Our recent panel discussion at the 'How to Win in Cloud GTM in 2024' event featured insights from some of the industry’s 🏆 best cloud GTM leaders: Maureen Little (Okta), Neeti Gupta (Broadcom VMware Cloud), Nick Holden (Cisco), and Rob W. (SingleStore), bringing together more than 100 alliance experts.
Here are 3 key insights:
1️⃣ Aligning with Hyperscalers First
A recurring theme was the importance of understanding and aligning with the goals of cloud hyperscalers. The panelists emphasized the need for 'partner empathy' - a deep understanding of hyperscalers' objectives to align, show progress and achieve business outcomes.
"Having a clear joint value proposition with each of the hyperscalers around the solutions that you create is job one." Nick Holden - VP, Global & Strategic Partners and Co-sell at Cisco
"Having systems tools and processes to track that engagement and to show that that engagement is moving through the selling cycle is as important."
2️⃣ Customer-Centricity is a Key Marketplace Driver
Nick Holden of Cisco emphasized customer-centricity, noting Cisco's pivot to software and SaaS to meet customer demands and preferences to buy via marketplaces. This customer-first approach is the core tenet of cloud GTM strategies.
"Making sure we retain the customer centricity, making sure that we're really relentless around what is the business outcome that between AWS and Cisco we're trying to solve for." - Nick Holden
“It's number one - we started looking and researching how our customers purchase [...] How are they buying? Where are they cutting costs? How are they using SIs and resellers… [...] And then what are the transaction patterns that our customers are shifting to?” - Maureen Little - VP, Global Strategic Alliances at Okta
3️⃣ Internal Alignment Is Crucial
Another insight, highlighted by Maureen Little, was the significance of internal alignment within organizations. Sales, alliance teams, and C-suite teams need to be in concert to drive successful Cloud GTM strategies. This alignment is crucial for both co-selling initiatives and broader GTM efforts.
"Change management is the name of the game when it comes to partnerships because the transformation is happening at multiple levels." - Neeti Gupta - Head of Hyperscaler Partnerships (Microsoft) at Broadcom VMware Cloud
Watch the video for more.
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