In a captivating conversation on the Investible Partnerships podcast, I sat down with Basem Emera, SVP Partnerships & Alliances from Go1 to discuss his framework for building investible partnerships and what key factors contribute to the success of partner relationships.
The conversation shed light on the challenge of messaging to partners compared to direct customers and the critical role of relevance and value in maintaining partner attention, and the unique considerations when expanding partnerships in the APAC region. Below is a Part 2 summary of what we covered in the interview, you can get to part 1 here.To listen to the podcast in full, click here.
Enabling Partners to Sell
The co-sell motion is a crucial aspect of their partnership strategy.
With 200 sellers worldwide promoting Go1's products, Enabling these partner sellers and ensuring they have all the necessary resources and support is critically important. By prioritizing partner seller enablement, Go1 ensures that partners can effectively articulate the value of their products, enhancing their ability to integrate Go1 into their sales cycles.
Fostering Partner Attention
To maintain partner attention, Basem outlines two key factors: relevance and value delivery.
Building strong relationships with partner managers and encouraging dialogue between partner organizations and Go1's employees fosters trust and engagement. Additionally, Go1 focuses on partner marketing initiatives to keep partners up to date with the latest developments and offerings. Incentivizing partners through quota relief and compensation further ensures their active engagement, especially with larger partners who have numerous resellers vying for attention
Clarifying the Partner Message
Shifting towards a Partner sales motion certainly brings with it numerous challenges.
The messaging to partners differs significantly as the focus shifts from solving customer problems to supporting and enabling partners to be successful. Go1 adopts a partner-focused approach, simplifying the messaging by highlighting specifically what they want the partner to do e.g. just qualify the needs within HR software solutions. This ensures clarity and relevance for partner reps who play a crucial role in positioning Go1 within their sales cycles.
Expanding in the APAC Region
Clearly Define the role you want partners to play.
As Go1 expands its global partnership network, Basem provides insights into the unique considerations of the APAC region, specifically Australia, New Zealand (ANZ), and Southeast Asia.He emphasizes the diversity and fragmentation of the SMB market landscape in ANZ and the added complexity of language customization and price sensitivity in Asia.
To navigate these challenges, Basem advises organizations to clearly define the role they want partners to play and align their partner strategy accordingly. Understanding the regional dynamics and focusing on a select number of strategic partners ensures success without overwhelming the market.
What we learned
By prioritizing co-sell motion with partner enablement, organizations can empower partners to effectively sell their products. Maintaining partner attention through relevance, value delivery, and incentivization is essential for long-term success. When expanding in new regions like APAC, understanding the market differences and clarifying the partner message are key to having Partner impact.
This article is a summary of my podcast interview with Basem and does not include the full transcript or complete conversation between us.
To listen to the podcast, subscribe wherever you listen or head to InvestiblePartnerships.com for all episode and transcripts of the show.
