Service partner

In the past I've found enabling consulting partners to be one of the trickiest parts of program design as every partner is different in how they communicate with clients. Out of the gate, I think the partner needs to have a clear value proposition, a set of customer stories to tell, a succinct competition positioning statement, and straight forward pricing materials.

Top 3 are:

1. A 2-pager with an overview of our product and our jvp with that partner 
2. Mutual case study 
3. Use case features and benefits (1 pagers or videos) 


When we built a program for consulting partners in a prior role, we built a matrix to identify where we would focus our efforts. Once we had prioritized a few consulting partner relationships we worked to understand from them, what best practices were the most effective for content and enablement.  The point being, one can guess what resources a partner is going to need OR you can learn with the partner about what works best for them. This does not mean to show up empty handed but rather, get an understanding of what great looks like, from them, then replicate and enhance.  You do not need to reinvent the wheel.  

The Caspio Partner Portal provides our consulting partners with all the collateral they need to discuss our offering and their joint solution with their clients: presentations, pricing sheets, case studies, value propositions, demo apps, and more!

We provide our partners with foundational sales materials like positioning guides, messaging framework, and ideal customer profile documentation, where to each profile, they find the most adequate messaging. This helps partners understand how to tailor the product pitch for different customer personas, to then add value to their own solution.

We also share valuable use cases that partners are also encouraged to use in pitch meetings, nothing resonates with potential customers more than hearing about other enterprise accounts that have solved similar challenges. These materials equip our partners to confidently discuss our solutions and drive meaningful conversations with their clients.

1. Sales Narrative
Give your partners a story to tell, just as you do your own sales team. They need a value proposition, or a “better together” story if they are a key integration partner. Sales narratives should clearly define your ICP, include discovery questions, and provide specific use cases. I find that collaborating with your sales team and product marketing team can be the most helpful in crafting this message.

2. Demo Kits
The best way your partners can sell your product is by using it. Bonus points if they are a customer themselves, but providing a demo environment can be just as effective. Teach them how to set up their demo environment, and the best flow for a demo presentation. The more they practice in their demo environment, the more comfortable they will be speaking to the product. I highly recommend giving them the ability to provide feedback to the product team as they learn more about the product and UI as well.

3. Competitive Intelligence
The number one product question you will get from your partners is: “how does this compare to [insert competitor’s name here]?” It’s the first question your partners will get from their customers, especially if you are in an established market. Provide them with quick hitting shareable battlecards that show comparisons of key features between your product and your competitor's. 

4. Case Studies
Let your customers speak for themselves. Case studies should speak to key use cases your product solves for, and demonstrate where your product wins for that ICP. These are great resources for your partners to share directly with customers.

We recently built an extensive Partner Battlecard that hits everything they need to know about our product as a little 'cheat sheet'. 

Things we cover on the battle card:
1. Pain points we solve for
2. Use cases for each industry
3. Competitive landscape and snippets on how we differ     
4. ICP and pricing 

We’ve gotten great feedback from partners, locating everything they need on one pager quickly. We even went as far as printing them out, so whenever we're onsite running enablement, they have it right there. 

Consulting partners need sales materials that help them effectively communicate your product’s value, differentiate it from competitors, and address client concerns. Here's a breakdown of key materials: 

1. Overview Deck: presentation explaining the product’s value, features, benefits, use cases, and pricing, while also tying in the company's story/expected longevity. 

2. One-Pagers: concise summaries of key features, integrations, pricing, expected results, and FAQs. 

3. Case studies and testimonials: whether hosted on your site, or dedicated review sites like G2/Capterra, provide consultants with examples of how the product added value/solved problems for relevant clients. 

4. Resource hub: a location that showcases how how to onboard and optimize your solution(s)/service(s). 

5. Partner playbook: step by step guide on how to sell your product, and when to engage with your team. Battlecards, pricing, team contact info, etc. 

6. Co branded marketing: customizable collateral.  



 

What sales materials do consulting partners generally need to discuss your product with their clients?

Comp neutrality is critical. The partner teams will not be successful, plain and simple. And partners won’t want to work with the sales teams because they will be afraid the reps will take the deal directly. You need the CRO or CSO alignment to be sure it’s written in the rules of engagement and the sales comp plan. This is non-negotiable in my book. 

