SaaS Connect - SaaS Partnerships & SaaS Leaders

On this episode, Krish Ramineni, CEO at Fireflies.ai, gives his perspective on building product partnerships through integrations as a key growth driver for businesses.

There is great value in integrations for both existing customers and new users. Integrations should align with the customer's workflow, enhancing their experience and creating value. Integrations can act as a strategic moat, contributing to engagement, retention and monetization.

Practical strategies for leveraging integrations include partnering with established brands, engaging in co-marketing initiatives and tapping into the existing reseller ecosystems of product partners.

There are long-term benefits to integrating with partners, including early access to features and strategic product differentiation. Careful partner selection is critical, and it’s important to consider factors like ICP matching, customer overlap and the quality of APIs.

Resources mentioned:

Krish Ramineni⁠ -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishramineni/

Fireflies.ai | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireflies-inc/

Fireflies.ai | Website -

https://fireflies.ai/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Pravin Arokyaraj, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Zoho Corporation, shares his perspectives on navigating partnerships with competitors and collaborators alike.

Pravin believes in the power of cross-product partnerships. Partnerships in a multi-product landscape come with intriguing challenges. It’s vital, then, to foster alliances with competitors while also competing against them.

There are common obstacles that many will worry about, like the fear of cannibalizing customers, legal complexities, and hesitations from both internal and external stakeholders. Zoho tackles these challenges head-on, utilizing leadership commitments, collaboration mindsets and targeted processes.

Zoho’s secret recipe for success is the “compete yet collaborate” mindset, championed at every level of the company. The team’s underlying strategy is based on showcasing partner products to customers, thereby promoting mutual growth.

Building strategic partnerships with larger companies requires a long-term perspective. In the end, there is value in investing in these relationships and watching them blossom over time, creating mutual benefits and growth.

Resources mentioned:

Zoho

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Sudhir Nambiar, Co-Founder and CEO of xAmplify, talks about the prevailing discussions on effective partner programs and engagement strategies within the SaaS industry. With a rich background in partnerships, including owning a boutique analytics company, Sudhir understands the nuances partners face in their collaborative journeys.

Misalignments can arise between strategies companies employ and the realities that partners experience. A partner’s reduced activity often isn’t due to a lack of willingness but rather a disconnect in the approach.

The elusive art of revenue forecasting is behind some of the challenges companies face in accurately predicting revenue flows. Channel conflicts, while common, could significantly hinder the collaborative process if not managed adeptly.

Sudhir dives into the partner’s perspective on the deal registration process, emphasizing the delicate balance partners must strike between sales influence, customer qualification and coordination with direct sales representatives.

The partner’s journey is filled with complexities due to partner payouts and the trust dynamic between partners and companies. The intricacies of local geographical constraints and their influence on partnership dynamics added further complexity.

In the end, empowering partners through effective sales enablement creates a solid foundation that will address numerous challenges and drive collaborative growth.

Resources mentioned:

Sudhir Nambiar -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sudhir-nambiar-1846511/

xAmplify⁠ | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/xamplify/

xAmplify | Website -

https://xamplify.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, George Kyriakis, Sr. Director Business Development and Partnerships at FreshBooks, talks about his experience in partnership-based business development over the last seven years, a time spent learning from both successes and failures.

George emphasizes the importance of securing buy-in from executives for partnership strategies. His lessons in this area stem from past experiences, particularly when he faced resistance from an executive who didn't support his efforts in a previous role.

George is a big believer in maintaining focus, and he gives an example of how he streamlined FreshBooks’ payment partner list to improve leverage and collaboration. He’s found that having too few or too many partners can be a problem, and maintaining two or three strategic partnerships is generally optimal.

At one point, FreshBooks capitalized on an acquisition by a partner, demonstrating the importance of being agile and prepared to take advantage of unexpected events.

Looking ahead, George considers complementary partnerships and combining efforts between partners for more substantial outcomes. He also weighs the opportunities and threats in the evolving landscape, including economic concerns and shifts in market demand.

Resources mentioned:

George Kyriakis⁠ -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgekyriakis/

FreshBooks⁠ | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/freshbooks/

FreshBooks | Website -

https://www.freshbooks.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Bill Lipsin, Managing Partner at The Brody Group, explains the importance of aligning with leadership. He dives into the challenges of translating great ideas into successful executions.

Bill understands the familiar frustration of brilliant ideas that falter along the way. Creating a solid foundation for idea realization is important.

A comprehensive business plan is a must. An idea, no matter how ingenious, needs a robust plan to thrive. This entails adding depth and substance to the concept to enable seamless execution.

Actionable information and KPIs are critical. Relying on data is essential, but it's equally crucial to convert data into relevant, actionable information. Success hinges on stakeholder engagement, moving beyond participation to genuine entanglement. Ensuring all stakeholders are committed, feel ownership and share in the journey is vital for collaborative success.

The linchpin of success is effective communication. Consistent communication tailored to different audiences, keeping them engaged and motivated, is a key to success.

By following these principles, individuals and teams can overcome challenges, engage stakeholders and steer their ideas toward exceptional outcomes.

Resources mentioned: Bill Lipsin -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/billlipsin/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at ⁠https://ContentAllies.com⁠.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Nikunj Sanghvi, VP, Alliances and Business Development at Caspio, a leading low-code development platform for online database applications, talks about attracting partners to your program.

It’s critically important to start with an ideal partner profile, akin to an ideal customer profile, to identify partners that align with your objectives. It’s also vital to continually refine this profile based on interactions with potential partners.

The “good partners” category includes those already familiar with low-code / no-code platforms, fostering smoother conversations. In the “best partners” category, focus on vertical specialization and geographic expansion aligning with your goals. The “not a potential good partner” category encompasses red flags such as diverting leads to competitors or subpar project delivery.

Ecosystem tools can help form solid partnerships through shared customer connections. Nikunj incorporates research on LinkedIn and utilizes tools for efficient outreach and personalization.

Make it easy for partners to succeed by providing collateral, partner portals, certifications and a visible partner directory. Nikunj also highlights the role of marketplaces, co-marketing initiatives and webinars in driving partner and ecosystem growth.

Caspio transformed skepticism about partnerships into a valuable asset, with partners acting as an extension of the sales team and contributing to the company’s success.

Nikunj offers up actionable strategies for organizations seeking to cultivate strong and effective partner relationships.

