The Cheat Code & Friends

Join hosts Josh Wagner and Justin Gray for a conversation with Mark Roberge, co-founder of Stage 2 Capital, on his insights and experiences with partnerships. In this episode, Mark emphasizes the importance of not rushing into partnerships too early and highlights the need for founders to first establish product-market fit and go-to-market fit. Mark also discusses the misconception that sales is about pitching and emphasizes the importance of asking questions and understanding the customer's needs. He provides valuable advice on building successful partnerships and gaining mindshare within partner organizations.

Takeaways: 

1. Partnerships should not be pursued too early in the growth stage of a company. It is important to first establish product-market fit and go-to-market fit.
2. When pursuing partnerships, it is crucial to understand the partner organization's top strategies and how your partnership can address them.
3. To gain mindshare within partner organizations, founders need to motivate sales teams to prioritize their product over others. Strategic partnerships can be instrumental in scaling a business.
4. Understanding the internal value proposition for sellers is important in motivating them.
5. Different types of partners require different approaches and strategies.

Quote of the Show:

"The top third of performing salespeople in the industry speak less than half of the time on the first sales call." - Mark Roberge

Links:

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

Website: https://www.stage2.capital/ 

Shoutouts:

https://www.hubspot.com/ 

https://www.salesforce.com/

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

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast 

Tune in as hosts Josh Wagner and Justin Gray sit down with Cory Snyder, Head of Partnerships at Teamwork.com. Cory brings 15+ years experience in creating, launching, accelerating and scaling partner & sales orgs. Together they discuss Cory’s experience building partnerships and advice for moving from a quantity to a quality mindset. Notedly, Cory was awarded Partnerships Leader of the Year in 2022 by PartnerStack. 

Takeaways: 

1. Data Collection and Application: Cory discusses the critical role of data in shaping their partnership strategy. By collecting detailed information about their partners, such as industry focus, team size, and sales metrics, they can tailor their outbound strategy and optimize partner recruitment. This data-centric approach also helps in communicating effectively with the board and executive teams, showcasing progress and making informed decisions.
2. Building from Scratch: The discussion highlights the challenges and strategies involved in building a partner program from the ground up. Cory stresses the importance of having executive alignment and clear communication of goals and methodologies to ensure support and understanding from the top.
3. Strategic Partner Profiles: Identifying and targeting specific types of partners is crucial. Cory explains how understanding their partners' customer base and services allows for more effective partnerships.
4. Utilizing Technology and Continuous Improvement: Cory discusses implementing tools like Gong for keyword alerts and PartnerStack for automating workflows, which allowed his team to scale efficiently. Continuous learning and adaptation are vital for sustaining and growing the partner ecosystem.

Quote of the Show:

"I feed those that feed us. It's very simple. It's very clear. At the end of the day, if we're willing to work together, whether it's co-marketing activities, whatever it is, I will feed who feeds me." - Cory Snyder

Links:

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

Website: https://www.teamwork.com/ 

Shoutouts:

https://www.gong.io/ 

https://partnerstack.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast 

Hosts Josh Wagner and Justin Gray sit down with Max Altschuler, General Partner at GTMfund. In this episode, Max shares insights on category creation, leveraging creative marketing tactics, and the importance of maintaining a scrappy, resourceful mindset. Together they explore how partnerships and constant innovation can drive remarkable growth and competitive advantage.

Takeaways: 

1. Revenue-Centric Mindset: Max emphasizes that revenue is the ultimate metric of success. While MQLs and SQLs are important, aligning all efforts towards driving revenue is crucial for achieving team goals.
2. Innovative Marketing Tactics: The episode highlights that regular innovation and refreshing tactics are necessary to stay ahead of competitors and maintain effectiveness.
3. Strategic Partnerships: Max underscores the value of building deep integrations and partnerships with complementary companies to enhance product value and mutual growth. These partnerships provide a leg up in sales cycles and open doors within target accounts.
4. Scrappy Execution: Effectively utilizing limited resources for impactful marketing and sales initiatives, such as leveraging personal networks and creative problem-solving for product launches and events, is key to continued success.

