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.  



 

The best way to find out what partners need is to ask what would be most helpful as they bring your product to clients.

To start - make it easy for your consulting partners by creating a co-brandable version of a pitch deck your sales team is using!

It can also be worth your time to compile value proposition statements, use case examples, and customer stories for the top industries your company sells to.

In addition – giving your partners the product access and enablement to be able to demo your product directly to clients goes a long way!

Keep it simple. Partners need a short deck that explains the “why” behind your product, the top 2–3 use cases, key differentiators, and how to handle common objections. One strong, relatable case study goes a long way. A basic pricing guide also helps them set expectations early.

But it’s not just about the materials. Most partners won’t proactively pitch you, so you need to make sure that if the conversation comes up, they not only know what to say but also what to do next.

If you know who their clients are, help them connect the dots. Map out shared customers or relevant industries, and give them a reason to bring you in. Provide the asset, the short pitch, and the confidence that if they introduce you, you’ll show up well-prepared and make them look good.

Also, make sure they trust your product. One of the best ways to do that is to bring them into an opportunity you already have with one of their clients. Let them see firsthand how you operate and how it creates value for everyone.

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

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.

Partners are the extended team of a sales organization. They can enhance the overall value proposition, expand the reach, and provide specialized expertise that complements the product or service. 
Additionally partners can create Joint Marketing Activities and Lead Generation, they can leverage their relationships in customers to influence a deal, they can reduce time to value for the customers, and they can close deals with additional incentives or special/complex terms. 

There are countless ways partners can help your sales team win - but the simplest answer is: a good partner can be an incredible advocate for your product and company in front of the customer when your salespeople are not in the room.

At Dataiku, our partners have helped us win countless deals by working closely with our sales team. Some specific examples:

- Creating pipeline by introducing Dataiku sellers directly to new contacts within our prospect or customer accounts

- Providing intel (or even just validating what your sales team has been told by the client) especially around budget, timelines, org charts, internal account politics, and procurement

- Mentioning Dataiku’s value proposition in their own executive meetings with joint clients, and coming back to our sales team to share how the client responded

- Preemptively identifying a Dataiku competitor in an account that our sales team may not have been aware of, allowing our team to proactively position against that competitor and reduce risk in our opportunities

- Presenting themselves as a “neutral” third party and guiding the client intentionally away from a competitive product towards our product

- Pulling in their own pre-sales technical resources to help organizations evaluate the Dataiku platform effectively

- Reselling Dataiku into geographies and/or industries where we might not want to commit the resources to sell the product directly

They give us scale. If pre-sales is overloaded or CS can’t support right away, a trained partner can step in immediately, run a demo, do discovery, build a solution, even lead onboarding. That keeps the deal moving.

They bring vertical expertise. A partner that’s deep in construction, finance, or manufacturing knows how to speak the client’s language better than we do. They help qualify faster and build confidence early.

They de-risk delivery. Clients want to know who’s going to make the rollout work. A partner already vetted by us, with a services team ready to go, can close that gap and give buyers peace of mind.

They help with post-sale growth. Partners aren’t just there to close. A good one will work the account with us, drive expansion, surface new use cases, and push adoption so we don’t have to do it alone.

They handle the grunt work. Admin, training, onboarding, QBRs, partners can do the things that free up AEs and CS to stay strategic. That’s huge when you’re trying to manage dozens of accounts.

So yes, the AE is still leading, but the partner can take on 80–90% of the operational work. That allows us to go after more accounts, move faster, and close with more confidence.

Just make sure it’s the right partner, involved at the right time, with a clear role. If you do that, they become a force multiplier, not just another person on the call.

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


The best way to coordinate early conversations with the prospect is ACTING FAST. Let your partner take ownership of the conversation, understand the needs of the prospect, make them feel valued and engaged, let them know that the partner and the AE are working together to provide the best solution for the them. 