Resources mentioned: Nikunj Sanghvi -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikunjsanghvi/

Caspio⁠ | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/caspio-inc/

Caspio | Website -

https://www.caspio.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Christine Li, VP of Partnerships and Enablement at G2, discusses the importance of reviews and social proof in the software industry. G2 is a platform that gathers social proof through customer reviews to help buyers make informed decisions.

G2 has a unique role in the marketplace ecosystem. They function as a marketplace themselves, as a vendor in other marketplaces (such as Salesforce AppExchange and AWS Marketplace), and as a syndication partner for marketplaces. Its syndication program helps amplify reviews and social proof for vendors across multiple marketplaces, making it easier for buyers to find valuable insights.

Christine shares three key takeaways from their syndication program: Firstly, B2B review collection is challenging, but G2 has invested in AI and human resources to ensure the authenticity and reliability of reviews.

Second, negative reviews are essential as they provide valuable insights and build trust with buyers. Responding to negative reviews professionally is crucial for addressing concerns.

Finally, offering syndicated reviews for free didn't yield desired results; monetizing the service helped drive partner prioritization.

The discussion highlights the significance of customer reviews and social proof in the B2B software industry, and how G2's approach to review collection and syndication benefits vendors and buyers alike.

Resources mentioned:

Christine Li⁠ -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinerli/

G2 | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/g2dotcom/

G2 | Website -

https://www.g2.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at ⁠https://ContentAllies.com⁠.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Stu Richards, CEO at Bredin, shares valuable insights on selling SaaS solutions to SMBs.

He and his team conducted a survey of SMBs focusing on the decision-making process regarding which SaaS solutions to purchase for their business. They discovered there is some variation depending on the size of the business.

Very small businesses (under 20 employees) rely mostly on articles and search to learn about products. These can be on your website, syndicated articles or blog posts.

There aren’t as many small businesses (20 to 99 employees) as very small businesses, but from a revenue standpoint, they’re significant in the SMB space. For these companies, search and the product section of your website are crucial during the research and purchase stages.

Mid-sized businesses (100 to 500 employees) prioritize articles, general news sites and research reports. Security is a top concern for bigger companies, so emphasizing it in your messaging is essential. Reliability, functionality and integration are also vital message points.

Resources mentioned:

Stu Richards⁠ -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sturichards/

Bredin⁠ | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bredin/

Bredin | Website -

http://www.bredin.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Sue Fernand, Sr. Director of Business Development and Alliances at 8x8, talks about building an ecosystem marketplace.

Taking inspiration from the trailblazing success of Salesforce, Sue outlines the fundamental principles and best practices for developing a thriving ecosystem. By carefully selecting partners whose products complement and enhance the core offering, businesses can create a cohesive ecosystem that truly addresses customer needs.

While navigating the intricacies of establishing an ecosystem, Sue advises starting with a lightweight and simple program. Avoiding complex integrations in the initial stages allows businesses to identify successful approaches and areas for improvement, paving the way for a more comprehensive ecosystem later on.

Sue also emphasizes the importance of nurturing a culture of collaboration within the ecosystem community. Encouraging partners to work together, especially when their solutions complement one another, can lead to mutually beneficial collaborations and bolster customer satisfaction.

There is immense potential for ecosystem marketplaces to drive innovation, enhance customer experiences and foster mutually beneficial partnerships. By implementing Sue’s practical advice and strategic insights, businesses can successfully navigate the ecosystem landscape and thrive in today’s interconnected business world.

Resources mentioned:

Sue Fernand -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/suefernand/

⁠8x8⁠ | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/8x8/

8x8 | Website -

https://www.8x8.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Matt Moore, Associate Manager of Product Marketing at impact.com, hosts a discussion on B2B affiliate marketing with guests Keemia Ferasat, Manager of Global Affiliate Marketing and Partnerships at Microsoft; Tye DeGrange, CEO at Round Barn Labs; and Zoe Mackay, Strategic Partnership Manager at Technology Advice.

They explore the differences between B2B and B2C affiliate marketing, how it fits into the revenue mix for publishers and the various types of publishers they work with. They discuss the importance of long-term partnerships, content-driven approaches and the growing influence of influencers and brand ambassadors in the B2B affiliate space.

The participants discuss the success metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for affiliate marketing in the B2B space. They highlight the importance of a full-funnel approach, including upper and lower funnel partners.

Publishers play a crucial role in driving brand awareness and educating potential customers, while lower funnel partners focus on driving conversions. Mixed compensation models, such as flat fees, reward different types of affiliates and acknowledge their contributions throughout the buyer's journey.

Building strong relationships with affiliates and using data-driven insights will continually optimize these programs. Starting a successful B2B affiliate marketing program takes time, patience and investment in measuring and analyzing KPIs to improve performance over time. 

Resources mentioned:

Matt Moore⁠ -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-moore-productmarketing/

Impact.com⁠ | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/impactdotcom/

Impact.com | Website -

https://impact.com/

Keemia Ferasat⁠ -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keemia/

Microsoft | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft/

Microsoft | Website -

https://www.microsoft.com/

Tye DeGrange -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyedegrange/

Round Barn Labs | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/round-barn-labs/

⁠Round Barn Labs⁠ | Website -

https://www.roundbarnlabs.com/

⁠Zoe Mackay -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoerosemackay/

Technology Advice | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/technologyadvice/

⁠Technology Advice⁠ | Website -

https://technologyadvice.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Sunir Shah, CEO at AppBind and President of Cloud Software Association, discusses high-impact partnerships and the importance of customer-centricity in partnerships. Rather than focusing on who owns the customer, it’s more crucial to understand who the customer is buying from.

It is critical to have clear positioning statements in partnerships, to ensure that both parties understand how they impact the other’s story and improve customer outcomes. Sunir highlights the importance of creating impactful partnerships that deliver value to the end customer.

He discusses the importance of understanding the customer lifecycle and aligning partnerships accordingly. He emphasizes that partnerships should focus on helping customers advance through their lifecycle and solve specific problems.

Sunir provides an example of a company’s successful agency program, where partners deliver value by addressing customer needs and enhancing the customer experience. He highlights the need for clear positioning statements and outlines four main types of partnerships: communications, service, tech and distribution.

It’s important to align key performance indicators (KPIs) with the underlying revenue teams’ and partners’ KPIs to ensure successful partnerships. This will increase the value of customer-centric partnerships and the importance of understanding partner needs to build successful collaboration.

