The Partnership Path

Listen to Kristen Maraghy @ Microsoft talk about Selling the Value of Partnerships.

Listen to Trent Collie @ Microsoft talk about Selling the Value of Partnerships.

The hosts, Toni Kent and John Rudow, discuss the role of partner account managers and how it relates to sales. They highlight the importance of viewing the job as a sales job, although different from traditional sales roles. The key points discussed include:

• Defining and quantifying the value of the partnership.

• Selling the value of the partnership to stakeholders.

• Leveraging the partner's sales force as a revenue multiplier.

• Ensuring every interaction with partners focuses on selling the partnership value or building capacity and capability within their sales organization.

The hosts emphasize the need for partner managers to demonstrate their strategic value to partners and avoid being seen as transactional. They also encourage the audience to share their best practices for selling value and leveraging time with partners in the comments section.

Call to Action:

The hosts invite listeners to engage in a discussion by sharing their best practices and experiences in selling value to partnership stakeholders and building capacity within partner organizations. They encourage comments and email submissions for future episode topics or questions related to partnership management. They also invite interested individuals to learn more about the EQ Selling Through Channels program on the website eqselling.com.

Listen to Kari Finnigan @ Infor describe how he Creates Partnership Business Plans.

Listen to Pavan Sabharwal @ Microsoft describe how he Creates Partnership Business Plans.

This episode discusses the concept of a partnership business plan and its importance in partnership management.

The hosts, Toni and John, emphasize the need for effective planning and collaboration between software companies and their partners. They highlight the three levels at which a partnership business plan should operate: strategic, operational, and execution levels.

The hosts stress the significance of translating internal metrics and goals into workable plans within the partnership context. They encourage a collaborative approach where both parties contribute to setting goals and determining the potential outcomes of their initiatives.

The conversation concludes with a call for community engagement, seeking input on successful strategies for creating partnership business plans and understanding partners' preferences regarding these plans.

Key Topics Covered:

• Introduction to the Partnership Path podcast

• Importance of a partnership business plan

• Translating internal requirements into partnership plans

• Three levels of a partnership business plan: strategic, operational, and execution

• Collaborative goal-setting and planning with partners

• Engaging the community for feedback and partner perspectives

Listen to Joy Verplank @ AVEVA describe how she Manages Partnerships Instead of Accounts In Real Life.

Listen to Edmundo Del Castillo @ Microsoft describe how he Manages Partnerships Instead of Accounts In Real Life.

The hosts, Toni Kent and John Rudow, discuss partnership management best practices to help partner and channel management professionals become more effective and productive.

They explore the concept of partnerships and differentiate it from partner accounts. They emphasize the importance of treating the partnership as a separate entity and defining it together with the partner organization.

The hosts also discuss how to establish a partnership, determine stakeholders, make decisions, allocate funding, and structure partnerships based on factors like industry or geography.

They highlight the benefits of partnerships, such as improved prioritization and execution, and emphasize the role of channel managers in translating internal goals into partner-focused strategies. The hosts conclude by encouraging the audience to share their experiences and challenges in defining and managing partnerships.

Key topics covered:

- Introduction to “The Partnership Path” podcast

- Exploring partnership management best practices

- Differentiating between partner accounts and partnerships

- Treating partnerships as separate entities

- Defining partnerships collectively with partners

- Challenges with managing partnerships of different sizes

- Importance of using specific and clear language

- Establishing partnerships through joint exploration

- Determining stakeholders and decision-making processes

- Customizing partnerships based on factors like industry or geography

- Benefits of partnerships: prioritization and execution

- The role of channel managers in translating internal goals for partners

- Encouraging audience participation and sharing of experiences