Ton started working in partnerships during an internship at Unit 4, a software company where he was tasked with improving their VAR channel. This experience led him into the B2B software space, and over the course of the following 30 years, he witnessed the evolution and growing impact that partnerships offer. 

The conversation starts off with a discussion about the significance of partnerships in the business world. Ton emphasizes that partnerships are often the most effective way to achieve consistent growth when compared to the direct approach many companies take. The guest highlights the potential for increased scalability achieved by carrying out well-executed partnerships.
Ton emphasizes that partnerships offer an ideal way to scale a business effectively. Instead of going the direct route, companies can achieve greater impact and growth by collaborating with partners who align with their mission and can deliver value to customers.

The conversation dives deeper into the fundamental principles of successful partnerships. Ton stresses the importance of shifting the mindset from viewing partners as mere sales channels to recognizing the potential for collaborative value creation that works both ways. He points out that many companies fail in their partnership journeys because they lack dedication and don’t focus on aligning their entire organization with the partnership goals.

Ton offers three key traits for building effective partnerships:

1. Acknowledge that you cannot please everyone and focus on becoming the prime choice for a few.
2. Create something not just valuable but also desirable.
3. Aim to be different, not just better in order to stand out in the market. 

The discussion revolves around the need to prioritize value creation, alignment of goals, and differentiation as essential elements of successful partnerships. It serves as a valuable resource for those looking to leverage partnerships for business growth and impact.

INSIGHTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

Ton: "For me, it always starts with value. In my book, I'm talking about the first fundamental aspects of that. Let me just summarize the three principles. First of all, acknowledge that you cannot please everyone... Second principle in my book is that you create something valuable, but not only valuable, but also desirable...and then the third trait that I talk about in my book is to aim to be different, not better. And what I see so much in the B2B SaaS world is that we try to be better. And better is something that a customer, first of all, cannot see, cannot touch. They can hopefully believe it when you say we're the leader here, or we are the biggest company there. I would say, prove it, you know, by being and by delivering outstanding results.".

You can find more about Ton and his work through the links below:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/tondobbe

Learn to inspire value with the help of Ton’s bootcamp: https://valueinspiration.com/bootcamp/

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LinkedIn (Barrett) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettjking/

This show is about capturing the stories, experiences, and tactical advice of those across partnerships who have done the work and have something to say about it.

"Outcomes" - where Partnerships and SaaS meet!"

Join Partnerships Leaders here:

https://refer.partnershipleaders.com/barrett5

Charlene emphasizes the need to tie marketing efforts to revenue, even in partner marketing, and suggests prioritizing partners who are excited about collaboration over those with high revenue but no interest in co-marketing. It encourages marketers to focus on the strategic impact of their work, aligning it with team and company goals. The guest also provides guidance on establishing long-lasting marketing strategies that can benefit partners continuously. The discussion encompasses various aspects of partner marketing, content division, and strategic thinking.

In response to questions about early career experiences and pitfalls in partner marketing, the guest underscores the importance of aligning tasks with broader goals and avoiding getting too caught up in tactical details. Instead, marketers should consider how their work contributes strategically to achieving organizational objectives. This conversation provides valuable insights for marketers looking to create sustainable, partner-focused strategies.

The conversation further delves into the challenge of allocating energy and effort, whether based on revenue or partner engagement scores, and the value of tackling unscalable tasks to ultimately achieve scalability. In response to Barret's questions about partner marketing, the guest emphasizes the need to align marketing efforts with revenue generation. She advises prioritizing partners who are enthusiastic about collaboration and offers strategies for elevating their performance, even if they bring in less revenue.

The discussion expands to encompass broader themes in partner marketing and pitfalls to avoid. It emphasizes the importance of tying tactical tasks, such as simply updating landing pages for partners, to overarching team and company goals from a strategic perspective. This strategic mindset allows marketers to understand the bigger picture of their work and its strategic impact.

INSIGHTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

Charlene: "It's called self service content that is self actionable. Do things that aren't scalable first and see what works, what's going well and then focus on creating things that are scalable. Right now, especially with partner reignition, you should pinpoint things that are going well for a series of partners, then use this insight to make a template out of it or to prepare a checkbox of expectations and commitment.".

You can find more about Charlene and his work through the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlene-strain-813a5a104/

Take your marketing from meh to marvelous with Constant Contact: https://www.constantcontact.com

If you love listening to Outcomes, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn (Barrett) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettjking/

This show is about capturing the stories, experiences, and tactical advice of those across partnerships who have done the work and have something to say about it.

"Outcomes" - where Partnerships and SaaS meet!"

Join Partnerships Leaders here:

https://refer.partnershipleaders.com/barrett5

This conversation revolves around the pivotal role of partnerships in marketing and how they drive growth for cooperating companies. Charlene, who serves as a partner marketing specialist offers valuable insights and shares her experiences in this domain. She highlights the significance of maintaining and reviving relationships with existing partners, tapping into their unrealized potential, and aligning strategies with their specific goals.

The guest elaborates on the power of partnerships in marketing, emphasizing the fusion of brand values and promotional channels. She describes this synergy as a dynamic and exciting aspect of marketing, akin to "marketing on steroids." At Constant Contact, where she has been working for six months, she has dived headfirst into the world of partner marketing, showcasing her expertise as a partner marketing guru.

The discussion delves further into practical strategies for listeners who are partner marketers seeking to establish partner marketing initiatives in their tech or SaaS firms. Charlene outlines a step-by-step approach to success, emphasizing the importance of historical knowledge. She advises identifying partners with untapped potential and engaging them effectively to create mutually beneficial relationships.

A key takeaway is the need to customize partner marketing strategies. Charlene recommends offering partners various resources and assets, such as sponsored events, webinars, and content collaboration, depending on their unique needs and capabilities. She also introduces the concept of partner tiers, a system that categorizes partners based on their contribution to the company, enabling tailored support and campaigns.

Charlene's insights offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the intricacies of partner marketing, making this episode a valuable source of information for both beginners and seasoned professionals in the field.

INSIGHTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

Charlene: "The fun stuff of partner marketing is being able to maximize what your companies goals are, such increased revenue, increased free trials and reduced attrition. These are the main OKRs and goals, but it is just as crucial to understand the partners goals. For some partners it's about increased leads and demand generation, for others it's just about brand awareness and association and not so much about hitting a hard number. Understanding each of these key partners' business needs and having a clear definition of their goals is important as well. Being aware of  the resources and bandwidth that you can provide is key to providing the most value in a partner relationship. You should understand what you can and cannot offer, ask yourself: "What are we strapped with?".

You can find more about Charlene and his work through the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlene-strain-813a5a104/

Take your marketing from meh to marvelous with Constant Contact: 
https://www.constantcontact.com

If you love listening to Outcomes, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn (Barrett) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettjking/

This show is about capturing the stories, experiences, and tactical advice of those across 
|partnerships who have done the work and have something to say about it.

"Outcomes" - where Partnerships and SaaS meet!"

Join Partnerships Leaders here:

https://refer.partnershipleaders.com/barrett5

Today's edition of Outcomes continues the conversation with Sean Adams, Head of Sales & Partnerships at iorad.

Sean embodies the win-win mentality, fully comprehending the fact that the more successful his clients become - the more successful he becomes. His mentality of always helping stretches beyond the status quo, and this approach is what helps him break through in new verticals and gain the expertise to build scalable and repeatable processes from his ongoing victories.

He advises partnerships and sales professionals to actively prospect complimentary vendors, and evaluate them based on their offer and approach to then make educated recommendations, ultimately helping solve related problems and winning the trust of your next clients and partners.

INSIGHTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

Sean: “The thing that people get too caught up on is the bureaucracy of this “i don't know what I’m doing and it needs to be this structured thing and this proven process”, it’s just people helping people - get out there, ask some questions - “is this the thing you specialise in?” Let’s go ahead and connect you and talk through it." 

You can find more about Sean and his work through the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-adams-sales

Check out iorad: https://www.iorad.com

If you love listening to Outcomes, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn (Barrett) - 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettjking/

This show is about capturing the stories, experiences, and tactical advice of those across partnerships who have done the work and have something to say about it.

"Outcomes" - where Partnerships and SaaS meet!"

Join Partnerships Leaders here:

https://refer.partnershipleaders.com/barrett5

Today's edition of Outcomes welcomes Sean Adams, Head of Sales & Partnerships at iorad.

Sean owned a few businesses prior to his sales & partnerships roles, which taught him how to be a creative thinker in business environments and how to turn scrappiness into his ultimate business advantage. 

For Sean, partnerships is all about removing friction between the seller and the customer through active collaboration between partner teams. At iorad, partnerships & sales are both deeply integrated, as the way they've structured their feature set, pricing model and the core platform itself favors a channel approach over a direct sales approach, especially when moving into account management and upsell territory. 

Sean embodies an Always Be Helping mentality - even if it doesn't immediately align with a clear ROI - and this exact approach is what gives him an edge in forming long term, fruitful partnerships.

INSIGHTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

Sean: "Tactical examples - we're always thinking about value first, thinking through the empathy lense of yes, we know where the customer wants to put us, so we're identifying a group of potential partners, and I'm trying to get scrappy to think about how to break through the noise. Everyone approaches agencies and the major players like CRM's like you're familiar with, who everyone is trying to tackle and bring in - so what is the creative way we can break the noise? " 

You can find more about Sean and his work through the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-adams-sales

Check out iorad: https://www.iorad.com

If you love listening to Outcomes, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn (Barrett) - 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettjking/

This show is about capturing the stories, experiences, and tactical advice of those across partnerships who have done the work and have something to say about it.

"Outcomes" - where Partnerships and SaaS meet!"

Join Partnerships Leaders here:

https://refer.partnershipleaders.com/barrett5

Today's edition of Outcomes welcomes Juraj Pal, Product-Led Partnerships Executive - Ex-Cisco, Slido, On Deck. 

According to Juraj, when embarking on the journey of product partnerships and go-to-market strategies, there are several pitfalls to avoid. The guest's early experience necessitates careful attention to resource allocation and relevant partner-market fit. Reflecting on Juraj's experience and lessons from Cisco, using a MVP approach for product integration can be advantageous. This involves crafting mockups and prototypes to drive customer engagement early on, a practice that can be separated from the regular business operations to prevent the formation of silos.

Based on Juraj's experience, transitioning into the next phase, particularly for startups, the challenge lies in effectively competing with larger entities. The strategy to navigate this challenge consists of envisioning the end goal and subsequently working backward to achieve it. This approach aids in framing the journey to success prior to embarking on it. The guest states that for startups, this principle extends to partnerships and product integration, revolving around a profound consideration of the company's trajectory. The secondary principle is understanding how your organization aligns within the market landscape, overshadowing the desire of pursuing partnerships solely based on flashy logos and their recognition. Instead, evaluating the trajectory that such partnerships are headed to along with the potential outcomes is key. Juraj insists that this type of an evaluation not only enhances transparency in relationships but can also make or break these alliances, fostering a more selective approach that centers on mutual value.

In essence, Juraj underscores the importance of understanding customer needs, envisioning long-term goals, and maintaining transparent, value-oriented collaboration in partnerships for successful growth in today's competitive landscape. The concept of a true platform, where the collective economic value surpasses the value of the platform itself, is also highlighted. Not every company can or should function as a platform, but the mindset of elevating partners' success should remain a basis for growth.

INSIGHTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

Juraj: "When considering potential partnerships, look at what the partner's schedule is like for the next six months to a year, is it in alignment with where we are going within this timeframe? If you ask that question early on, then the relationship becomes more transparent. And if the partner is also more transparent, that is what makes or breaks these partnerships and allows you to become more selective by understanding if you can be a part of the partners journey for the next six months. If the potential collaboration cannot be a priority for the next two years, then you should look to allocate your resources towards more lucrative ventures."

You can find more about Juraj and his work through the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jurajpal/

If you love listening to Outcomes, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn (Barrett) - 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettjking/

LinkedIn (HubSpot) - 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubspot/

Website – 

https://www.hubspot.com/

This show is about capturing the stories, experiences, and tactical advice of those across partnerships who have done the work and have something to say about it.

"Outcomes" - where Partnerships and SaaS meet!"

Join Partnerships Leaders here:

https://refer.partnershipleaders.com/barrett5

Today's edition of Outcomes welcomes Juraj Pal, Product-Led Partnerships Executive - Ex-Cisco, Slido, On Deck.

For Juraj, partnerships are a mechanism for building relationships that not only increase  brand credibility and awareness, but also increase the reach of products and services. 

Juraj reflects on his corporate journey and how partnerships initially held a marketing focus, aiming to collaborate with brands that could amplify his company's audience exposure and drive increased brand recognition. As time progressed, Juraj reveals how partnerships became tightly integrated with product strategies, illustrating the pivotal role partnerships played in the growth of his company at the time, Slido.

Understanding the customer workflow is a central aspect of this approach, you should aim to make customers more successful by solving problems for them. Juraj advocates for a customer-centric product integration approach, urging companies to analyze customer tool usage data in order to identify opportunities for seamless integration. 

The guest also emphasizes the importance of carefully aligning partnerships with the product visions. This strategy is essential to ensure that partnerships remain impactful and lead to growth, rather than forming partnerships which fragment into scattered collaborations.

INSIGHTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

Juraj: "At the beginning, partnerships are mostly marketing focused. This means that we are considering which brand collaboration could increase our own exposure towards the target user audience as a priority. Over time, the collaboration becomes much more closely knit with the product itself. This is where we should start defining the group of products that can grow through partnerships." 

You can find more about Juraj and his work through the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jurajpal/

If you love listening to Outcomes, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn (Barrett) - 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettjking/

LinkedIn (HubSpot) - 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubspot/

Website – 

https://www.hubspot.com/

This show is about capturing the stories, experiences, and tactical advice of those across partnerships who have done the work and have something to say about it.

"Outcomes" - where Partnerships and SaaS meet!"

Join Partnerships Leaders here:

https://refer.partnershipleaders.com/barrett5

Today's edition of Outcomes continues the conversation with Rachell Weiss, Partner Enablement & Success Manager at Thoropass.

Rachell finds that starting with clear learning objectives is key. Partners should be integrated into the enablement process by helping them understand what they need to do and setting objectives. Partners should be enabled to achieve tasks independently. The partner's success depends on the set learning objectives and failure to become independent is a signal of ineffective enablement. 

The guest also insists that automation should facilitate instant communication. Partners shouldn't feel like they are waiting for a response. It should always be considered that partners juggle priorities within their organization. Swift and automated feedback should be provided to empower them. Understanding partners' organisational priorities aids in providing prompt feedback.

When building enablement, adopt the partner's viewpoint. Predict questions from their point of view and shape the content accordingly. Unnecessary content should be avoided so that enablement would always feel relevant from the partner’s perspective.

INSIGHTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

Rachell:"I think the biggest key to success that I've followed is to always consider the partner's perspective. So put yourself in their seat of understanding what is the experience of consuming the information that they are given and what they are expected to do with it, then fill in any of those gaps. Always consider the learning experience from the audience point of view. Remove any of your preconceived notions, take out anything you expect them to know and make sure that you're actually giving them tangible things that they can take action on. Get rid of the fluff."