Resources mentioned:

Sunir Shah -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunirshah/

AppBind | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/appbind/

AppBind | Website -

https://www.appbind.com/

Cloud Software Association | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloud-software-association/

Cloud Software Association | Website -

https://www.cloudsoftwareassociation.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Kenny Browne, Founder and CEO of Partner Fleet, gives a masterclass on building an ecosystem business model.

To boost revenue effectively, understanding customer ecosystems and collaborating with partners is crucial. These ecosystems are shaped by customer needs and their interactions with partners. Kenny advises businesses to join existing ecosystems, map customer behavior and prioritize ecosystem-led growth.

It's essential to recognize customer needs and choose ecosystems that match those requirements. Targeting the largest cluster of potential customers and utilizing partnerships to reach them efficiently is key. Kenny says that building an ecosystem strategy is an ongoing process. By gathering comprehensive information, you can avoid the trap of survivorship bias.

Focusing on post-sales ecosystem partners allows businesses to extend customer lifecycles, reduce churn, and explore new markets, leading to significant revenue impact. Kenny gives real-world examples to demonstrate the success of this approach, emphasizing the need for continuous analysis and adaptation in a dynamic market.

Customers play a defining role in the ecosystem, and businesses should engage with prospective customers beyond those who submit leads. Leveraging partnerships and influencers makes it easier to enter new markets and capitalize on your existing ones.

Resources mentioned:

Kenny Browne - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennybrowne/

Partner Fleet | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/partnerfleet/

Partner Fleet | Website - https://www.partnerfleet.io/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

⁠Kelsey Gernert Aina, Principal Head of Startup Growth and Partnerships-Americas at HubSpot, joins this episode to talk about the startup partnership program at HubSpot.

The program offers exclusive discounts to startups through channel partners like venture capital firms, accelerators and incubators. The goal is to provide startups with access to a mature tech stack at an affordable price while the partners benefit from a continuous stream of ecosystem-qualified leads.

Kelsey outlines six reasons companies should consider launching a startup partnership program. These reasons include enabling faster scaling, accessing the startup market with fewer barriers, increasing product loyalty, enhancing brand awareness, breaking into new markets and potential strategic investments and acquisitions.

Kelsey explains how to determine if a startup partnership program is the right fit for a company, considering factors such as whether startups are a core user group, if the product supports key moments in a startup's evolution, and if the company follows a product lead growth strategy.

It’s important to involve internal stakeholders early on and gain their buy-in to ensure successful program implementation. Kelsey highlights the need to build trust with sales teams and align the program with their KPIs to secure support.

Resources mentioned:

⁠⁠Kelsey Gernert Aina -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseyaina/

HubSpot | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubspot/

HubSpot | Website - https://www.hubspot.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Rachel Collie, Director, Technology Partnerships and App Marketplace at Unanet, hosts a MasterClass on the ABCs of technology partner management. She emphasized the importance of repeatable enablement processes to scale their program. She shared her extensive experience in managing technology partner programs and highlighted the value of partnerships in finding innovative solutions for customers.

Rachel identified three significant challenges in their partner program: lack of partner visibility, inability to scale the program using manual tools like OneNote and spreadsheets, and a lack of executive buy-in.

Monday.com was the right choice for their team, considering factors like existing internal usage, read-only licensing, task assignment capabilities, integrations with other tools like Slack, and reporting features. The adoption of monday.com varied among partners, with more active usage reflected by new partners compared to established ones.

Rachel digs into how she uses monday.com and emphasizes that it is the right tool for her specific challenges and needs. Others may find different tools that are more appropriate for their particular situation.

Resources mentioned:

Rachel Collie - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelcollie/

Unanet | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/unanet-technologies/

Unanet | Website - https://unanet.com/

Monday.com - https://monday.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at ⁠https://ContentAllies.com⁠.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Sue Fernand, Sr. Director of Business Development and Alliances at 8x8, and Ashi Aber, Head of Technology Partnerships at Gong, host a roundtable discussion to talk about tech integration marketplaces and building out an ecosystem with all key business partners.

Ashi talks about opening up APIs so their customers can get more value out of them beyond just revenue, including marketing and product engineering purposes. If customers have more integrations, it naturally creates more stickiness and customer satisfaction.

The roundtable discussion touches on consumption-based models, the struggles and challenges involved in managing partnerships and the different ways people think about building marketplaces.

The group gets into a spirited conversation about metrics and how companies measure the profitability of their features. It’s a tricky subject, and even large companies sometimes struggle with it.

The group wraps up with a discussion on the magic number of integrations needed to achieve maximum stickiness and customer satisfaction.

Resources mentioned:

Sue Fernand - https://www.linkedin.com/in/suefernand/

Ashi Aber - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashi-aber-923341108/

8x8 | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/8x8/

8X8 | Website - https://www.8x8.com/products

Gong | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/gong-io/

Gong Collective | Website - https://www.gong.io/
Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Rob Spee, SVP, Global Channel and Alliances at BeyondTrust, a worldwide leader in privileged access management, is joined by Lana King, who was most recently Vice President, Partner Programs, Training and Enablement at Mitel. The discussion centers on partner strategy, partner experience and customer experience.

Lana recently took some time off and brings a fresh perspective to the conversation. She is digging deep into the current state of the industry as she looks for her next opportunity. She has spoken with many leaders about developing a partner strategy, which she and Rob agree is more than just expecting more sales.

Many companies are embracing the partner experience discussion, which is sometimes blended with customer experience. The treatment a partner experiences in a relationship has a direct impact on the customer experience. This means measuring the partner experience is critical for success. 

Lana says that it is essential to do a partner journey map in a similar way a company would do a customer journey map in order to have the strongest possible partner relationship. This involves determining what can be measured and analyzing those measurements to create the best experience for partners and customers.

Resources Mentioned:

Rob Spee -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertspee/

BeyondTrust | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondtrust/

BeyondTrust | Website -

https://www.beyondtrust.com/

Lana King -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanaking1/

Mitel | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mitel/

Mitel | Website -

https://www.mitel.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Kelly Sarabyn and Desmond Russell join us to discuss the partner journey and experience. Kelly is the Platform Ecosystem Advocate at HubSpot, a company that develops software products for inbound marketing, sales, and customer service. Desmond is Chief Partnership Officer at Partner Elevate, an enablement platform to help businesses grow more investible partnerships.

