Bradley Johnston

Countless mistakes can be made. Continue to make them until you've refined your process/approach. 1. One-size-fits-all approach: All partners are not the same. Prioritize them while tailoring enablement material and offering team support accordingly. 2. Lack of data/metric-backed goals: Define what success means upfront for both partners. Work together to track while holding one another accountable. 3. Failure to incentivize partners: Whether it's in the form of rev share, demo bounties, customer introductions, marketing collaboration, or more, you must compensate partners for their advocacy. 4. Ignoring your partners: frequently collect feedback from partners to define your approach (product, GTM, etc.) 5. Poor communication: make it so it's easy to communicate/inquire with your team. 6. Not meeting your partners where they are: show up to the events, cities, etc. where your partners are. In person engagements are still exponentially more meaningful than digital ones.

In SaaS partnerships, you'll typically want a mix of monetary and non-monetary incentives to drive activation, engagement, and referrals. Monetary incentives: 1. Rev share/commission. Offer partners a percentage of revenue from referred customers. 20% for year one and 10% for year two is currently what Opensend is offering partners. 2. One-time bounties: payouts for actions like helping your team book a demo. 3. Performance Bonuses: Increasing rewards based on volume or performance (e.g., higher commission rates after X referrals or extra bonuses for hitting revenue milestones). 3. Discounted or Free SaaS – Offering free or discounted access to your software as a benefit for active partners. Opensend provides referring partners with a free B2B account. 4. Exclusive promotions for their clients. Enabling partners to offer unique discounts to their customers as a selling point. Non monetary incentives: 1. Dedicated Partner Support & Account Management – Offering VIP support, direct access to an account manager, or a dedicated Slack channel. 2. Early Access to New Features: giving partners a first look at new features before public release. 3. Co-Branding Opportunities: featuring partners on your website, case studies, or allowing them to co-host webinars and content. 4. Tech Integrations & API Access: supporting deep technical integrations that give partners more opportunities to offer more comprehensive solutions. Best practices for incentivizing activation and ongoing engagement: - Make the process as easy as possible to start. - Gamify engagement. - Frequent check ins and ongoing enablement. - Continuous feedback loops.

Creating a scalable partner program requires automation, clear segmentation, self-serve enablement, and high-touch engagement for priority partners. 1. Standardized and automated onboarding. - Partner playbooks with enablement docs: provide detailed guides on how to sell, integrate, and optimize your product, service, offering, etc. - Partner portal: dedicated hub with resources and enablement. This can include deal registration, performance tracking, training, and more. - Training and certification: offer tiered certifications or training modeules that partners can complete at their own pace. 2. Segmented tiering and scalable support. - Not all partners are the same: Define different tiers of partners with varying levels of support. 3. Incentivized activation. - Clear activation milestones. - Gamification. - Time sensetive bonuses, encouraging quick activation. 4. Scalable co-marketing and lead sharing. - Provide templates for partners to quickly personalize and use. - Partner directory featuring activated partners on your site. - CRM integration. 5. Ongoing engagement and community driven growth. - Hosting frequent digital updates (webinars) to showcase new features, success stories, and best practices. - Creating a slack/social community to allow for peer to peer engagement. - QBRs for priority partners. 6. Optimizing your tech stack. - Partner relationship managment software. -Learning Management System. - Automated demand generation.

Activation should be a clear milestone that indicates a partner is ready and motivated to drive revenue. The definition will depend on your business company, but in general, activation should be: 1. Measurable: tied to actions that show real engagement. 2. Time-Bound: ideally happening within the first 30-90 days. 3. Aligned with Revenue Generating Behavior: encouraging activities that lead to deals closed. Ways to define activation based on different partner models: Referral Partners: - First referral or lead submitted - First sale generated - Co-marketing campaign launched Technology/Integration Partners: - Integration completed and tested - First joint customer onboarded - Co-marketing campaign launched Common partner activation blockers: - Lack of clarify on next steps. - Lack of product knowledge. - No immediate incentive to engage. - Complicated deal registration process. - Lack of cross team/channel support. - Misaligned incentives.

Winning over top-tier SaaS partners requires a program that stands out with undeniable value, seamless collaboration, and a distinct competitive edge. 1. Unique Financial/Economic Benefits. - Offer a higher recurring revenue share with possibly a longer payout. - Tiered incentives. - Make your payouts fast and transparent. Are monthly payouts possible? - Spiffs/bonuses for expediting deal flow. 2. Superior enablement and support. - Frictionless onboarding and training. - Dedicated partner success team. - Personalized marketing and sales assets. 3. Exclusive access and VIP perks. - Early bird access to new features and functionality. - Partner only community and networking. - Access to APIs and opportunity for integrations. - Slack channels? Direct access to PM cell phone? Always engage with partners to understand what they value most and how competitor offerings stack up. Tailor your offerings accordingly.

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.