This is an interesting question! I do believe that every sales org is different dependent on the size, maturity, and market position of the company, but when partner deals are incentivized or prioritized, the outcomes can include:

1. Increased affinity by the partner (by proving you're easy to work with and provide white-glove service)
2. Increased incentive for sales to participate in partner initiatives (ex. outreach for client-facing events)

However, to be successful with a sales team, I find it most important to be able to showcase the value that a partner brings to a sales cycle. We often find that our partner-led sales cycles close faster and at a higher win rate. We're able to gain more information about how the client is feeling and get more clarity on the pain points they're experiencing. 

Managing potential friction with a direct sales team, that is not inclined or aligned to co-sell is a dangerous proposition that can lead to losing trust.  A few factors to consider: Does the sales cycle require touches and engagement from the sales team? Is your direct team compensated at par value for deals that transact via partners? Do you have a process, program in place that protects partner margin aka deal registration? Are your company's sales, finance and partner leadership teams on the same page about the role of partners in driving revenue growth?  I would aim for full compensation alignment and clear roles and responsibilities early on.  Now, in the case of supporting a geography or vertical that may not have or need direct sales support, you may opt to increase the expectation from the partner and also consider paying a higher percentage of revenue to offset investments that the partner makes.

The best way to get sales reps more involved with partners is to make it comp neutral for them. 

Example - List price is $100. Partner gets 40% discount off list so $60 is what the company nets. Comp neutral would be the sales rep at your company getting quota attainment and commission on the $100, not $60.

I prefer an in the middle approach of splitting the difference as the customer is unlikely to pay list price if they had gone direct so the sales rep in this scenario gets comped on $80.

Sales should always understand the value of partnerships. It’s a give some to get some play. Sales reps should know, the more they provide, the more they’ll get back on their own deals.       

But if you need more engagement, absolutely, comp your sales teams as appropriate. You can set this up a few ways:      

Influence: SPIFF your sales team for every time they influence a partner deal      

Referrals: If you have a referral partnership agreement, allow that percentage to go towards your reps quota retirement if the deal closes. This should be very clear for your internal team when you sign referral agreement.       

If your partner isn’t reciprocating to your sales team, have that open discussion. It takes two to tango.

I truly believe that a fair compensation strategy—such as AEs getting compensated every time a deal is closed in their territory, even if it’s sourced by the partner—combined with a strong channel mindset from management, can be enough to motivate the team to collaborate with partners. This becomes even more effective when the channel team can clearly demonstrate the value of involving a partner in the deal, showing how it benefits everyone involved and drives success.

Should we be comping our sales team on involvement in partner deals and if so how should we set this up?

The best way I've seen this done by partners is by having the partner help to "re-activate" deals that the partner has introduced to the sales team as a lead.

Meaning, if a potential deal on a lead that a partner sent over starts to go cold or would normally be deemed as "lost" in a normal sales process, you can set up a system where the sales team can reach out to the partner to ask if THE PARTNER can re-activate the lead by getting in touch with them. The partner is likely going to have a better relationship with this lead than your sales team will; thus, they are more likely to continue to look into your offer more if the push comes from your partner.

The value of this is that your sales team has an extra lifeline to re-activate a deal. In a normal scenario, a lead may be considered "lost" under certain circumstances. But by having a parter help to re-activate the lead once it gets to this point, you can find that "lost" deals can turn into "won" more frequently.

Partners can provide reach and scale. Partners come in many flavors but they are helping you either 1) enhance your product or service 2) be an extension of your direct sellers or 3) give you access to their ecosystem of partners, or a combination of those three. For direct sellers they can get you access to their customers - if done right the sales reps who work with partners will get exponentially more opportunities into their funnel, leading to more wins and commissions! I’ve seen some reps who want to control the whole process and those are the ones that don’t see the value of partners and won’t be as successful IMO. The partner will give you access to their customer base in return for you being a great closer. If you are working with technology partners, think about the ecosystem of partners that sell their tech as a core business, and how your solution can be an effective up-sell or add-on that in turn can provide them more sales and higher retention. 

Partnerships are a revenue role and partners need to be in every deal, with every customer. The core expectation must be to seek this out and not view partners as an outlier.  Similar to inbound and outbound sales activity, partner-generated opps need to be at the forefront of the sales team's efforts. It's not in replacement of but rather a layer on top of the sales team's GTM strategy. 

Concentrated effort in partners should be a no brainer for the sales team as partner involvement increases win rate by an average of 41% as well as deal size by 43%. 