Desmond explains the difference between partner experience vs. partner journey. The conversation centers on how to think about the customer experience as applied to the partner experience. For example, in the customer experience, you put the customer at the center. Everything else revolves around that. But when we think about the partner experience, SaaS doesn’t typically put the partner at the center.

In addition, an important component of building trust and having a positive partner experience is making sure you understand your partners. Desmond shares the best ways for partner organizations to do that, especially ones who are somewhat strapped for resources.

He says that only 30% of the 1300 partners who have been through their programs actually make a profit. He goes on to explain how to deal with the leftover 70% and how to reactivate dormant partners.

Organizations that use partner technology drive more revenue from their partners, and Desmond describes the role of technology in facilitating the partner experience and partner journey.

Resources mentioned:

• Kelly Sarabyn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-sarabyn/
• Desmond Russell - https://www.linkedin.com/in/desrussell/
• Hubspot - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubspot/
• Partner Elevate - https://www.linkedin.com/company/partner-elevate/
• Reveal - https://reveal.co/
• Crossbeam - https://www.crossbeam.com/

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Mark Brigman, CEO at PARTNERNOMICS, and Brian Hattaway, Founder & Innovation Leader at IOLITE Solutions and Owner of ProCore Resource Group, discuss growing partnerships through integrations and building efficient partnership management systems to increase revenue.

The discussion centers on reference architecture (what’s needed to make partnerships work), partnering systems and concepts around the theory of partnerships.

Mark and Brian go into detail about which systems should be the anchor point for partnership data and why. They also talk about the problem of CRMs not being built for partnership management, and why they don’t work for partnership management when used out of the box.

They dig under the API hood and discuss third-party tools which aren't capable of providing the nuanced information needed to efficiently manage integrations — essentially, it becomes a data modeling question: “Do we have the right data that we can exchange between these partners?”

Mark and Brian chat about the difference between unidirectional and bidirectional APIs, and the advantage of bidirectional footing.

Mark Brigman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbrigman/

PARTNERNOMICS - https://www.linkedin.com/company/partnernomics/

Brian Hattaway - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-hattaway-7850761/

IOLITE Solutions - https://www.linkedin.com/company/iolite-solutions/

ProCore Resource Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/procore-resource-group/ Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Cody Sunkel, Co-Founder & VP of Growth at Partner Fleet — a platform that powers partner marketplaces — and Katy Spalding, Product Manager, Developer Platform and Ecosystem at Clari — a revenue platform that improves efficiency, predictability and growth — talk about building an app marketplace.

This is a pertinent discussion because integrations are fast becoming one of the top buyer considerations. In fact, a company’s marketplace is often one of the top three most visited web assets.

Cody and Katy speak about why ecosystems matter, how to build an app marketplace and the three phases of building ecosystems on top of open platforms. They also discuss why it’s worth it for companies to build an ecosystem and then consequentially an app marketplace.

Other topics covered are: getting buy-in, tactics for building a marketplace, the right time to platform, technical prerequisites and business considerations, best practices for building a marketplace, marketing your marketplace and managing partnerships.

Cody Sunkel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-sunkel/ Partner Fleet - https://www.linkedin.com/company/partnerfleet/

Katy Spalding - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-spalding-81497191/ Clari - https://www.linkedin.com/company/clari/

Resources mentioned:

Snowflake - https://www.snowflake.com/en/ Gainsight - https://www.gainsight.com/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Andrew Porter, Principal — Alliances & Ecosystems at Pariveda, and Sophie Zugnoni, Senior Director — Cloud Sales at Hazelcast, talk about tips and strategies for partnering with cloud providers.

Pariveda is a consulting firm that solves complex technology and business problems, while Hazelcast is a real-time stream processing platform for building applications for taking action on data immediately.

The discussion focuses on the three partnership angles, co-selling with an ISV, cloud marketplaces, which roles should work with partners, integrations from a SaaS perspective, co-marketing and metrics for measuring how effective co-marketing is, standing out from competitors, and executive alignment.

Andrew Porter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewsporter/

Sophie Zugnoni - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiezugnoni/


Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.



#cloud #saas #software

On this episode, Dannielle Sakher, Executive Member at Cloud Software Association – a SaaS partnership network – and former Team Leader of Partner Management at Zapier – a platform that connects web apps for small businesses – shares how she created intentional wow partner experiences at every tier on the 4,000+ Zapier partners program.

Dannielle explains the challenges she first encountered and how she turned them into positive wow experiences for partners.

Setting up intentional ‘celebrations’ created moments of positivity and engagement. Instead of partners encountering frustration and feelings of lack of trust during delays, they were instead turned into raving fans.

She explains the three major themes of her ‘Celebration Playbook’, and what the wins and rewards look like in reality.

Dannielle Sakher - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danniellesakher/

Cloud Software Association - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloud-software-association/

Resources mentioned:

Text Expander - https://textexpander.com/

Slack - https://slack.com/

Teams - https://www.microsoft.com/en-za/microsoft-teams/log-in

Sendoso - https://sendoso.com/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.


Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.



#saas #cloud #software

On this episode, Nicolas Grenié, Developer Advocate at Typeform.com — a company that specializes in online form building and surveys — speaks about the Developer as a customer persona, and how they should be viewed by SaaS businesses.

For example, for certain SaaS companies, such as Twilio, Developers — including no-coders — are the main audience. It pays to put someone in charge of Developer relations in order to build better partnerships.

Nicolas demonstrates how Typeform delivers the Developer experience and the benefits that come with that.

He discusses how SaaS companies can bring value to the relationship through the Developer experience, API features, building a gold standard, thinking of the platform as a product, and viewing Developers as customers, and the ecosystem as a long-term plan.

Resources mentioned:

Notion - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=notion.id&hl=en_ZA&gl=US

Ask Your Developer by Jeff Lawson | Book - https://www.amazon.com/Ask-Your-Developer-Software-Developers/dp/0063018292

The Business Value of Developer Relations | Book - https://www.amazon.com/Business-Value-Developer-Relations-Communities/dp/1484237471

Devrelcon - https://developerrelations.com/devrelcon

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.



#cloud #saas #software

On this episode, Ryan Lunka, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Blended Edge, and Cody Sunkel, Co-Founder and VP of Growth at Partner Fleet, discuss setting up the user experience to drive success in integration programs.