Quote of the Show:

"In sales, one of the things that is part of your job description is to become a hero maker, to take your champion and turn them into a hero internally, but also give them value outside of that for their own career." - Max Altschuler

Links:

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

Website: https://www.gtmfund.com/ 

Shoutouts:

Mark Kosoglow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkosoglow/ 

Sam Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samfjacobs/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast 

In this episode, hosts Josh Wagner and Justin Gray sit down with Joe Henderson, the current head of partnerships at ProsperOps. With over a decade of experience in the global partner ecosystem, Joe shares his invaluable insights on the importance of building long-term relationships in business.

Takeaways: 

1. Focus on Long-Term Relationships. Joe emphasizes the importance of prioritizing long-term relationships over short-term transactions. He believes that approaching partnerships with a mindset geared towards longevity can lead to more valuable and sustainable business outcomes.
2. Setting Expectations Early. Setting clear expectations from the outset is crucial. Whether during the interview process or when onboarding a new partner, it's important to communicate that building successful partnerships takes time.
3. Document Everything. Documentation not only helps in tracking progress but also ensures that the value of partnership activities is communicated effectively within the organization. Documentation serves as a record that can justify the time and resources invested in partnerships, especially when immediate results aren't visible.

Quote of the Show:

"My cheat code is a mindset of long-term relationships over short-term transactions. Even that first call or that first meeting with a partner, think of it as like you're going to have a long, fruitful relationship and even possibly work with that person, maybe at your next gig." - Joe Henderson

Links:

LinkedIn: ​​https://www.linkedin.com/in/joehendo/

Website: https://www.prosperops.com/ 

Shoutouts:

Greg Portnoy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregportnoy/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast 

In this episode, hosts Josh Wagner and Justin Gray dive into data-driven partnership strategies with Bob Moore, co-founder and CEO of Crossbeam. Bob shares insights on leveraging data exhaust to drive go-to-market success. He discusses the transformative power of ecosystem-led growth, the importance of aligning partnership and go-to-market teams, overcoming the challenges of scaling partnerships, and real-world examples of how data-driven strategies lead to higher ACVs and faster deal closures. 

Takeaways:

• A cheat code to a successful partnership is to make effective use of data exhaust. By tracking which customers you have in common and which accounts partners have closed within the past 60 days, you can better pair with partners.  
• Building partnerships in a network requires a joint approach for success and scaling. Emphasizing self-serve onboarding facilitates rapid growth and value creation, allowing for easy integration. 
• Understanding the balance between scale and ecosystem DNA is crucial for business success. Companies should evaluate their position on this two-by-two matrix to leverage ecosystem strategies effectively.
• When building out partner programs and dashboards, prioritize turnkey solutions over custom analyses for maximum value. Understanding what works for others and simplifying processes can lead to better insights and efficiency.
• Understanding the balance between sourced and influenced attribution is crucial for optimizing sales funnels. Focus on analyzing propensities and strategies rather than strictly attributing outcomes to individual touchpoints
• Buyer behavior has shifted due to the API and cloud economy, emphasizing the importance of interconnected ecosystems over individual software tools. Success is not just about flashy interfaces, but seamless integration into existing stacks.
• Partner teams play a crucial role in establishing connections between companies, but the true value is realized by the go-to-market teams who drive sales and marketing efforts.

Quote of the Show:

• “ I feel like every complex problem in the world can be answered with a 2x2 matrix” - Bob Moore

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjmoore/ 
• Website: https://www.robertjmoore.com/ 
• Website: https://www.crossbeam.com/ 
• Book Link: https://a.co/d/9t7L8aV 

Shoutouts: 

• ELG Con: https://www.crossbeam.com/elg-conference/ 
• Marc Andreessen

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast 

Rob Rebholz is the CEO and Co-Founder of Superglue, a VC-backed partner engagement platform for SaaS companies. Rob is also the Co-founder of Optilyz, Europe’s leading direct mail automation software. In this value-packed episode, Rob joins Hosts Justin Gray and Josh Wagner to dive into the value automation can bring to partnership programs. Rob shares the importance of processes, the need to keep a regular communication cadence with partners, and how personalization is the key to making strong connections. 