It all comes down to preparation. Before I coordinate any joint call with a partner and an end customer, I first schedule a partner + sales team interlock to get very clear on both organization’s goals and expectations for the conversation with the end prospect. 
Before and after that interlock, I recommend:

- Aligning with the AE on a “best case scenario” next step to come out of the interlock partner meeting (i.e. a direct email intro to the partner’s contact within the client account, or scheduling a joint in-person meeting with the client). Share this best case scenario with the partner on the call, and ask for their honest feedback and/or reservations for taking that step.

- Having a quick meeting with your sales team directly post interlock to discuss their feedback, understand their willingness to continue engaging with the partner, and most importantly determine who will handle the specific next steps. These quick post-partner call syncs go a LONG way to drive continuous trust between your partner team and sales team!

When it’s time for your AE to meet directly with a prospect, if the partner is also involved in the client meeting, it can also make sense to set an additional prep call for a dry run! 

Ensure both orgs’ talk tracks are clear, and that the meeting has ample time for all parties to facilitate meaningful discussion with the customer. Schedule a quick post-client call interlock with the partner to get the partner's feedback and plan next steps.

If the partner facilitates but does NOT join the call between your AE and the end customer, write up a quick overview of what the call entailed and share the next steps with the partner directly.


Start with a quick internal sync, 15 minutes is enough. Align on who’s leading, what the goal is, and what success looks like. Be clear on roles so there’s no confusion in front of the client.

Keep the first joint call simple. Let the partner add credibility without overwhelming the prospect. After the call, debrief fast and agree on clear next steps. Quick feedback keeps the momentum going.

We over-communicate with our partners to stay aligned throughout the sales process. Once there’s trust, partners can actually lead large parts of the conversation, freeing the AE to think more strategically.

Just make sure there’s a real reason to bring the partner in. They should be adding value from the start, not just looping in late and forcing everyone to re-do discovery. It’s all about involving the right partner at the right time. If it’s a construction use case, bring your construction partner—they’ll speak the language, qualify faster, and often spot red flags early.

Also, make it easy for AEs to understand why to bring in a partner. Show the data: when X partner is involved, deal size grows by X%, time to close drops by Y%. When sellers see the value, they start pulling partners in naturally.

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.

I always recommend creating a one-pager that gives your partners a Who-What-When of your value proposition: 

- Who are the personas within should they be talking to about your product?

- When to introduce your product. When partners are talking to clients - what should they be listening for to know it’s a good opportunity to introduce your product?

- What is the elevator pitch your partner can give to their client to briefly explain the problem your product solves?

In addition, for your top or most strategic partners, it also pays to include a brief “what’s in it for me” for partner sellers to ensure the joint value proposition is clear to them. 

This alligment is crutial to have consistency in the storyline that both AE´s and partners have with Customers. Usually the best way to allign partners is having a workshop together with the sales organization, provide the sales pitch, and role play it after. 

There are two main philosophies. Some companies go for volume, with thousands of partners, one-to-many enablement, and a large library of content they can pick from. That can work, but it’s not our approach when it comes to strategic partners.

For us, it’s about depth over scale. We treat strategic partners as a few, not many. The best way to align with them is to treat them like an extension of yourself. Reward real investment, partners who are building a business with us, not just reselling licenses. That means giving them a clear path to follow, structured KPIs, and a program that supports them end-to-end. A regular cadence and QBRs are a must. 

We ask our top partners to go all in. Dedicated headcount. Reps who eat, breathe, and live monday. Defined roles. Clear KPIs. We don’t just expect that, we help make it happen. We support hiring, onboarding, and weekly coaching between our teams and theirs. We’re high-touch, because that’s what builds a real practice.

We also reward alignment. We co-fund roles, run joint marketing, and act as a growth engine. If a partner builds a real estate solution, we help them package it, price it, and promote it, whether that’s through lunch and learns, outbound plays, or our own customer base.

In the end, alignment comes from shared wins. When partners know how to pitch and feel like they’re building something sustainable, they sell with confidence and everyone benefits.

1. Join their calls or have them shadow your reps, best way to learn is by watching it live

2. Run regular joint pipeline reviews to coach in real time, not just in theory

3. Bring them into real deals early so they see how discovery, pitch, and objection handling works

4. Build solution playbooks they can use to package and position your product in key verticals

5. Show them how to outbound with your pitch so they drive new business too

6. Reward alignment through co-marketing, co-selling, and funding opportunities

The goal is to do it together. We don’t just throw materials at partners and hope for the best. The most successful partnerships are built through shared learning, shared wins, and shared ownership of the sales motion.