The question should really be focused on how partners and sales teams work together to build more relationships across the partner's team, run more enablement sessions, attend events with partners etc. This type of activity is what really builds pipeline/ 


1. Lean on partners for influence. Show them what opportunities they're working are also working with a partner and find a way to get that partner to support the opportunity. It can be a simple endorsement, or it can be a backchannel conversation for more intel that will help them position their follow up and future conversations.

2. Integrations are a big selling point for SaaS and one of the most important if not the most important aspect of a buying decision. The more valuable of integrations you have to your ICP, and the more content and information your sales team has around those integrations, the more value you will provide for them to influence their close rates. Empower them with this information as best as you can.

There are several ways a partner can help the sales team win more deals:

Deal sourcing: Partners can tap into their existing account books or collaborate with the sales team on account mapping to help generate more opportunities.

Accelerating sales cycles: Leveraging their network and market expertise, partners can help speed up the sales process, enabling the sales team to close deals more quickly.

Co-marketing opportunities: By partnering on marketing efforts, the vendor can amplify its strategy, gaining more visibility, brand awareness, and ultimately generating more leads.

Adding value during pitches: While the vendor pitches the solution, a partner can bring additional offerings to the table, building a closer relationship with the customer and differentiating both the partner and the vendor from the competition.

How can partners help the sales team win more deals?

On board with Franz-Josef. Be selective with which AEs can and want to work with partner teams to co-sell. It isn't for everybody and it can actually negatively impact performance on deals if done incorrectly so it shouldn't be enforced widespread on all AEs. Great way is to start small with pairings, sharing intel, understanding each others business etc.. learn from those interactions before allowing other pairings to occur.

In the beginning, my biggest mistake was to preach co-selling to all Hopin AEs equally. The truth is not everybody cares... yet! 

Identify a handful of high-performing AEs who "get" partnerships. They often have prior experience co-selling and know the value of it. Chances are they were former partner manager, or want to switch into partnerships at some point.

These AEs won't need a lot of hand-holding. Intro them to the partner AE and be a facilitator, not a manager. 

Let them do what they do best: close and expand deals. 

As I’m sat in the marketing team, I’m actually not too close to the co-selling conversations between Partnerships, AEs and prospects. 

In terms of coordinating the calls, I have two recommendations:

1) Remind your partners that your AEs are happy to jump on a call and be the platform expert - some partners may not know your team would be happy to do this.

2) It’s all in the briefing. If you’re in a Partnerships role, make sure to understand what problems, concerns, questions, and features the prospects would like to hear more about before the call takes place. Ensure you pass this on to your AE in plenty of time so they can tailor their preparation for the call.

For me, when it comes to co-selling it all comes down to the storytelling. You need to be able to take a merchant on a journey that tells them why using the two platforms together will drive more value to their business. Make sure to back up this value by sharing the key results from a mutual case study if you can. Include the link to the full case study so prospects can access more detail in their own time if they wish. 

I’ve seen partners create mini-demo videos of the two platforms working together on a brand’s site. I always think this is a really powerful way to bring your co-selling message to life, and could easily be replicated on a live call.

When recruiting a new partner, I always invite them to meet the sales team and present their value proposition, expertise, and unique differentiators. This introduction helps establish a strong foundation for collaboration and ensures that AEs understand how to leverage the partner’s strengths from the early stages of the sales process.
A well-defined value proposition makes it easier for AEs to involve partners strategically—whether it's their industry or market expertise, deep product knowledge, or specialized solutions that complement our offering


What's the absolutely best way to coordinate those early co-selling conversations between AEs and the prospect?

I think the best way to do this is by treating your partners the same exact way you would your sales team members. Meaning, give them the same kind of training and materials you would give your sales team. That looks like:

1. Thoroughly documented information on how to pitch the product, complete with scripts, objection busters, and hooks that help to sell the product
2. Holding training calls that go over mock sales calls, your pitch in action, and the opportunity to answer questions live from your partners
3. Providing them with tons of sales enablement materials such as slide decks, case studies, and other helpful information.

If you treat your partners like your sales team, they will sell like your sales team. It can be easy to make the case of not giving them as much information; but if you want them to be successful, you have to empower them with the right material.

Shadow! 

Have partners shadow your sales teams when they are pitching prospects. 
Then 
Have the partner pitch you on your own product. 
Then
Shadow your partners when they are pitching your product to their prospects. 
Finally
Have the partner "teach" one of your sales reps how to pitch the product. 

You can build all of the training, and one pagers you want, but the best way is shadowing, it keeps everyone accountable to doing the work, and you will quickly find invested partners and partners who are not invested. 
Another PLUS, it will decrease the 'channel conflict' with your sales teams. 