Takeaways:

• One of the best cheat codes for a successful partnership program is to use automations. By automating workflows, recurring processes, and outreach, you create smoother more effective interactions between panthers and sales teams. 
• While having entrepreneurial employees may seem like a plus, it can't compensate for a lack of solid procedures. With a solid playbook for touch points and partnerships, you can scale quickly. 
• While PRM’s offer a lot of value and excitement, they require your partners to train themselves on a system that needs manual input. Through automation you can reduce the workload of a partner, allowing them to spend more time building relationships.
• A good partnership requires intentionality. Rather than asking your AE’s to make the most out of a vague overlap, start with the deals that are stuck in the pipeline, identify the strongest partners, and provide AE’s with automation to make a connection. 
• Partnerships require a regular cadence of contact, else you run the risk of becoming back of mind. Through automation, you can tie partner outreach to the last time of contact, enabling engagement workflows when a certain duration has passed. 
• Strong relationships are built on relevance, and partnerships are no different. Through the use of scaled personalization and automation, teams can expect to see up to three times higher engagement on their messaging.  

Quote of the Show:

• “Even if you don't implement automations, you need a source of truth.” - Rob Rebholz

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robrebholz/ 
• Website: https://www.superglue.io/ 

Shoutouts: 

• Optilyz: https://optilyz.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast

Today’s guest is a pragmatic thinker, a first-principles type of Founder, and an endless source of dinosaur facts. Mac Reddin is the Founder of Commsor, the company behind Matcha.so and Bronto. Mac joins Hosts Justin Gray and Josh Wagner to dive into why the future of partnerships is people-first, how cultivating your own community drives conversions in the long run, and what to do to leverage mistakes in great marketing campaigns.

Takeaways:

• Prioritize building relationships with individuals over traditional brand-to-brand partnerships. Personal connections lead to stronger, more meaningful collaborations.
• Focus on creating value for your partners and community without an immediate expectation of return. This investment pays off by building trust and loyalty, which are crucial for long-term success.
• Encourage your team and your partners to utilize their personal brands to amplify the message and reach of your partnership, leveraging the trust they've built with their own networks. 
• Authenticity resonates. Being genuine in interactions with prospects and customers should be a priority for your team as this can lead to more meaningful connections and, ultimately, better business outcomes.
• Use unique, memorable strategies to engage your audience and partners, like Commsor’s NFC-tagged hoodies, to create buzz and foster a sense of belonging within your community.
• Don't be afraid to try unconventional marketing and sales tactics. What may start as an accident or experiment could become your brand's unique selling proposition.
• Invest in your community. Building and nurturing a community around your brand can lead to a loyal partner and customer base that is more likely to advocate on your behalf, creating a powerful, self-sustaining marketing mechanism.

Quote of the Show:

• “A recurring theme in our strategy as a company is embracing accidents.” - Mac Reddin

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mac-reddin/ 
• Commsor Website: https://www.commsor.com/ 
• Matcha.so Website: https://matcha.so/ 
• Bronto Website: https://www.bronto.co/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Commsor/featured 

Shoutouts: 

• Craig Rosenberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigrosenberg/ 
• Mac’s episode of The Transaction: https://thetransaction.substack.com/p/the-vibe-first-approach-to-marketing 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast 

This episode is a treasure trove for those looking to elevate their partnership capabilities, offering practical advice on overcoming common obstacles and tapping into the untapped potential of collaboration in the tech sales arena. Blake Williams is the Founder and CMO of GrowthStory. Blake joins Hosts Justin Gray and Josh Wagner to discuss real-world experiences of driving value through relationships, explaining the nuances of co-selling and the essential elements of crafting and executing effective partnership strategies.

Takeaways:

• A well-constructed partner go-to-market architecture upon which the partner program design is built is critically important. This entails segmenting and defining the roles partnerships will play throughout the customer journey, ensuring a seamless integration that amplifies value on both sides.
• Understanding not only what you aim to achieve with a partnership but also what your partner seeks is fundamental. This alignment of objectives ensures more cohesive and directed efforts.
• A cornerstone of effective partnerships is establishing a mutual benefit structure. It's not always about maintaining balance but ensuring both parties derive significant value from the relationship.
• Embrace a ‘Give to Get’ mentality. Contributions to the partnership ecosystem without immediate expectations can foster goodwill and open doors to reciprocal actions, enhancing the long-term value extracted from the relationship.
• Successful partnerships exploit each other's strengths to cover their weaknesses, especially in areas like customer success, sales, and operational efficiencies. This approach should be evangelized across the entire organization, ingraining a partnership-first mindset in all functions.
• Mobilizing partners through actionable, clear, and concise plans is crucial. Partner activation involves not just the signing of agreements but ensuring partners have all the necessary tools, resources, and motivations to engage actively in promoting mutual growth.
• The foundation of any partnership lies in trust and transparency, elements that should be cultivated from the outset. This includes clear communication of goals, expectations, and roles, as well as the mechanisms for feedback and adjustments as the partnership evolves.