Blended Edge is a platform that helps SaaS companies set up integrations faster, and Partner Fleet makes it easy for SaaS companies to go to market with partners and drive adoption of integrations and partner services.

The No. 1 reason for churn today is non-existent integrations, and Ryan and Cody offer valuable and practical advice that will help you drive major value for customers and the sales and marketing areas of your business.

The ultimate goal is to minimize any friction for customers so as to avoid low conversion rates and churn.

Ryan Lunka - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlunka/

Blended Edge - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blendededge/

Cody Sunkel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-sunkel/

Partner Fleet - https://www.linkedin.com/company/partnerfleet/

Resources mentioned:

• Blended Edge blog post
  
  
  

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.



#cloud #saas #software

On this episode, Patrick Cleary – Director of Strategic Partnerships, US at Wayflyer – a financing provider for e-commerce companies – shares how Wayflyer developed the partnerships team and won deals with companies who had been around a lot longer.

Today, just two years after launch, Wayflyer gives out $150 million on a monthly basis and boasts over 500 employees.

Patrick describes how the partnerships team started and how everything they do is focused on

One year after Wayflyer launched, they received a message over LinkedIn from Adobe. This goes to show how strong their brand and partnerships had grown in such a short time.

Getting in front of the partner teams, showing them how they treat their customers and how they provide value to them, was really what helped Wayflyer win the big deals.

Patrick Cleary - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-cleary-903b16105/

Wayflyer - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayflyer/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #cloud #software

On this episode, Walla Oriqat – Director at Talkdesk AppConnect*  – shares the AppConnect partnership strategy, lessons learned and secrets of the past, present and future.

The AppConnect marketplace allows Talkdesk customer center customers and sellers to connect apps with Talkdesk.

Walla explains the 4 Ps of the AppConnect strategy core values, which are people, process, product and pipeline.

She delves into each of these in more detail and shares challenges and examples of how they embody these values, including what these values looked like in the past, what they look like today, and what the company is planning for the future.

Walla Oriqat - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wallaoriqat/

Talkdesk - https://www.linkedin.com/company/talkdesk/

Resources mentioned:

The Ideal Team Player - https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Team-Player-Recognize-Leadership/dp/153186385X

Crossbeam - https://www.crossbeam.com/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

*Since recording the interview, Walla Oriqat has moved to Wind River where she is the Director of Marketplace Partnerships.

#saas #cloud #software

On this episode, Alex Glenn, CEO at Partnerhub, and Sunir Shah, CEO at AppBind, discuss the keys to successful agency partnerships in 2023.

Partnerhub is a purpose-built platform for digital agencies and tech solutions to find one another and grow together.

AppBind is a subscription manager to set up clients without the hassle or expenses.

Marketing dominates the conversation. The top pain points addressed include not being able to fill the pipeline, activating dormant partners and avoiding the partner “friend zone”, practical methods of building pipelines for an outbound and inbound strategy, as well as strategies to identify shadow channel partners and incentivizing sales teams.

The discussion offers practical insights, such as providing great service to agencies and what that really means.

You’ll exit the discussion with tangible ideas, no matter the size of your business.

Alex Glenn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-glenn/

Partnerhub - https://www.linkedin.com/company/partnerhub-app/

Sunir Shah - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunirshah/

AppBind - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunirshah/

Resources mentioned:

Treble.ai - https://www.treble.ai/

AB Tasty - https://www.abtasty.com/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.



#cloud #software #saas

On this episode, Nick Valluri, Head of Partnerships at Coda* — a collaborative all-in-one doc platform — shares how he came to switch his three tech partnership philosophies when working at Coda.

His first philosophy brought to trial was that you have to build momentum and a business case and have a ton of developers before you hire a team.

The second philosophy was that you need really big-name partners to make a launch splash.

The third philosophy was that you should measure success by the number of participants in an ecosystem, the number of integrations, the number of partners, and so on.

Nick explains the lessons he learned and how they changed these three previous beliefs.

Nick Valluri - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickvalluri/

Resources mentioned:

Product Hunt - https://www.producthunt.com/

MaiChimp Developer Fund - https://mailchimp.com/developer/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

*Since recording the interview, Nick Valluri has moved to Dropbox where he is the Director of Strategic Partnerships



#saas #cloud #software

On this episode, Samrah Khan, Global Head of Industry Technology & Data Partners at Google, explains how to win with Google in a partnership scenario.

Google partners either co-market, co-innovate or co-sell, and they can also leverage Google’s sister companies.

When you would like to partner with Google, it’s important to understand the culture, and Samrah explains their core culture elements, which include talent, strategy, structure, environment and innovation. It is these core drivers that lead to producing innovative solutions.

As far as partnering goes, Google always focuses on the user that's going to utilize that particular solution and they also consider how the solution (including partnerships) will scale to 10X.

The partners that are most successful with Google are those that leverage Google’s culture of innovation, take a transformational approach, have a narrow focus and come with a firm business plan.

Samrah explains the framework they use to drive joint success with partners and shares the fully or partially-funded opportunities to partner with Google.

Samrah Khan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samrah-khan-34b6364/

Google - https://www.linkedin.com/company/google/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #cloud #software

On this episode, Neeti Gupta, Head of Hyperscaler Business Development and Alliances (Microsoft) at VMware — a cloud computing and virtualization technology company that runs on Microsoft Windows, Linux and macOS — shares partnering secrets about approaching and navigating the 300,000-employee conglomerate that is Microsoft.

In summary, she advises that before approaching Microsoft, you must have clarity in your own purpose and start by speaking to your own network to find the right employees. Your aim should be to find out who at Microsoft has commitments that align with your goals because the value proposition of the partnership is key.

You won’t get anywhere if you think that all it takes is a quick phone call or two. To win with Microsoft, as it is such a huge company, requires structured follow-ups and persistence in systematically pursuing the right employees.

Neeti says, “With Microsoft, you have to follow the system to navigate the system. Help other people and they’ll help you.”


Neeti Gupta - https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetigupta/

VMware - https://www.linkedin.com/company/vmware/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.



#saas #cloud #software

On this episode, Francois Grenier, Head of Platform Partnerships at Laika — an all-in-one compliance solution — speaks about the real value of tech partnerships from the viewpoint of two very different companies he used to work for: Typeform and Sendoso.

Typeform is an online form-building and surveys platform while Sendoso is an internet gifting platform.

