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

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.

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!

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.

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.