Quote of the Show:

• “It doesn't need to be predictable, but it does need to have a pattern and a process that your internal functions can capitalize on.” - Blake Williams

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blakeampfactor/ 
• Amp Factor Website: https://ampfactor.com/ 
• Underrated Podcast: Coming Soon

Shoutouts: 

• Katie Lambert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katieelambert/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast 

Amy Volas is the CEO of Avenue Talent Partners, Founder of Better Together with Amy Volas, and a Limited Partner of Stage 2 Capital. Amy joins Hosts Justin Gray and Josh Wagner to discuss why it is so critical to set expectations together with your partners as early as possible. Amy also shares insights into how much time and money are wasted due to poor communication, why it’s imperative to maintain the trust of your customers and partners, and hiring pitfalls for founders to avoid.

Takeaways:

• It’s vital to lay down mutual expectations at the beginning of any partnership. This foundational step ensures clarity and aligns goals, minimizing misunderstandings down the line.
• Create a detailed, evolving plan that both parties agree to and will be invested in. This not only sets the partnership on a trajectory of success but also prevents misalignment of expectations.
• Diving deep into what each party truly values and expects from the partnership can reveal if there’s a genuine match or if expectations are unrealistic.
• Acknowledge the importance of not just setting a partnership in motion but also considering how it integrates with broader business operations and how both teams will be enabled to support the partnership effectively.
• Leaders need to go beyond the surface in interviews, demanding specific examples of achievements and failures. This helps in understanding the true capabilities of a potential hire beyond their resume or network.
• When hiring, do your best to look beyond the allure of big company names that a candidate has worked for and focus on the tangible skills and cultural fit of a candidate to the company’s current needs.
• $1.2 trillion is lost yearly due to poor communication. Startups need solid communication skills across all levels of an organization. Consider enrolling all new hires is some type of communication training or boot camp, this will pay massive dividends.

Quote of the Show:

• “If I were leading a big team, again, the very first thing that I would do for any hire is invest in communication. ” - Amy Volas

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyvolas/ 
• Avenue Talent Partners Website: https://avenuetalentpartners.com/ 
• Better Together Website: https://bettertogether-amyv.mn.co/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast 

Today’s guest is a seasoned sales leader and mentor who brings a no-fluff approach to doing what's necessary to build teams the right way. He’s spent the last 20 years building & scaling sales organizations as a 6x sales leader and 3x founder. Scott Leese is the CEO and Founder of Scott Leese Consulting, CEO & Co-Founder of Surf and Sales, and Co-Founder of GTM United Community. Scott joins Hosts Justin Gray and Sean Kester to discuss how B2B software vendors can get their referral programs up and running, what you can be doing right now to grow your network, and how to empower your sales team to work with partners.

Takeaways:

• Being transparent about incentives and maintaining open communication lines with partners can alleviate concerns about compensation and foster trust. 
• Engaging with technology partnerships and affiliate programs can open new revenue streams. Being technology agnostic yet having a few preferred partnerships based on reliability and swift payments can optimize benefits.
• Continuously measure the effectiveness of your partnership motion as a whole and how each partner is performing compared to their peers. Focus on those that yield better results and foster a competitive environment among partners to drive more value.
• Ensuring direct communication between partners and sales representatives and integrating the importance of partnerships into the company's culture are vital for the program's success.
• When launching your partner motion, start simple and don’t try to overcomplicate things. Initiating conversations with vendors that you use about potential affiliate programs or partnerships is a critical first step.
• Recognize and reward top-performing partners visibly within the organization to motivate others. High-value deals especially should be incentivized to encourage more referrals.
• Developing your significant professional network is invaluable. Ask the people you interact with regularly if they know anyone who might need your product. Make a habit of growing your LinkedIn connections to expand your network and potential for referrals.

Quote of the Show:

• “I would make network growth a daily KPI for myself” - Scott Leese

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottleese/ 
• Company website: https://www.thescottleese.com/ 
• GTM United Community: https://www.gtmunited.com/reaper 
• Addicted to the Process: https://a.co/d/fFYq0Id 

Shoutouts: 

• Sangria: https://www.sangria.team/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast