Allyforce: the power of partnership

Most of the examples have primarily been around technology, but I have begun to work with companies that are decidedly non-tech.  And the way you build an effective system and eco-system for allies is just as critical.

It can be a little more difficult sometimes because I have found that given the complexity, leveraging technology to enable effective parternships is essential.  But it does work.

Find out more with the upcoming:  “Allyforce: How Any Sales Organization Can Increase Revenues Faster Through Partnerships That Work”

Although I typically use the example of technology companies, it works well if you are not.  You need to meet certain requirements:

• The potential universe of buyers is large
• The person making the decisioin in the universe is often unknown
• You target people and companies that at least one other non-competing company is targeting as well
• IF finding that person and company faster and more directly, you can speed up your sales cycle

There are some companies where this might not make sense.

Purely consumer-drive marketing companies that sell through major retailers or grocery-chains, for example, wouldn’t apply.

Utilities wouldn’t apply.

Manufacturers who OEM to a handful of key accounts wouldn’t apply.

It’s not about what you sell, it’s about HOW you sell.

Powered by Qumana

This is a question I’m still trying to find the clear answer to based on interacting with companies.  Who Owns the Allyforce?

It is related to the field reps, so perhaps it is the Sales Managers.

But it is tied to getting names and leads, so perhaps it is in Marketing.

But it involves alliance partners, so perhaps it is for Business Development.

I still haven’t found a definitive answer yet.  I think it’s a powerful role to play, probably not to be played directly by one of these roles but the metric and results should certainly be managed by one of them.

Powered by Qumana

Wisdom of the crowds.

Imagine being able to apply a set of "spies" out in the field to tell you of potential opportunities that you may be missing.

Isn’t that the worst situation to encounter, where you could have competed, maybe even won, in a situation but didn’t even know about it?

With smaller and smaller sales staffs and harder and harder to reach decision-makers, the ability to get good, timely intelligence about situation where you could be selling is very difficult, but even more essential.

Good sales people collect information about the needs, the plans, the environment of their customer.  If your partners have good sales people and you’ve developed a good system for sharing, that’s powerful.  If you’re not doing this, your competition may, and where would that leave you?

Powered by Qumana

Another common objection I hear is that the company executives believe they already have "alliance" and "strategic partnerships."

I would agree: they do.  But what is the outcome of that?

But the questions in terms of assessing their success are pretty simple:

• Do you receive leads, say, at least five per quarter per sales person?
• Do you have weekly metric reviews of the mutual exchange of leads?
• Are your reps in the field exchanging "field-level information" about different accounts?
• Do they understand the basic question to ask prospects to find deals for you?
• Is there an effective, consistent, and measurable incentive-system in place?

Without putting something like that in place, it is often very difficult to successfully have a true revenue-generating alliance.

Powered by Qumana

I had a meeting with a VP of Sales discussing potential partners.

One partner they had been looking at as promising, but he said that the partner’s technology that would complement theirs wouldn’t be ready yet.

So he said they wouldn’t be a good fit.

This is a very common approach to partnership: they look at partners from a product-fit / product-enhancement perspective.  That’s because, typically, they are done that way.

However, I then asked:

"So do the sales reps of this partner call on the same kind of companies yours do?"

"Yes."

"What’s your primary vertical?"

"Marketing-driven entertainment and gaming industries."

"And they call on those as well?"

"Yes."

"Do they call on the same titles within those companies?"

"Yes.  Ah, so they’ll just be giving each other names.  It might not be a hot-lead."

"True.  But do your reps ask pertinent questions such as "Do they have budget?  What are they trying to accomplish now if they’re aren’t ready for the product you’re offering?"  Would the answers to those questions, if they were asked by your partner, but useful for your reps?"

"I get it.  They are a good partner!"

There are other ways to discover good partner fits as we’ve looked at it other posts and will continue to revisit.  The mindset should always be — whom can I exchange contacts, context, and connection with out in the field, sales rep to sales rep.  Don’t think product compliment!

Powered by Qumana

What does it take to fully build a company that successfully partners?

Committment from the Top Levels and Consistent Throughout

Commitment from the Top

Senior executives absolutely must believe there is value in enabling their partners to win, and in ensuring that partner deliver value.  They must also start to think of partnership as ways to execute in the field, not just PR or product offerings.  The committment must be stated and time and attention must be given, including to asking questions such as, "How healthy are the partnerships?  Are we allocating some resources to manage it down to the field?  What are the metrics — number of leads or conversations started and can we tie these to revenue?"

Some companies don’t have that top-level leadership.  They focus on either traditional lead-generation that works in isolated silos, or they see partnership at a level too strategic without drilling down into the metrics and execution.

It begins with a mindset, a way to start thinking of cultivating friendly "allies" who become feet on the street and seeing this as an essential way to win the war.

Consistent Throughout

Specifically, the field must have a way to experience consistent support and to be consistent in their efforts.  Revenue-generating alliances are not an instant panacea.  It takes cultivation to begin to see the fruit, and demands consistency of effort even without a ton of results right away.

That’s why it takes a delicate balance of consistency without time-consumption of the field-reps, but also strategic insight into which types of partnerships will yield some kind of fruit to keep them motivated.  It is an essential component of success.

Powered by Qumana