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PRINCIPLES

Just do it

We know that Nike trademarked this, but c’mon, GTM should just do ELG. 

Embrace the mindset of rapid experimentation with Ecosystem-Led Growth motions. 

Instead of waiting for perfect conditions, overanalyzing, or realizing (too late) that inbound and outbound are not as efficient as they used to be, take bold, iterative steps to integrate partners, test new strategies, and quickly learn from the outcomes. 

Besides, what’s the worst thing that can happen? You go back to what you were already doing. 

And the best thing that could happen? You drive more revenue, get promoted, get a raise…

You get the gist. 

TACTICS

Start your ELG motion with these 3 plays

Now that you have access to an Ecosystem-Led Growth platform, you might have one (or many) of the following questions in mind: 

• What’s the big deal with this?
• Where do I start?
• What can I do with this data?

First of all, an Ecosystem-Led Growth platform is a safe way to connect your data sources, such as your customer relationship management (CRM) system or CSV file, and surface overlaps between your data and your partner’s data — the fastest way to know where you and your partner should invest in a potential partnership. 

What’s in it for you? It’s a huge help in generating leads, closing deals, and retaining more customers at scale. 

Now, we know that having this view at a glance for the first time might be overwhelming, but …

Here are 3 plays you can use to leverage the data from the previous account mapping matrix. 

Play #1: Your customers vs. your partner’s customers

This  overlap of 429 identifies the mutual customers who can benefit from an integration between your product and your partner’s product.

If you are considering building an integration with a partner, a high customer <> customer overlap count is a major green flag — the bigger the overlap, the more people might adopt your integration. If you already have an integration with this partner but it doesn’t have high adoption, this number indicates a big opportunity for co-marketing. 

FYI: Having a high overlap of shared customers shows that you and your partner have a similar ideal customer profile (ICP). This is a signal that you’re likely to have overlaps between your prospects and opportunities as well. 

Play #2:  Your open opportunities vs. your partner’s customers

The 170 overlap number in the matrix above represents the total accounts your sales team is working with that, fortunately, your partner already has a relationship with. 

You never know when a deal stalls, your AE is ghosted, or you need more support pushing the deal across the finish line — in all those cases, a partner can help. 

They may be able to share some intel on the account, or provide a warm intro. 

FYI: The faster your AE can ask your partner questions about their open opportunity, the faster your partner can put in a good word for your company or/and make an intro. 

Play #3: Your prospects vs. your partner’s customers

In this case you’re surfacing 378 prospects in the account mapping matrix who already have a relationship with your partners — this means that you’re identifying a group of accounts (and AEs) that can benefit from partner involvement. 

So instead of having your sales team cold emailing 378 accounts, well, help them with a warm intro. 

FYI: Don’t ask for 378 warm intros at the same time — prioritize and classify your accounts. And don’t ask your partner for an intro if you don’t have the following: 

• A short blurb that explains the status of the account. What background information should your partner reference in the warm intro?
• A draft of what you want the intro to say. Make the assist easier on your partner while also giving your AE the chance to make sure it’s reflective of their sales pitch.

Bonus: Here’s a cheat sheet for these and other ELG plays you can run.

Keep learning how to get started with ELG here. 

MEME OF THE DAY

Don’t let your AEs send 500 daily emails

ELG can help you go from cold to warm. 

Thanks Noam Nisand for the meme and insights

Stuff you don't want to miss!

• TOMORROW,August 20th — Exploring the Power of the Benefits Broker Channel: Leveraging HR’s Most Trusted Consultants: Ryan Taguding (Founder and Principal at Temio Consulting) will share where to begin, how to identify your ICP and distinguish sales blockers from champions. Register here.
• September 17 — Join us at HubSpot Inbound's Partner Day in Boston! Swing by the Crossbeam booth to after party on Wednesday, September 18th. 

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