One of the most important parts of aligning partners with your sales pitch is making the customer journey clear out of the gate. You are making it easier for them to successfully pitch to your customers if the swim lines are clear between what a customer should go to you, the vendor for, and what they should go to a consulting partner for. For example, the second that you start offering competing services to your consulting partners you are creating a point of confusion for customers which will in turn make the pitch process more challenging for everyone involved.

It takes months for your own sales reps to get ramped and effectively sell your own product. They spend most of their working hours training to be as successful as possible in doing just that. It is unreasonable to think that a new partner can do it effectively in a short period (considering that they are busy selling/learning their own product/service).

I usually only get the more experienced team members involved with partner co-selling. Prior to that, pairing reps to share intel and learn each others business in micro 1on1 sessions is a great way to start having reps understand 1 partner at a time.

Training partners on your products / services is extremely important, but remember, nobody knows how to sell your products and services like your sales teams. I believe the most effective way is to provide enablement materials to partners. The goal is to get them comfortable with speaking to your offering and opening the door to a conversation with you. Enablement materials can be in the form of sales decks, one pagers, email templates, case studies or key metrics to share. Another enablement tool is recorded sales pitches with prospects, if you have permission to share on all sides. 

Once you feel like your partner is comfortable speaking to your offering, the next important step is how to hand off a referral. This is a great time to introduce your partner as the subject matter experts. Here your partner will be able to take over and go a little deeper as you have already set them up for success. 


It's important to set the expectation that you are not a solely a channel for these partners - ultimately tech partners should be focused on having a compelling story on the product side. That's the mechanism by which access to your customers can be made available and it's on them to create the technology and the story to help drive new business for themselves. 

The most effective way I have used to ensure partners align with your sales pitch is to provide training. The training does not have to be long or live. However the training should be run by someone from your team who can effectively emulate how pitches should be made. 

Providing enablement materials (ie 1 pagers, decks, email templates, talk tracks, case studies, and key value metrics) that can be used during these conversations is also helpful. Be sure to refresh these resources regularly. 

Conduct joint pitches with partners if your team has the resources.

Provide easily accessible support (another repeating tool in the toolkit) and open lines of communication for feedback. 

Track failed pitches as well as the reason for the nos. Use these to improve the pitches and/or product.

Provide Clear Messaging: Share a standardized pitch deck, value proposition, and key talking points tailored to your audience.

Offer Training: Conduct regular workshops, role-playing sessions, and onboarding to ensure partners understand your product and positioning.

Equip with Tools: Supply partners with sales collateral, FAQs, competitive battlecards, and customer success stories. Provide a space for them to ask questions and make sure to respond in a timely manner.

Co-Selling Support: Partner with them on initial pitches to model best practices and build confidence.

Feedback Loop: Gather partner feedback to refine messaging and address gaps in understanding.

To align partners with your sales pitch and enable them to succeed:

1. Clarify value proposition: ensure partners understand and can communicate your product’s unique benefits.

2. Sales enablement: share a sales playbook, demo scripts, objection handling guides, and industry-specific content to help partners pitch effectively.

3. Customizable materials: provide co-branded, industry-focused collateral that partners can personalize for their audience.

4. Joint training: conduct workshops to align pitching techniques and build partner confidence.

5. Ongoing support: offer continuous communication, dedicated partner managers, and feedback loops to refine the pitch.

6. Promote collaboration: foster co-selling opportunities and shared success stories.

This approach ensures your partners are well-prepared, aligned, and motivated to pitch your product effectively.

What's your advice on aligning partners with our sales pitch and how to we enable them to successfully pitch to our customers? 

A successful co-selling strategy in SaaS requires alignment, execution, and accountability between partners. Here are the must-haves to ensure it drives real results:

1. Strategic partner alignment. 
- Identify partners who's solution/services are complimentary to yours. 
- Define and align on mutual ICP. 
- Define shared goals. 

2. Mutual value proposition.
- Clear and compelling value prop for co-selling. 
- Show success stories and tangible business results for customers. 
- Make it easy for the "why" to be answered. 

3. Joint account mapping. 
- Use tools like Crossbeam to align on target accounts. 
- Define a process to activate co selling motions. 

4. Enablement and playbooks. 
- Train GTM teams (sales, cs, partnerships) on partner's value. 
- Create battlecards, talk track, and success stories. 
- Hosting joint enablement sessions. 