For Typeform, the value of tech partnerships came from integrations that gave their customers what they wanted; the joint positioning that facilitated the decision to buy; the confidence customers got knowing that the platform would play nicely in their stack; and the insights they received from usage data.

In comparison, Sendoso’s partnership approach was for the purpose of influence, which was accomplished with strong co-marketing, developing a proven co-sales playbook and influence tracking.

Francois shares the lessons learned about partnership programs at both Typeform and Sendoso.

Resources mentioned:

Francois Grenier - https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoisgrenier/

Laika - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heylaika/

HubSpot - https://www.hubspot.com/

Salesforce - https://www.salesforce.com/eu/

Zapier - https://zapier.com/

Crossbeam - https://www.crossbeam.com/

Reveal - https://www.reveal.co/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.



#saas #cloud #software

On this episode, Bernhard Friedrichs, Founder of PartnerXperience and Rob Rebholz, Co-Founder and CEO at Superglue, speak about succeeding in the European partner ecosystem.

PartnerXperience helps B2B SaaS businesses unlock the power of partnerships. Its founder, Berhard Friedrichs, has spent the last 15 years building partnerships globally.

Superglue is a partner engagement platform. The co-founder, Rob Rebholz, has built and scaled MarTech companies, and now drives over 70% of revenue via partners.

The discussion centers on the primary differences between partnering in Europe vs. the US.

Europe consists of 27 countries and cultures, and as such, Bernhard and Rob discuss the challenges involved. They address topics such as opportunities, misconceptions, legal regulations, identification of local champions, onboarding partners and building loyalty in a European environment, as well as entry point strategies.

Says Rob: “Partnering opportunities in Europe are massive, if you do it right.”

Resources mentioned:

Salesforce - https://www.salesforce.com/eu/?ir=1

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.



#saas #cloud #software

On this episode, James Huang, SVP Alliances at Copado — a low-code platform that helps companies deploy Salesforce faster — explains how the company has effectively strategically partnered with Salesforce. James provides insights about how other companies can do the same.

Copado experienced explosive growth by partnering with Salesforce. Three years ago it had 30 employees and this year it ended with 700.

James explains the keys to success when partnering with Salesforce:

Firstly, the product must work and solve a problem. Once that’s done, some things can be done for quick wins, such as focusing on a few key verticals and creating a very simplified message that sales reps can understand. Be very clear on the pain point you are solving and how it differentiates in the market.

James Huang - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-huang-18343a/

Copado - https://www.linkedin.com/company/copadosolutions/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.



#saas #cloud #software

On this episode, Lauren Salanitro, Co-Founder of Women of Customer Success, and Partnerships Lead at Vanta, an organization that helps companies achieve compliance quickly and easily, talks about laying the foundations of a partnership program.  She also expands on identifying strategic partners, the important questions to ask when vetting partners and measuring the effectiveness of strategic partners.

Lauren offers advice for SaaS businesses wanting to start a partner program. She recommends the following for the foundational stage: a deep understanding of their niche, laying out the lifecycle of customers, identifying when a customer needs their solution and determining partner categories.

She elaborates on identifying the first strategic partners and provides a partner discovery question formula, sharing how Vanta vets strategic partners.

Lauren explains the metrics that matter and talks about what has really worked for them, treating partners like customers and how to do it.

Lauren Salanitro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-salanitro-4a7aa99a

Vanta - https://www.linkedin.com/company/vanta-security/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.



#cloud #software #saas

On this episode, Charles Yang, Senior Director of Product Management at ScreenMeet, and Tehsin Daya, Head Of Partnerships at Groove, share their journeys with Salesforce, the leading CRM platform, and how their partner program AppExchange accelerated their kickstart.

AppExchange is an enterprise cloud marketplace with more than 7000 apps and certified consulting organizations that work with Salesforce.

Charles and Tehsin speak about how they got started with Salesforce, how AppExchange accelerates the journey, and they both offer suggestions for those considering their own path with Salesforce.

They discuss the main outcomes of the program, which are essentially networking, good connections and co-marketing.

For those wanting to get started on AppExchange, Tehsin says, “First understand Salesforce and their strategy, then align within that strategy in a way that makes sense to you.”

Charles Yang - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckyang/

ScreenMeet - https://www.linkedin.com/company/screenmeet/

Tehsin Daya - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdaya/

Groove - https://www.linkedin.com/company/groove.co/

Resources mentioned:

Qualified - https://www.qualified.com/

Test Drive widget on AppExchange - https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxContentListingDetail?listingId=a0N3u00000PtX4aEAF

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #cloud #software

On this episode, Tarik Dwiek, Head of Technology Alliances at Snowflake — a single, global platform that powers the data cloud — speaks about lessons learned building their ecosystem from scratch.

The mission was to make partners successful and create mutually beneficial relationships.

Tarik says that from an ISV perspective, it all starts with an amazing product innovation, and the first step is solid product integration.

The team began documenting their requirements, and what they could give partners who met those requirements.

Tarik goes over the steps they took, the major lessons learned and explains how the business does things today, having built from seven alliances to 113 partners today.

Tarik Dwiek - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarikdwiek/

Snowflake - https://www.linkedin.com/company/snowflake-computing

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#cloud #saas #software

On this episode, Maria Pergolino, Chief Marketing Officer at ActiveCampaign, speaks about finding differentiation and what ActiveCampaign did to create a difference in the market.

ActiveCampaign’s SaaS platform is a CRM and customer experience automation platform. The platform was launched in 2016 and boasts more than 150,000 customers, with an ARR of $200 million.

Maria explains what she means by differentiation and says that it is not your typical start or approach with things like sales and marketing. ActiveCampaign built-in differentiation from the beginning with ten keys for hypergrowth and success.

She says, “We created that customer experience in places where others weren't, which gave us this viral motion and allowed people to spread the word.”

Maria Pergolino - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariapergolino/

ActiveCampaign - https://www.linkedin.com/company/activecampaign-inc-/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#cloud #software #saas

On this episode, Amy Gorman, Vice President ISV Sales at Salesforce, shares her journey at Salesforce starting in 2004 and the lessons she’s learned.

Salesforce provides CRM software and applications with a focus on customer service, marketing automation, analytics and app development.

When Amy began at Salesforce, there were 500 employees. She says, “It was a really exciting time to be part of this innovative but very scrappy company.”

Today, of course, Salesforce is a 78,000-strong global company, known as the world’s No. 1 CRM.