You can find more about Rachell and her work through the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachell-weiss-273a3470/

Book a demo at Thoropass: https://thoropass.com/talk-to-an-expert/

If you love listening to Outcomes, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn (Barrett) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettjking/

LinkedIn (HubSpot) - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubspot/

Website – https://www.hubspot.com/

This show is about capturing the stories, experiences, and tactical advice of those across partnerships who have done the work and have something to say about it.

"Outcomes" - where Partnerships and SaaS meet!"

Join Partnerships Leaders here:

https://refer.partnershipleaders.com/barrett5

Today's edition of Outcomes Welcomes Rachell Weiss, Partner Enablement & Success Manager at Thoropass.

Rachell believes in starting with automating repetitive tasks to build familiarity with the process. The guest advises focusing on high-impact actions for automation within partner enablement, while also underlining the need to establish a well-defined workflow before implementing automation. Her insights revolve around creating streamlined, impactful, and efficient partner enablement strategies.

Rachell suggests automating repetitive tasks once the workflow is established. When it comes to enablement, the guest advises teaching only what's necessary for success in order to avoid causing an information overload.

The conversation highlights the balance between process automation and human interaction, focusing on utilizing tools such as Slack for better coordination within growing partnership ecosystems. The main takeaway is aligning automation with streamlined workflows to enhance partner enablement and productivity.

INSIGHTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES
Rachell: “You should identify results oriented actions for automation. When it comes to getting started in automation, focus first on the things that will make your life easier and will help you to organize and get familiar with how exactly automation can benefit you. When you're looking at how to prioritize different strategies, look at the repetitive processes first. What are the things that you are already doing which work and prioritize automating these first.”

You can find more about Rachell and her work through the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachell-weiss-273a3470/

Book a demo at Thoropass: https://thoropass.com/talk-to-an-expert/

If you love listening to Outcomes, please subscribe, share, and send us your feedback.

LinkedIn (Barrett) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettjking/

LinkedIn (HubSpot) - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubspot/

Website – https://www.hubspot.com/

This show is about capturing the stories, experiences, and tactical advice of those across partnerships who have done the work and have something to say about it.

"Outcomes" - where Partnerships and SaaS meet!"

Join Partnerships Leaders here:

https://refer.partnershipleaders.com/barrett5

Today's episode of Outcomes continues the conversation with Venture Capital Guru and the CEO of GetProven, Philip McNamara.

The conversation revolves around the concept of go-to-market alignment and the strategic partnerships between companies, VC firms, and portfolio companies. The importance of identifying opportunities within companies and leveraging these insights to establish successful partnerships is highly emphasized. Collaborating with VCs through platforms can allow companies to showcase vendor technology, enabling portfolio companies to explore and adopt various solutions more easily.|

Philip also touches on the aspect of fees and charging models and shares his own experience. Philip's company GetProven aims to partner with high-quality vendors and charges VC and PE firms for using their product. The guest suggests reaching out to VCs by highlighting mutual struggles faced by portfolio companies to initiate collaborations effectively.

INSIGHTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES

Philip: "We don't charge a fee to vendors. We are seeking high-quality partners to ensure our ability to offer their tools and services to the market. Our business model involves charging VC and PE firms for using our product. While having a deal is advantageous, it is not mandatory. If you are collaborating with a VC through a platform like GetProven, other portfolio companies can also conduct quick searches to see all the other companies using the vendor. This allows you to request direct feedback on collaborating with these vendors."

You can learn more about Philip and his work through the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipmcnamara/

Scale your portfolio with GetProven: https://www.getproven.com/request-a-demo

If you enjoy listening to Outcomes, please subscribe, share, and provide feedback.

LinkedIn (Barrett) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettjking/

LinkedIn (HubSpot) - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubspot/

Website – https://www.hubspot.com/

"Outcomes" is a show capturing stories, experiences, and tactical advice from those in partnerships who have valuable insights to share.

Join Partnerships Leaders here: https://refer.partnershipleaders.com/barrett5