Friends with Benefits

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How do you prioritize relationships when revenue is so important? Vaughn Mordecai of Mindmatrix says it’s a paradox. If you focus only on revenue, you won’t have any. Vaughn shares a story about stepping in and mending a relationship that was about to go south—it ended up gaining him a huge boost in his job title.

When you prioritize relationships, focus on authenticity, and solve customer problems, you end up making more money. Join Sam and Jason Yarborough as they talk with Vaughn about the importance of focusing on building relationships in order to grow revenue.

00:00 Intro
01:55 What does, friends with benefits mean to you?
02:27 Partnerships quickly become friendships
04:03 Vaughn's background in sociology helps him understand partnerships
06:18 Language changes our perception of the world
09:00 Vaughn on authenticity
10:27 The basis of good business is relationships
10:58 Vaughn bails out CEO - and becomes VP
12:03 Have your partners back at all times
14:09 Be the most obvious solution
15:27 Jump in, even if you don't feel ready
18:12 The importance of empathy
20:09 Empathic leadership
21:54 Be wary of focusing too much on revenue
24:22 There's no substitute for experience and trust 
26:34  Relationships over revenue
30:14 Brand, KPIs and outcomes
33:06 How do you find a middle ground between revenue and relationships?
35:44 Finding a balance between making money and enjoying life
37:11 Show leadership the return on investment from partnerships
38:25 Automation and partnerships
42:05 Partnerships drive revenue without all the additional headcount
44:26 Where are partner programs struggling today?
46:10 Channel vs. partnerships
48:54 Public vs. private ecosystems

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It's conference season! This is our FIRST "short" and we're diving in with our first repeat guest - Mike Davis, CRO or Invisory! 

In this episode, we talk with Mike (an expert Dreamforce attendee) on how to get the most out of your time on the ground at Salesforce's biggest conference of the year. While we are talking Dreamforce, the tips shared can and should absolutely be used for all conferences! 

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Sam and Yarby switch it up a bit this episode! On this episode, Yarby interviews Sam, asking all the hard-hitting questions. Sam is the SVP of Partnerships at PFL.com, working in the Salesforce ecosystem. Sam dives into what it was like when she first started working in partnerships, partner marketing, and using a crawl, walk, run approach. Sam and Yarby also discuss their marriage and family and Sam’s recent decision to start doing yoga, which has helped her feel more like herself.

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Adrienne Coburn, Director, Global Partner Programs at Oyster, joins the show to discuss her approach to professional relationships, understanding your own strengths, and balancing work and life. Adrienne gets specific about a team building experience that helped her understand what she uniquely brings to the table (hint: it involved a jungle gym.) She discusses how her time working in partnerships at Shopify influences her current approach to partnerships.

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Sangram Vajre, CEO at GTM Partners, shares his experiences being an entrepreneur, husband and father. He gets vulnerable about struggles he’s had along the way and gives valuable insights to those looking to set appropriate boundaries and expectations around their work. Sangram shares his views on partnerships and GTM strategies. At the core of his perspective, he emphasizes the importance of trust in creating strong relationships. 

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Charles Crnoevich, SVP of Business Development and Partnerships at Bombora, joins the show to discuss his partnerships career. From conversations with customers to starting with empathy, Charles shares his perspective based on nearly 9 years at Bombora. Charles, Sam, and Yarby dive into OEM resale relationships, the importance of community, and understanding how to execute proper partner motions. Charles emphasizes the importance of honesty when trying out new ideas and building internal and external relationships.

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Chris Samila, Co-Founder and Chief Partner Officer at Partnership Leaders, joins the show to discuss his perspective on partnerships, what he’s learned running Partnership Leaders, and advice for partnership professionals looking to grow their careers. He shares tips for creating a great partner experience, which can increase the surface area through which you can create value for partners and customers. He recommends sales training resources that he’s found useful in his partnerships career. 

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Cory Snyder, VP of Partnerships at Sendoso, joins the show to talk sales, partnerships, balancing work and life, and showing up for the people you care about. He reveals how he got his start in partnerships and what he’s seen change over the course of his career. On the work life balance side of things, he unpacks how difficult it can be for men to be vulnerable and truly open up about what’s bothering them. Cory discusses everything from what he looks for in companies he’s interviewing with to how he prioritizes showing up for his kids to how partner tech has evolved. 

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Mason Cosby, Director of Demand Generation at Sales Assembly, joins the show to discuss his mindset when it comes to building business relationships as a marketer. He shares his strategy for content creation and what motivates him in his career. He emphasizes the importance of being authentic throughout everything that you do.

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Mike Stocker, VP of Partnerships at CallRail, joins the show to discuss securing internal buy-in, nearbound efforts, the importance of having a mission statement for the partnerships department, and more. He shares about his recent lay-off, and his networking efforts that led to a new job that was a great fit for him. He also gives advice for those seeking mentorship, including details about how to prepare for meetings with mentors.