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.



Mutual Sales Team Alignment - Your sales team must be aligned - up to the sales leadership level - on the value partners can bring and the willingness to collaborate with them. Ideally, sales leaders lead by example by engaging with partners regularly! It’s most important that your sales team understands and believes that working with partners will benefit them. 

Clear Partner Value Propositions - It should be easy for your AEs to learn what your partners are good at, and what situations are not the best for a particular partner. Write up simple descriptions that AEs can quickly reference and understand.

Goal Alignment - For your most strategic co-selling partnerships, be sure you genuinely understand your partners goals, down to the types of services they most want to sell, dollar amounts, number of opportunities, and the partner’s best case scenario. Your partner should also understand these specific goals for you and your sales team!

Partner managers know partners and reps best, they are a key part of your co-selling strategy and they should actively scan the pipeline and flag deals where a partner could bring value. That’s how you drive partner involvement beyond just reacting to hand-raisers.

To make co-selling work, your sales reps need to actually understand who your partners are and why they matter. Don’t expect them to dig around. Give them a one-pager per partner with the basics: where they specialize, key customers they’ve worked with, and why involving them can help close deals faster or bigger. Make it easy for reps to navigate your partner ecosystem. They won’t be proactive unless you make it dead simple.

At the same time, you have to hold partners accountable. Ask reps for feedback after joint deals. Did the partner show up strong? Were they responsive? Did they add value? For many reps, they’ll only give a partner one shot, so the partner has to show up with their A-game.

A big part of that is aligning KPIs. If your partners have a quota, a pipeline target, and product-specific goals just like your internal team, then everyone’s pushing in the same direction. That’s what drives real results.

You also need to set company-wide targets. For example, aim to have 20% of deals influenced by partners, or define that partners should touch a specific percentage of deals in certain verticals. Co-selling isn’t a side activity—it has to be part of the core motion.

It should be a give and take. If we’re bringing partners into our deals, they should be bringing us into theirs. Track partner-sourced opportunities just like you do for internal reps. Measure both sides.

Use a shared CRM where reps and partners can see the same data. Keep it transparent. 

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



Like in any human relationship, COMMUNICATION is the basis of everything. With clear communication, trust can be built, and having trust, good things start happening in the ecosystem. I usually try to engage AE´s with partner executives from the early stages of the onboarding so that we can build a startegy together. Red Flags should be raised when communication is broken. 

As the partner manager, I like to put myself in the sales team's shoes; what value to partners provide to them, and which partners would I lean on if I were selling the product? Then communicate that clearly and continuously to sales. I like to put partner training in the sales onboarding materials. 

I encourage for the sales team to have relationships with key partners directly, away from the eyes of the Alliances team. I facilitate those encounters but don't need to be on every call with them.

Also understand that its enough for one bad deal experience to sour a relationship between a seller and a partner. So demand excellence from your partners.

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.


My view has always been that the success of a partner program requires executive buy in from the CRO or head of sales.  The AEs are their army.  They will 'fight' where their leaders send them.

If an CRO/head of sales won't include you in oppty reviews, planning, etc, you have a problem.  I have always positioned partners as 'force multipliers' - more sellers/influencers, etc to lighten the workload on AEs while increasing their productivity.

•	AE-to-AE Mapping & Joint Planning: Pair reps across orgs and run territory-level co-sell sessions with named contacts.

•	Provide Playbooks & Attribution: Give reps clarity on how partners help close deals and ensure they get quota credit.

•	Watch for Red Flags: Sales ignoring partners, unclear ownership, or lead poaching signal breakdowns requiring immediate correction.


First – see my answer to “What’s the absolutely best way to coordinate those early co-selling conversations between AEs and the prospect?” above

A tip for increasing mutual trust is having key partners join for the last 30 minutes at the end of your sales team’s QBRs to get really specific on where they can help your team & your clients. These partner QBR presentations can also be followed by a partner + sales team happy hour or dinner, providing an ideal opportunity to get both teams comfortable with one another and excited to collaborate!