5. Co Marketing & Demand Gen. 
- Co host webinars and create joint case studies. 

6. Clear GTM execution plan. 
- Establish a process for collaboration. 
- Define roles & responsibilities. 
- Track performance to measure contribution from both sides.

7. Frequent Performance Reviews & Optimization. 
-  Weekly, bi weekly, or monthly syncs to review pipeline and blockers. 
- Analyze wins/losses, and refine motions accordingly. 
- Abandon what's not working, and emphasize what is. 

An effective co-selling approach is well-organized, data-driven, and designed for shared success. When executed properly, it accelerates deal velocity, increases deal size, and strengthens customer loyalty.

1. The sponsorship of Management
For successful co-selling, management must establish a clear framework and well-defined rules of engagement between the sales team and partners. Executive sponsorship, particularly from sales directors, is essential. Sales leaders need to adopt a channel-first mindset, recognizing that partners are an extension of the sales team, not competition. Leveraging partners as a strategic asset enables faster, more scalable growth and strengthens overall sales performance.
2. Resilient Channel Team
The channel team plays a critical role in reinforcing the win-win relationship between partners and the sales team. A strong channel strategy must highlight how collaboration with partners accelerates pipeline development and deal closure. To drive adoption, the channel team must stay closely connected to the sales team, understanding their challenges, needs, and opportunities. By providing ongoing enablement and support, they can ensure sales teams maximize the value of co-selling.
3. A sales team with a channel mindset 
For co-selling to be effective, sales teams must be enabled and empowered to work with partners. This means:
Learning how to collaborate strategically with partners on pipeline generation.
Understanding how partners can enhance deal execution and brand positioning.
Actively working with partners to close deals more efficiently.
Sales teams should see partners as trusted allies who expand their reach, bring expertise, and unlock new opportunities rather than as external entities.
4.  Strong alignment with partners 
Partners should be fully integrated into the sales motion. Clear communication, shared goals, and alignment on sales strategies ensure a seamless collaboration. The more partners are engaged in co-selling activities, the more they can contribute to pipeline growth and revenue acceleration.



What are the must-haves for a co-selling strategy that actually drives results?



When building the recruitment strategy the channel team needs to understand what the sales team expects from partners. Co-selling should go beyond simple lead sharing—it requires a structured approach that covers everything from lead generation to account management and co marketing
The ideal co-selling partner should:
Have deep expertise in our products and technology to effectively support the sales team in pitching, positioning, and accelerating deal closures.
Provide dedicated resources such as marketing support, BDRs, and technical specialists to help drive engagement and execution.
Own a strong customer base that enables effective account mapping and targeted expansion opportunities alongside the sales team.


How do you identify which partners are the best fit for co-selling versus just lead-sharing?

5 Keys to Co-Selling Alignment & Trust: 

1. Shared Goals & Metrics: align on KPIs like revenue, pipeline influence, and deal ownership.
2. Clear Co-Selling Process: use account mapping tools and define lead-sharing workflows.
3. Sales Enablement: train teams on product positioning, ICP fit, and joint playbooks.
4. Consistent Communication: hold bi-weekly syncs and use shared dashboards for real-time updates.
5. Trust & Accountability: ensure fast lead follow-ups, fair deal handling, and transparency.

Red flags to watch for:
- Misaligned incentives 
- Slow follow-through
- Competing priorities
- Data hoarding
- No exec buy-in

The best way to create alignment between the sales team and partners is to ensure that both sides have a clear understanding of the value of their collaboration. When sales teams recognize how partners contribute to their success—and vice versa—it fosters stronger engagement and more effective teamwork.
Choosing the right partners is essential. Partners should be carefully selected based on their ability to help the sales team achieve its goals rather than just broad market coverage. 
A fair and transparent partner program  strengthens alignment by ensuring that both teams are working toward a shared objective, rather than competing against each other.
Building trust and strong relationships is key. At the end of the day, sales teams will naturally work more closely with the partners they know, trust, and see as valuable allies. Encouraging frequent collaboration and open communication helps deepen these connections.
However, challenges can arise—especially if the channel team and sales team are not aligned or have different priorities. This is why having shared OKRs and clear, measurable goals is crucial. When both teams operate with the same objectives and priorities, collaboration becomes more seamless, driving better results and long-term success.


What are the best ways to create alignment and trust between sales teams and partners to ensure smooth co-selling? Are there any blockers/red flags I should watch out for?