Amy explains how the company’s core values helped guide them through a lot of changes and how they are still guided by their core values of trust — which leads to customer success — sustainability and innovation — which is fed by equality.

Resources mentioned:

Ron Huddleston- https://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/pioneering-former-salesforce-microsoft-channel-exec-ron-huddleston-dies

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Amelia Kirby, Global Head of Technology Platform Partnerships, Work Products at Meta, speaks about the three key learnings building Meta’s first Workplace partner program.

Workplace is Meta’s SaaS enterprise technology for organizational communication.

Amelia describes the challenges of their first partner ecosystem, sharing key lessons to help others build a partner ecosystem for the first time.

She outlines the decision-making framework that helped her team evaluate opportunities for investment.

Amelia demonstrates what version one of their program looked like, saying, “We thought we had successfully launched but realized we'd built something that didn't really benefit our partners as much as it benefited us.”

She explains what they added and adjusted, how they structured it, what version two of their partner program looked like, as well as the end results and plans for the future.

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#saas #software #cloud

On this episode, Alex Glenn, CEO at Partnerhub, a platform for digital agencies and tech solutions, talks about whether partner commissions attract and retain digital agency partners.

Alex provides sources of information to answer the question of whether digital agencies are attracted or retained by commissions. A poll on LinkedIn found that 75% of agencies said they would still refer if the partner stopped paying commission.

Because the data and feedback reveal that agencies are not motivated by commission, Alex offers advice on how the commission could be repurposed to create a better program.

Towards the end of the episode, he gives some hard truths about channel, including the fact that commission is not a factor in a digital agency's decision to send clients to your product. Marketing and product have more to do with partnership success than the partnerships team. If your CEO does not believe the company is reliant on partnerships to be a category leader, you probably won't succeed in partnerships.

Teaser: … “Yes, you have a B2B relationship with a company that is contractual, but when you're partnering, you are dealing with a person.” - Alex Glenn

Resources mentioned:

Airtable - https://www.airtable.com/

Databox - https://databox.com/

Webflow - https://webflow.com/

Smith.ai - https://smith.ai/

HubSpot - https://www.hubspot.com/ 

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

#cloud #software #saas

On this episode, Amit Sinha, President at WorkSpan — a platform for automating and scaling co-selling businesses — talks about getting ecosystems to sell together.

Amit starts by explaining that organizations that lack internal structures, mechanisms and policies to govern their ecosystem involvement can easily fail. He outlines the challenges surrounding business ecosystems, such as using risky tools (e.g., spreadsheets, emails and presentations), disjointed processes, inconsistent data as well as culture and mindset.

Amit discusses the ecosystem operating model and adopting the flywheel by co-selling and investing to serve customer needs, co-innovating in order to develop and refine partnering offerings, co-marketing in order to share resources and reach in order to identify and create markets together.

He displays the results WorkSpan achieved by adopting this model, including $47 billion in the pipeline through its network last year alone.

Amit characterizes the key capabilities required for ecosystem management, such as processes, data hubs, access control, intelligence and multi-party ecosystems. And he details the six ecosystem best practices and trends.

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#saas #cloud #software

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

On this episode, Sunir Shah, President of Cloud Software Association, speaks about upcoming plans and events by Cloud Software Association, a SaaS partnership network. Sunir is also CEO at AppBind, a platform that solves the tricky problem of how partner resellers can buy SaaS and bill it to their clients.

The Association plans to build a single place where people can gain knowledge about tech partnerships and find answers to important questions on the topic. They will also be working with other important voices such as Jarred Fuller, Bader Haberman, Peter Lai and Rob Spee.

Members can also expect more networking, both digitally and in person. Sunir advises what to expect with upcoming events and provides resources for those interested.

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#saas #cloud #software

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

On this episode, Alexis Petrichos, Director, Technology Ecosystem at Chili Piper, an inbound lead conversion and scheduling app, shares the partnership experience as a showcase of the actual initiatives between Chili Piper and their first partner, Clearbit.

The goal was to find and build a relationship with their first successful partner and then replicate the “formula” to build a successful department.

Alexis provides the background of both companies, and how they fit together in a partnership.

He goes on to explain how the key to converting a partnership to an established bi-directional revenue flow was the cross-departmental approach, and the initiatives and results for each team. For example, the SDR team booked five meetings in the first week of testing out the cadence.

Overall, their first partnership - with Clearbit - in Q1 resulted in more than $100,000 in the pipeline with closed-won deals of $50,000.

Finally, Alexis circles back to the ultimate goal of the showcase: replicating the “formula”.

Resources mentioned:

- Crossbeam - https://www.crossbeam.com/

- Cloud Software Association - https://www.cloudsoftwareassociation.com/

- Salesforce - https://www.salesforce.com/eu/

- Gong - https://www.gong.io/

- Cosmic - https://cosmictechnologies.net/

- Meta - https://about.meta.com/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#cloud #saas #software

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

On this episode, Allan Knabe, CEO and Co-Founder at apiable.io, and Michael Leppitsch, Head of Data Strategies and Alliances at Ascend.io, discuss fueling API ecosystems with data products for monetization.

Apiable.io allows the building of an API developer portal in less than an hour and Ascend.io is a data automation cloud that speeds up workloads 10x faster than ever before.​

The conversation starts with a definition of data products and Michael explains that Ascend.io builds datasets that are delivered to customers and users through APIs. Data products together with the API create a way of reaching the customer.

Allan likens an API ecosystem to a digital supply chain.

Allan and Michael explain how companies build data products and ecosystems and how to get started:

In essence, you need to speak to potential customers to find out what pains they're having and loop that back to data you have and whether that data can solve that specific problem.

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#cloud #software #saas

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

On this episode, Rachel Collie, Director, Technology Partnerships and App Marketplace at Unanet, speaks about how reporting structures can blur strategy and how changing them up has the potential to benefit the whole ecosystem.

Unanet’s ERP and CRM technologies drive bottom-line growth by connecting their client’s projects, people and financials with greater efficiency and improved decision-making.

The company’s biggest question was, “How do we recruit partners without recruiting partners?"

To address this question, they needed a technology partners evaluation strategy, which became getting customers to adopt more functionality via technology partners.

Unanet’s new organizational chart is based on the tech partners’ value to the customer and Rachel has moved from Sales into Product, now reporting to the Chief Product Officer. The improved structure means she now sits with the decision-makers that impact the ecosystem.