To the second part of your question, here are couple of co-selling red flags I’d keep an eye out for:

- Don’t just show up with your hand out - In a situation where the partner is making an introduction to a greenfield account for your company, ensure your AE has at the very least researched the account thoroughly (for some Target accounts, maybe your partner team even contributes to the account research). Ideally, you & your sales team can also come prepared with specific use cases and case studies that you think the end client could be interested in – show these to the partner and get their feedback as to how they anticipate the client will respond.

- Prevent “co-opetition” with partners - If you’re working with a services partner on an opportunity, be careful that your sales team maintains a care to detail - down to adjusting their standing desks - to avoid any faux pas such as: positioning or promoting your company’s own internal services over a partner’s in a co-sell situation, or including your partner’s competitor’s logo in a client-facing presentation.

- Avoid Client Engagement Friction - I’ve seen countless situations in which a prospect goes dark on one or both parties. For example, perhaps your team is having a hard time progressing procurement conversations, but the partner continues to have regular syncs with the client. Or conversely, the partner stops hearing from the client, while your team’s conversations continue. 
Sometimes, the fear of deal slip or progress slowdown will make your sales team want to join a standing partner call.

The best way to avoid friction is to keep honest, consistent communication with your partner. I recommend standing 15 min weekly or biweekly syncs, or even creating a joint Slack channel or group GChat to make it easy for both teams to provide quick updates.

Whenever possible, try not to “ambush” the client by having a partner unexpectedly join your sales team’s call with the client, or having your sales team join a standing partner + client call. Instead - ask a specific question on behalf of your partner, or have the partner take specific questions to their own client call!


Trust takes time. You can align partners and sales reps on KPIs, but that doesn't mean there's trust from day one. Selling is a team sport, you can't just throw a partner into a deal and expect chemistry. You need shared experience, joint wins, and time in the trenches together.

The best way to build that is through small wins. Pair a strong partner with a rep who's open to the model. Start with the right account, deliver results, and build from there. You can't force reps to work with partners, but you don't need to. Some will naturally gravitate toward it, lean into those reps, build momentum, and let word of mouth do the rest.

Partner managers should also be internal advocates. Highlight wins, give shoutouts, and make working with partners feel like a competitive edge. Help partners show up strong. Push them to be proactive, give more than they ask for, and act like an extension of the team.

Red flags to watch for:
1. Partners who overpromise and underdeliver—whether it’s missing meetings, failing to follow through on hiring, or sending proposals late
2. Constantly having to push a partner instead of them pushing you
3. Lack of follow-up, missed small commitments, or reactive behavior
4. Partners who don’t treat your priorities as their own

And always measure objectively. CSAT, retention, pipeline conversion, average deal size. Numbers don’t lie. Even if the partner has the right attitude, if the metrics are off, that needs to be addressed. Stay close to the data and use it to guide where you invest your time.

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?

You don’t need to track everything. Track the metrics that actually tell the story. We focus on a few key ones that give us a clear, objective view of partner impact.

First, we measure all revenue touched by partners, broken down into Direct and Influenced ARR. This gives us a true co-sell percentage and helps us track both attainment and YoY growth.

We also have pipeline generation targets for partners "Outbound". We don’t just want them closing, we want them creating pipeline. It gives us earlier visibility into deals, allows us to support faster, and even turn lost deals into learning opportunities.

From there, we focus on three core indicators:

1. Pipeline created

2. Win rate on co-sold deals

3. Revenue delivered

These three give us a strong and objective rubric to evaluate a partner’s performance.

Post-sale, we track the number of service hours delivered, number of projects involved in and CSAT scores for partner-led accounts. This helps us identify which partners are truly driving value, and it gives us a clearer picture of long-term customer health.

Finally, we track PIEs, Partner Identified Expansions. If a partner is already working an account, are they proactively surfacing expansion opportunities or just keeping the lights on? That’s a key signal of a high-value, growth-minded partner.