Time to scale your partner program

What’s the fastest way to get your leadership to take the partner pill 💊 and fund your partner ecosystem programs?

👉 Focus 100% of your energy toward programmatically delivering outcomes that can scale.

There are 3 keys in that statement:

1️⃣ Programmatic - based on value-added processes that, once automated drive compelling outcomes and dynamic network effects.

2️⃣ Outcome-based - the value you deliver must contribute to a critical lagging indicator of success, such as sourced revenue.

3️⃣ Scalable - show signs of scaling across the entire business with a clear line of sight to how to overcome any scale blockers.

You have to do the 5Ps: Plan, Preview, Pilot, Prove, and Program. The actual program running fully automated and at scale is your destination; the other 4 P’s get you there.

TL;DR on this is you have to DESIGN your plan with an eye toward ‘delivering programmatic outcomes at scale’ in order for you to get funded and have a scalable impact on the business.

Thanks for contributing to this section of the PhD, Allan Adler.

Make a great first impression

If you had one shot, one opportunity, one moment to seize everything you ever wanted, would you capture it or just let it slip?

First impressions are important. Especially for partner onboarding.

Rob Rebholz explains how to win at the partner onboarding process in his latest OpEd:

Your onboarding process sets the stage for everything that comes afterward, and if you ace it, that will open plenty of doors.

Make sure to ace your onboarding process with this winning recipe:

• Be proactive - don’t wait; reach out
• Meet partners where they are - use slack, email, or whatever they like best.
• Minimize friction - make onboarding as smooth as possible.
• Break it down - keep emails short.
• Time PRM invites wisely - only invite if there is a clear value for them.
• Build excitement first - focus on your JVP.
• Offer help - be genuine about it
• Make everyone feel valued - treat the little partners special too.
• Focus on excitement and support - it’s not all about the commission.
• Maintain a human touch - create a personalized experience (Superglue can help with this)

Why Nearbound? Why now?

Why is Nearbound becoming a popular Go-To-Market strategy in B2B SaaS?

Three reasons:

1. Blockers and filters - it’s harder to email, track, and advertise to people.

2. The Infocalypse - people are overwhelmed with content (up to 10k brand impressions PER DAY for avg American!) and can’t sift through the sea to find yours.

3. People are people - and people trust people!

When you work with the people your buyers already trust at every step of the journey, you get better results!

Implementing a Nearbound strategy across the org and layering it onto Inbound and Outbound is not easy, and few have done it fully.

BUT many companies are starting to wade into the water and implement at least some Nearbound tactics.

Nearbound: partnering with companies and individuals your buyers know and trust. Watch Isaac’s riff on the infocalypse and why Nearbound is important in 2023.