8 KEYS TO PROFITABLE PARTNERSHIPS

PARTNER-READY FOR BIG IT

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WHAT’S THE UPSIDE?

+ Reduced time to market

+ When you speak, be heard

+ Know what moves the dial

+ Know what success looks like

+ More opportunities & joint deals

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Subsidiary

Region

Area

Team

X

$

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1. TAKE INVENTORY

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STAKEHOLDER EXPECTATIONS

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ALLIANCE CAPABILITY & CAPACITY

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FIELD SALES & MARKETING COVERAGE

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COMPETITIVE PARTNERSHIPS

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PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

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ONE WORD: REVENUE

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2. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

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UNDERSTAND THEIR ORGANIZATION

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PEOPLE & PROCESS

+ Know the decision makers and influencers

+ Understand how they typically partner

+ Understand how they measure success

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UNDERSTAND THEIR MOTIVATION

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KNOW WHAT MOVES THE DIAL

+ For an individual seller

+ How are they measured on revenue?

+ How are they measured on major business objectives (MBOs)?

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KNOW YOUR THEIR LIMIT

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GIVES & GETS

+ What field sales & marketing (usually) will do

+ Increase account intelligence

+ Remove barriers

+ Advance the sales cycle

+ Document the win

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GIVES & GETS

+ What field sales & marketing (usually) won’t do

+ Account planning when you have no real opportunities

+ Broad-scale lead generation without targeted programs

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CASE STUDY: MICROSOFT

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OVERLAYS & VIRTUAL TEAMS

+ Territory Unit (Area)

+ Industry (Geo)

+ National Partner (Geo)

+ Developer & Platform Evangelism (Geo)

+ Product (HQ)

TU EPG

SMS&P

Industry Product

National Partner

DPE

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WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT

Signing an Enterprise Agreement (EA)

Renewing an EA at its 3-year term

Advancing the deployment of product to secure EA renewal

Account Manager

e.g. SQL Server deployments

Documenting solution wins

Solution Sales

Specialist Dynamics CRM sales & deployments

Documenting design wins

Dynamics CRM BDM Engaging vertical

partners to secure Microsoft deployments

Documenting industry wins

Industry BDM

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General ManagerDistrict quota; customer/partner satisfaction

Account ManagerEA renewals; individual product quotas

Account Technical SpecialistAccount quota (revenue & units)

Solution Sales SpecialistProduct quote (revenue & units); business development

Product Technical SpecialistProduct quota (revenue & units)

Partner Account ManagerPartner pipeline, case studies, wins, demand generation

Microsoft Consulting ServicesMicrosoft “skin in the game”; beta technology adoption; sub-contracting opportunities

WHAT GETS THEM EXCITED

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3. CRAFT YOUR MESSAGE

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ANSWER THE QUESTION: WHY SHOULD THEY CARE?

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WHY THEY’LL CARE

+ You help them generate more revenue

+ You help them secure new or existing clients

+ You help them beat the competition

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THEY’LL WANT TO KNOW

+ How you influence revenue

+ How and against whom you help them win

+ Your wins and credentials

+ Your competitive landscape

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NAME (CUSTOMER) NAMES

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STORYTELLING

+ Know how to tell compelling stories about relevant wins.

+ If you have strength in particular industries or verticals, call them out with supporting credentials.

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BE DIRECT. BE BOLD.

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SHARED EXPERIENCE

+ Tell them why they should spend their time with you in specific terms.

+ If they lose when you lose, be clear about it. Shared pain can be as important as shared success.

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KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

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4. FIND AN ADVOCATE

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PRIME CANDIDATES

+ Salepeople attached to customers you’ve already won

+ Newer salespeople still ramping up and with cycles to spare

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MAKE A HERO

+ First, focus on one or two individuals that you can help succeed.

+ Make measured investments in their success.

+ Smart salespeople will want to follow.

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5. BUILD A TRIBE

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GO VIRAL

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GIVE AND GET

+ Once you’ve demonstrated success with your advocate, give her the tools to spread your message.

+ Then ask for internal webinars, territory meetings or sponsored team meetings where you can get the word out.

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HAVE PATIENCE

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GIVE AND GET

+ A partnership is a marathon, not a sprint.

+ Expanding your reach and engagement will take time, so have patience, but don’t stop pushing.

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PLAN TO SCALE

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6. SHARE YOUR SUCCESS

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EXAMPLE: WINWIRES

Winwire: {Insert Company Name and Logo} Headline: Win Overview: Pain: Power: Vision: Value: Control: Win Revenue: Can any details of this win be shared publicly with other customers? Your Name: Microsoft Contributors: Partners:

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7. KEEP AN EAR TO THE GROUND

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PEOPLE

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PROGRAMS

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PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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8. ADAPT & EVOLVE

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WHY DO PARTNERSHIPS FAIL?

+ No formal governance structure

+ Lack of agreed-upon performance metrics

+ No regular assessment

+ No senior management involvement

+ Insufficient resources

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It’s about people, customer value and money—everything else will change.

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© ASAP 2010 Page 1

www.strategic-alliances.org

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THANK YOU

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© COPYRIGHT 2010 SHAWN YEAGER + CO. INC.

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