We at Opensend are fortunately in a unique position where we can offer our B2B product to our referring partners, at no charge, allowing us to immediately offer value at the start of any partnership. If you are able to replicate this in any type of way, I strongly suggest you do. That being said, here's some ways to ensure you are giving, to get: 1. Lead sharing: give partners quality leads or referrals. 2. Training: help partners get up to speed with product demos and guides. 3. Collateral: share ready-to-use pitch decks, case studies. 4. Exclusive access: offer early product access, higher rev share, or discounts for customers. 5. Marketing support: provide co-branded campaigns and promotions. 6. Technical support: offer direct access to support and resources. 7. Investment: support their initiatives. This actions will ensure partners feel supported and motivated to reciprocate.

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.

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

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.

1. Deepens Expertise and Confidence - Enhanced Knowledge: Partner training ensures that your partners have a comprehensive understanding of your products, services, and solutions. With this knowledge, they can engage with clients/prospects more confidently, answering questions and addressing concerns effectively. - Validated Expertise: Certification offers a formal recognition of a partner’s expertise. Certified partners are seen as trusted advisors, providing reassurance to clients and credibility to the partner. 2. Increases Sales Effectiveness - Sharpened Sales Skills: partners learn how to position your offerings more effectively, handle objections, and align the solution with client needs. This results in more productive sales conversations and improved close rates. - Faster Conversion: partners will be equipped with best practices and proven techniques to accelerate the sales cycle. Their deep product knowledge leads to quicker decisions and greater customer trust. 3. Drives Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty - Improved Client Support: partners can provide a higher level of service, guiding clients through both pre-sales and post-sales stages. This ensures smoother implementations, faster resolutions to issues, and better overall client experiences. - Stronger Long Term Relationships: when partners understand your product inside and out, they can help clients fully leverage your solutions, leading to stronger client retention. 4. Strengthens the Partnership - Building Trust: fosters a deeper relationship built on mutual trust. As partners gain expertise, they feel more confident in representing your brand and positioning your solution as the right choice for clients. Same goes for you introducing your clients to partners who can help them optimize your solution. - Long-Term Collaboration: creates a formal framework for success, helping both you and your partners set clear expectations and working together toward shared goals. This builds a more resilient and productive partnership. 5. Differentiates Partners in the Market - Competitive Advantage: partners stand out from the competition. With recognized credentials, they can showcase their expertise to clients, giving them a significant edge in crowded or competitive markets. 6. Keeps Partners Up to Date - Always Ahead of the Curve: ensures partners stay on top of the latest product updates, industry changes, and best practices. With this knowledge, they’re always ready to pivot and keep delivering the most relevant solutions to clients. - Growth at Every Step: keeps partners motivated, prepared, and equipped to handle whatever comes next. Continuous learning means they’re always ready to meet new challenges head-on, driving success both for themselves and for your clients.

Assessing the effectiveness of your partner enablement strategy is essential to ensure that your partners can successfully sell and support your product, while also achieving shared growth and success. 1. Partner engagement and activity: high attendance rates at training sessions and certification programs indicate that partners are invested in learning and improving their skills. Regular engagement with enablement resources shows that partners see value in the materials you’re providing. 2. Increased sales/revenue: one of the most direct indicators of success is the increase in sales generated through your partners. If partners are closing/helping you close more deals or driving you higher-value opportunities, it's a sign your enablement strategy is working. 3. Partner satisfaction: gathering regular feedback from your partners is crucial. If partners are satisfied with the training, support, and resources provided, it’s a good sign that your enablement strategy is on track. 4. Retention of priority partners: if top performing partners remain loyal and engaged, it's an indication that your enablement efforts are strong. 6. Higher conversion rates from leads: if partners are continuously driving ICP opportunities that convert at a high rate, it indicates they're effectively leveraging the sales enablement tools you’ve provided. 7. Successful collaborations: smooth client onboarding and adoption suggest your enablement program is effectively preparing partners to handle these phases. By tracking these key performance indicators (KPIs) and continually gathering feedback from your partners, you can assess whether your partner enablement strategy is successful.

To successfully go-to-market with service partners, here’s what you need to provide: 1. Onboarding training: clear training materials, an easy to follow onboarding guide, and certification programs to ensure they’re equipped for success. 2. Sales enablement: give partners the tools they need to confidently sell your solution (sales playbooks, pitch decks, and competitive insights). 3. Marketing collateral: offer co-branded assets, compelling case studies, and authentic customer testimonials that they can use to build credibility and engage prospects. 4. Partner Portal: create a resource hub with everything they need, including deal registration, support options, and more. 5. Incentive programs: motivate with clear, attractive commission structures and tiered rewards to fuel their drive. 6. Co marketing plans: set them up for success with joint marketing templates and lead-generation campaigns that align with your goals. 7. Customer success support: equip partners with optimization kits and defined escalation paths to ensure smooth customer journeys. By arming your service partners with these resources, you're setting them up for long-term success while creating a foundation for strong, effective partnerships.