Moving from Sales to Product enabled her to be a much better advocate for partners.

Rachel also discusses the company’s next goals.

Resources Mentioned:

Crossbeam - https://www.crossbeam.com/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#cloud #saas #software

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

On this episode, Swaroop Kolli, Founder & CEO of Pronto, shares lessons learned from a career in Business Development Partnerships and then becoming Founder of Pronto, a platform that was birthed from the pain points of BDP.

Swaroop reveals the challenges of working in Business Development Partnerships, such as tracking via spreadsheets, sharing pipeline data without sharing a system of record, launching joint solutions and accelerating GTM, internal and external alignment, measuring and reporting and repeatability.

Interviewing and brainstorming with 300+ subject matter experts provided options to resolve the challenges but also brought cons.

It was this which led to the birth of Pronto.

Swaroop shares the lessons learned:

1. Take an outside-inside-out approach.

2. Organizational support and alignment are key.

3. Start small then scale.

4. Socialize internally.

5. Incentivize and enable sellers.

6. Measure, measure, measure.

7. Be human and build meaningful relationships.

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#saas #software #cloud

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

On this episode, Bob Moore, Co-Founder and CEO at Crossbeam, a partner ecosystem platform that helps companies build more valuable partnerships, talks about what's really happening with the data that's coming out of the emerging class of software products.

The presentation centers on the modern SaaS innovation cycle:

Step 1: New technology is developed, which leads to Step 2: New data comes out of the new technology, which results in Step 3: New product integrations.

Bob explains the latest dimensions of context and action: traditionally, your CRM silo vs. the new ecosystem CRM, shared pipeline, real-time updates, partner attribution and actionable insights.

He explains how new ecosystems are born. New data for new technologies breeds a new ecosystem and the most important ecosystem of all: the meta-ecosystem. It is made up of all the tools used by partner teams and those they support.

The data is as complex as the opportunity is vast. Bob explains how to solve the problem by hiring experts who can wrangle these systems and drive productive outputs.

This is where partner ops come in. They ultimately make partner data useful, actionable and scalable. They put the data and the playbooks it enables in the hands of the right people, in the right places, at the right times.

Resources Mentioned:

Stitch - https://stitch.money/

Looker - https://www.looker.com/

Google BigQuery - https://cloud.google.com/bigquery

Salesforce - https://www.salesforce.com/eu/

Sigma - https://sigmaconnected.com/za/

Fivetran - https://www.fivetran.com/

PartnerPortal.io - https://www.partnerportal.io/

Terminus - https://terminus.com/

Slack - https://slack.com/

Partnered - https://partnered.com/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#saas #software #cloud

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

On this episode, Steve Stewart, Head of Global Channels at Smartsheet — a project and work management and collaboration platform — speaks about how Smartsheet went about building their SaaS partner program journey.

When they first started fleshing it out, they only had resell partners. Today they invest in high-value-add solution partners.

Smartsheet boasts 185 professional services partners with YOY growth of 284%.

They have grown this type of partner in a big way because not only is it core to the value proposition but also core to having a fantastic ecosystem of services delivery for both the company and the partner community.

Step number one was asking the right questions and interviewing a lot of partners and then defining what it is they wanted from their partners.

Steve explains the Smartsheet partner strategy and partner types and goes through their ideal partner profile and how their channel OKRs align with strategy.

He also discusses the Smartsheet partner ecosystem with best-in-class partner support, new partner learning pathways and selling channel value-add internally.

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#saas #software #cloud

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

On this episode, Eric Chan, Head of Global Partnerships at Chargebee, talks about how the company matured their partner program between 2019 and 2022.

Chargebee was launched in 2011 and the partnerships team was created in 2019. However, because most of the partnerships were due to integrations they were passive and not operationalized.

The first step to partnership maturity was to understand what partners wanted.

The next was to define what kind of partners they had and understand where they wanted to go with the program.

Eric outlines the necessary steps to building a mature partner program and goes on to discuss the importance of a management operating rhythm. He explains how to identify inefficiencies and why it’s important to have rules of engagement. He also expands upon why it’s critical to regularly update processes and procedures.

Finally, Eric talks about leveraging your influence and creating a culture of celebration to get people excited about working with you.

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#saas #software #cloud

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

On this episode, John McCabe, VP of Worldwide Channel Sales at SafeGuard Cyber, talks about building a 100% channel sales program in SaaS.

SafeGuard Cyber is a platform that protects business communications through NLU (Natural Language Understanding) for cross-channel protection.

John has scaled four companies, helping them move to become 100% channel sales organizations. He shares how the moves increased the pipeline by 200% and reduced sales cycles.

Included in the conversation is what to expect as you move to 100% channel. For example, it’s important that executives see the value in it and the sales team should be open to it. The technology should also be easy to understand and embrace by partners so they can sell more.

John also discusses how to secure executive sponsorship to move an organization to 100% channel led, finding and attracting channel partners and whether the 100% channel business still requires a marketing and sales team.

Resources mentioned:

Pronto - https://www.gopronto.io/

SuperGlue - https://ccctechcenter.org/projects/project-glue

Crossbeam - https://www.crossbeam.com/

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#saas #software #cloud

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.

On this episode, Gloria Castillo, Sr. Manager, Partner Programs at Loopio, discusses how Loopio built their partner program, outlining five key features as well as lessons learned.

Loopio is Request For Proposal software that streamlines and automates the RFP process and allows for easy team collaboration.

Particularly interesting is that in 2019 when Loopio wanted to get started building their partner program, Gloria, from a marketing and process improvement background, came aboard to help but had no real partner program experience.

However, the numbers demonstrated their success, and by 2021, just a year later, 17% of the company’s revenue was a result of the new partner program.

Loopio’s goal was to build a successful and certified network of partners and their first step was to define what success looked like to them.

Five key features of Loopio’s partner program are:

1. Partner onboarding

2. Partner Portal

3. Partner Academy

4. Co-marketing

5. Co-selling

Gloria explains how each of the features work, and overall, the presentation provides valuable insights into what a successful partner program consists of.

Note: SaaS Connect 2023 will take place in San Francisco April 19th and 20th. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at admin@cloudsoftwareassociation.com for information.

#saas  #software #cloud

Thank you to our amazing podcast team at Content Allies. Want to launch your own B2B revenue-generating podcasts? Contact them at https://ContentAllies.com.