Without clear rules where to focus, the prioritization in #partnerships is sometimes left to a mysterious force we know as 💜 ‘instinct’.
Here is recent research on 3 blind spots that tech CEOs typically have with #channelpartners.
These misalignments in:
Business model and #ecosystem
Segmentation and positioning
Messaging and storytelling
can be boiled down to 3 simple learnings:
💡 Companies have unclear channel strategies and are trying to address the same market segments through partners and via their own sales motions. Obviously this vagueness creates conflicts and disengagement from partners.
Consider creating a nuanced market coverage plan and clear rules of engagement with partners.
🎯 It's better to focus your channel partners on market segment where:
You don’t play yourself
Your product has the biggest differentiation from competitors
Partners can build momentum and win
“Momentum in the channel is critical, otherwise partners lose interest if your product is seen to be too hard to sell.”
🏆 Finally, it's a good idea to enable your partner sales teams with more precision
Explain clearly to partners who is your ICP (ideal customer profile) and their needs.
Give partners targeted materials that communicate the value of your solution to buyer personas rather than explain product features and benefits.
Looking at the graph I’d also highlight the lack of focus on KPIs and customer advocacy, but we’ll discuss this at another time.
[graph source: Gartner]