October 30, 2024

Issue #686

Today’s issue dives into a powerful reminder: AI is here to help, not to replace.

From streamlining your partner program to driving demand and onboarding partners, AI has its strengths — but building genuine relationships? That’s all you. 

So grab a coffee, learn how to let AI handle the tedious tasks, and free yourself up for what truly counts — creating partnerships that thrive!

PRINCIPLES

Integrate AI tools in partnership programs 

AI can help you enhance efficiency, drive revenue, and support relationship-building, not replace it. 

By streamlining administrative tasks and generating actionable insights, AI empowers GTM teams to focus on building trust and nurturing authentic, human relationships.

Rather than replacing GTM roles, AI enhances them by facilitating new partner identification and automating repetitive tasks like lead generation, onboarding workflows, and partner (and customer) support.

This ensures that GTM teams can deepen customer and partner trust.

TACTICS

The impact of AI

According to Rob Rebholz, CEO and founder of Superglue, there are 6 main ways in which AI can help you improve your partner program:

1. Finding partners

Smart chat prompts, using advanced technology, make it simple for partners to discover vendors and evaluate potential partnership opportunities.

2. Creating demand

With AI generating personalized marketing materials and handling distribution, partners and vendors can better generate and take advantage of the demand.

3. Lead generation 

Some AI features can facilitate lead generation by providing instant insights and data-driven suggestions, enabling partners and vendors to identify and pursue highly qualified leads efficiently.

4. Onboarding and nurturing partners

AI streamlines partner activation workflows by identifying whom to engage, when to engage, and the required enablement based on the opportunity stage. 

5. Closing deals

AI aids in closing deals by offering real-time insights and guidance through chat prompts, enhancing the effectiveness of sales, customer success, and partner management activities during the sales process.

6. Support and growth

Post-sale, AI enhances customer and partner support by providing access to materials and personalized assistance through chatbots. 

Which fortunately also matches with Will Taylor’s 3 main benefits of AI — he shared a video about this last week and you can watch it here. 

Here are the benefits of AI according to Will:

1. Data collection

 We humans cannot stay on top of all the data available to us. It's a never ending battle.

It's impossible for us, but easy for AI.

2. Data navigation

 Making sense of the data, even if we have it, is nearly impossible, too (not to mention, we can be biased).

For AI there is little bias and all the processing power.

3. Automating tasks

 Actioning that data is either too complex to do well, or we're simply too busy to really stay on top of it.

AI + automation can take the data, summarize it, and deliver it at the right time, in real time.

Learn how to get some AI recommended ELG playbooks here. 

RESOURCE OF THE DAY

The growth hack that became mainstream

Learn from Bob Moore, our CEO and Co-founder, how Crossbeam’s customers' sales orgs are adding Crossbeam into the mix alongside tools like Clay, Common Room, and RB2B to create lead gen and selling supermachines.

STUFF YOU CAN'T MISS

- October 30 — Selling to technical buyers

Rod Baptista (SaaS) and Brandon Lecoq (Cyber Security) will share their proven strategies for engaging those on the technical side of an organization. From tailoring your pitch, capturing attention, and effectively positioning your offerings to capture the interest of technical buyers, this event is a must-attend. Save your seat here. 

- November 11-14 — Web Summit

70,000 people will gather in Lisbon, Portugal for one of the biggest tech conferences in the world, featuring speakers from leading companies across nearly every technology vertical. Book your ticket to join them here. 

- November 20 — GTM Partners Better Together Roadshow: San Francisco
If you’re a GTM leader, join the first B2B go-to-market conference focused on unifying teams and tech. The Crossbeam team will be at the next event in San Francisco, learn more here. 

You're all caught up

See you tomorrow

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