility and Trust** Trust is a cornerstone of B2B relationships. Channel partners often have long-standing relationships with their clients, who trust their recommendations. **3. Optimized Resource Utilization** Channel partners can provide additional resources for your marketing efforts. They can contribute to content creation, share insights on customer preferences, and participate in events or campaigns. This not only saves time and costs but also enriches your marketing initiatives with diverse perspectives and expertise. **4. Improved Customer Engagement** Channel partners often have deep insights into their customers’ needs and pain points. Collaborating with them allows you to tailor your marketing messages more effectively, ensuring they resonate with the target audience. **5. Increased Sales and Revenue** Ultimately, the goal of any marketing strategy is to drive sales and revenue. Channel partners can play a pivotal role in this by actively promoting your products or services. Their involvement can accelerate the sales cycle and open up new opportunities, leading to increased revenue growth. **How to Effectively Include Channel Partners in Your Marketing Strategy:** - **Develop a Collaborative Plan:** Work closely with your channel partners to create a joint marketing plan. Align your goals, define roles, and set clear expectations to ensure everyone is on the same page. - **Leverage Joint Marketing Initiatives:** Engage in co-marketing activities such as webinars, whitepapers, and case studies. These initiatives can showcase the combined expertise of both parties and provide valuable content to your audience. - **Provide Marketing Support:** Equip your channel partners with the necessary tools and resources. Offer training, marketing collateral, and access to your marketing platforms to enable them to effectively promote your products. - **Measure and Optimize:** Track the performance of your joint marketing efforts. Analyze the results, gather feedback, and make data-driven adjustments to continuously improve the effectiveness of your strategy.

The Partnership role is evolving fast. We are moving away from the era of the "Relationship Manager" and entering the era of the "Ecosystem General Manager." It is less about who you know, and more about how you operate. Here is the framework I use to navigate this shift: 1. The Operational Pillar (RevOps) Partnerships need to move from "good vibes" to data-driven attribution. If you can't trace a partner's impact through the CRM with the same rigor as a direct sales rep, it is hard to prove value. Practical Tip: Stop using spreadsheets for tracking. Ensure your CRM has a specific field for "Partner Influence and co-sell" separate from "Partner Source" so you can track assist value, not just sourced revenue. 2. The Financial Pillar (Portfolio Management) We need to treat the partner ecosystem like a VC fund. You have limited capital (time and resources), so you cannot be "fair" to everyone. You have to bet big on the winners and pull back from the others. Practical Tip: Audit your partner list this week. Apply the 80/20 rule. Who are the top 20% driving results? Shift 50% more of your time to them immediately. 3. The Product Pillar (The Mindset) Stop thinking about "recruiting" partners and start thinking about building a product for them. The partner is your user. If your portal or enablement process is clunky, they will churn just like a software user would. Practical Tip: Conduct a "User Interview" with your top 3 partners. Ask them: "What is the hardest part about doing business with us?" Then fix that one thing. 4. The Ecosystem Pillar (The Value Chain) Partners are often pigeonholed as just a sales channel (resellers). But in a modern ecosystem, they are a value multiplier across the entire business - from product innovation to marketing trust to customer success. Practical Tip: Set up a meeting between your best Service Partner and your VP of Customer Success. Find one account where the partner can help reduce churn. I am curious to hear your take on this evolution. Which of these four pillars is the biggest priority for your team right now?

Partnerships lives or dies in the board room. With Q2 board meetings fast approaching, I wanted to share a killer strategy from a brilliant Chief Partner Officer. This is the gold standard. Here's what she told me: Most board decks don’t tell the full story. They spotlight sales. They highlight marketing. Maybe they throw in a few token partner metrics off to the side — a footnote to the “real” partner impact. But not at Trintech. Mekaela Davis, their Chief Partner Officer, described something rare in our recent chat: A go-to-market team that actually operates as one. Before every board meeting, she and her CCO and CMO sit down — not to defend their silos, but to orchestrate a unified narrative. Partner data doesn’t just live on one slide. It lives across every function’s scorecard. • Marketing → How many campaigns were partner-led? • Sales → How many new logos came through partners? • Success → How did partners reduce churn or accelerate onboarding? And then — only after all of that — comes the partner-specific view: Influence metrics. Sourced pipeline. Co-sell insights. Enablement progress. It’s all there. Not hidden. Not siloed. Not up for debate. The result? The board doesn’t just see partnerships as a lever. They see it as a thread — running through the entire GTM motion. We need more of that. Not just partner teams reporting to the board. But partner teams embedded in the GTM engine. And reflected in the story leadership tells. Because if partner-led growth is real — and we know it is — it shouldn’t be boxed into one slide. It should be part of every slide.

The CFO isn't anti-partnerships. Direct sales numbers and partner resell via deal registration are long-established metrics anyone can point to. But ask a CFO about partner co-sell contribution and the room gets quiet. 🔇 I've seen this play out more times than I can count. At Oracle, some of the largest GSIs in the world were measured on co-sell and the entire model rested on a sales rep tagging a partner on the day the deal closed. That was it. No system of record. No governance. No agreed definition of what "partner-involved" actually meant. And this model applies to many companies even today. At some point, a decision came down to stop reporting co-sell altogether. To erase it from the program. But it wasn't because the large SIs weren't influencing the business. The problem was that nobody could prove it in a way that Finance would accept. The data couldn't survive a serious conversation because it was never built to. A sales rep tag is not a data point you can defend. And that model generates a lot of potential bad behavior. Resell reporting works because the infrastructure enforces it, especially with deal registration. Co-sell lives or dies on human behavior. Unless you take a different approach. Building co-sell credibility starts before you run a single report: 🔵 Written definitions of partner-sourced and partner-influenced, agreed by Sales, Finance, and Partnerships, not just the partner team 🔵 CRM governance enforced by Sales leadership 🔵 Infrastructure that captures the motion: account mapping, engagement data, presales activities, demos, PoCs, not just the outcome Resell has a system. Co-sell needs one. And that requires the right partnerships technology stack to measure it, along with the right governance. How many of you are dealing with the co-sell attribution trust issue?

Everyone's first instinct when a partner program starts working is to hire. More partners means more partner managers. More volume means more headcount. The math feels obvious. It's not. The programs that scale fastest in 2026 aren't the ones that hired ahead of demand. They're the ones that systematized before they scaled and stayed lean longer than felt comfortable. Here's the framework I use to scale partner output without scaling the org: Segment ruthlessly before you add anything. Most partner programs treat all partners the same until they can't anymore. That's backwards. Segment on day one. Tier your partners by revenue potential, ICP fit, and engagement level. Your top 20% should get white-glove attention. Your middle 60% should get systems. Your bottom 20% should get a decision — invest or cut. You cannot build systems for everyone at once. Pick the tier that drives revenue and build there first. Turn your best partners into your best content. Your top partners already know how to sell your product. They've handled the objections. They know the trigger events. They've built their own pitch. Record it. Package it. Send it to every new partner who joins. One conversation with your best partner is worth more than twelve enablement modules you wrote yourself. Stop hoarding that knowledge inside your own head. Build a 30-60-90 day partner journey that runs without you. Map every touchpoint a new partner needs in their first 90 days. Then ask yourself which of those touchpoints actually require a human. Most don't. An automated check-in at day 7. A deal registration reminder at day 30. A performance review trigger at day 60. The goal isn't to remove the relationship, it's to free you up to have the conversations that only a human can have. Create a self-serve layer before you think you need one. A partner who can find their own co-sell resources, submit a deal without emailing you, and check the status of a referral without a follow-up call is a partner who scales without your time. This doesn't require a fancy portal. It requires organized documentation, a clean intake form, and a response SLA that actually gets met. Start there. Measure partner efficiency, not just partner revenue. Revenue per partner manager is the number that will save your headcount conversation with leadership. If you can show that your program generates $X per PM while the industry average is $Y (and the gap is growing.) You win the resourcing argument before it starts. Track it quarterly. Own the narrative before someone else writes it for you. Headcount is not the answer to a systems problem. Most partner programs that feel understaffed aren't, they're just underbuilt. The work isn't hiring faster. It's building the infrastructure that makes the next hire 3x more effective than the last one. How systematized is your program today and where is your time actually going?