Partner Sales Programs

The era of high guaranteed Partner salaries and time-and-materials billing is fading fast in Professional Services. The idea of paying $1M+ salaries to Partners delivering modest revenue is becoming harder and harder to defend. Senior leaders exiting the large firms are finding themselves in unfamiliar territory. The market now demands that they take on real client risk, link their compensation to outcomes—not effort—and focus on building long-term enterprise value rather than stacking billable hours. The firms that are thriving today have already made the shift. Their Partners don’t just turn up—they commit. They build. They invest. And they share in the upside. Lower base salaries, higher variable comp tied to performance, and above all, equity ownership as the central source of wealth creation. Clients expect the same. They’re done paying for time—they want results. Outcome-based pricing isn’t a trend—it’s the new standard. And it’s reshaping the entire industry. We’re seeing the rise of a new breed of Partner: entrepreneurial, hands-on, and now empowered by Agentic AI to deliver more value, faster and leaner than ever before. What’s fading? The traditional leverage model built on layers of junior staff and local hiring. That approach is rapidly losing relevance. What’s emerging is sharper, more scalable, and fundamentally aligned with client success. The future belongs to those who create value—not just those who track time.

Selling to leadership is tough. Learn to speak finance, and everything changes. (This works for both B2B sales and internal pitches.) Speak the language of financial metrics and business impact, and you’ll earn buy-in. Whether you’re pitching a product, service, or internal idea, this skill makes you a trusted partner to decision-makers. Want to dive deeper? Download my free guide “10 Levels of Profitability” here: https://bit.ly/40pY3CQ Here’s why: Executives don’t want fluff. They need to know *how* your solution or proposal will impact their business financially. Here’s how to make your pitch resonate: 1️⃣ Talk Margins, Not Just Savings ↳ Show how your solution improves gross, operating, or net profit margins. Make it clear how it improves topline or streamlines processes to ultimately add value to the bottom line. 2️⃣ Connect to Cash Flow ↳ Highlight how your solution will boost cash flow, not just the bottom-line. Smart executives prioritize cash flow over simple revenue increases or cost savings because it keeps the business stable and flexible. 3️⃣ Show ROI and Payback Period ↳ Present clear numbers on return on investment (ROI) and how quickly they’ll see a payback. Executives need to know when their investment will yield results. 4️⃣ Impact Key Financial Ratios ↳ Explain how your proposal enhances key metrics like ROE (Return on Equity), ROA (Return on Assets), or EBITDA. This demonstrates that you understand their financial framework and how your solution strengthens it. 5️⃣ Talk Risk Management ↳ Show that you’ve considered potential downsides. Demonstrate how your proposal mitigates financial risk and supports long-term stability—not just quick gains. Why this matters: 1️⃣ You Stand Out ↳ Most sales pitches and internal proposals focus on benefits. When you speak in terms of financial strategy and impact, you differentiate yourself. 2️⃣ You Build Trust ↳ Speaking their language shows you understand their challenges, priorities, and goals. 3️⃣ You Become Indispensable ↳ When you can prove your solution impacts key business metrics, you shift from being just another vendor or team member to a trusted advisor. If you want to learn finance strategy to elevate your pitch and proposals, join 3,000 learning with me here: https://bit.ly/famcol Remember: Learn to speak finance, and you’ll open doors that most can’t. ♻️ 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 to help someone else. And follow Oana Labes, MBA, CPA for more  

Bit odd innit? 👀 Pablo Ylarri 🎯 just dropped a great piece on this on the Product Marketing Alliance Pablo leads PMM for LATAM out of Buenos Aires, working across 14 countries in three languages. Pablo lives this problem daily so I trust his pov on this! The problem: Fragmentation pulls you apart Markets demand localization. Sales reps on the ground know their prospects better than anyone. They want messaging that feels local, tailored, and relevant. and... Leadership demands consistency. Product positioning, brand promise, and strategic narratives must be unified, or the company risks confusing customers, analysts, and investors. As a PMM, you sit in the middle of that tension. And in fast growing orgs, fragmentation can happen quickly: AKA... - Regional decks multiply - Translations lose nuance - Sales collateral drifts from the agreed narrative - Teams spend more time debating "what we say" than actually selling So, how do you solve this big challenge? Pablo says start here: 1) Single source of truth One core messaging framework. One transparent process for updates. No silent edits floating in Slack threads and old presentations. Sales can localize, but they start from the same base. 2) Align across languages, not markets Translation isn't mechanical, it's strategic. English emphasizes directness. Spanish requires precision in formality. Brazilian Portuguese favors conversational tone. Treat each translation as adaptation, not copy. 3) Build partnership with Sales Regional reps will improvise if materials don't reflect their reality. Involve them early in message testing. Establish regional champions. Celebrate when local input improves global narrative. 4) Flexibility within a framework Define non negotiables: core value prop, strategic narrative, differentiators. Give regions room to adapt delivery: local examples, nearby case studies, tone adjustments. 5) Communicate relentlessly with PMM peers Weekly syncs. Shared document reviews. Quick check-ins to avoid duplication. Silence creates inconsistency. Two PMMs can accidentally create two PMM philosophies. 6) Codify lessons into playbooks Every time you solve a fragmentation issue, document how to prevent it next time. Messaging frameworks. Enablement guidelines. Localization rules. Playbooks scale trust. P.S. What else would you add PMMs? Make sure you give Pablo a follow btw!

Partner Enablement is NOT Sales Enablement. Many partner leaders don't understand this. They rebrand their sales training materials and call it partner enablement. They take their 47-slide sales deck and slap "Partner Edition" on it. Then they wonder why partners don't use any of it. Here's the problem: Your sales team works for you. Your partners don't. Your sales team has time for detailed training. Your partners have their own business to run. Your sales team can attend hour-long enablement sessions. Your partners will give you 10 minutes (and half of their attention), maybe. Partners don't care about your enablement content. They care about making money. They care about serving their customers. They care about looking smart to their prospects. If you want partners to actually use your enablement: Give them conversation starters, not technical deep dives. Show them how to win deals, not how your features work. Focus on customer outcomes, not technical specs. Make it 1000x simpler than what you use internally. The best partner enablement answers one question:  "How do I make money with this partnership?" Everything else is noise. Partners are customers of your partner program. Enable them like customers, not employees. Give them what they need to succeed.

Growth is still on the table. But most GTM plans only build on last year. Category leaders don't think that way. This year CEOs, sales, and BD leaders I coach are making 5 strategic shifts to unlock partnership-driven revenue. Here’s their thinking: 1. Redesign for revenue leverage → Upgrading incentives → Redefining BD as market-making → Focusing sales on revenue conversion 2. Prioritise the right partners → Evaluating mutual benefit, trust and velocity → Using a “Partnership Potential Score” to focus on high-leverage allies 3. Build a co-sell access gateway → Give BDs fast access to top 3 co-selling partners who are ready to create leverage 4. Reflect on historic momentum → Analyse last year’s top 10 deals for partner impact → Identify where they influenced pipeline, speed or retention 5. Operationalise your partnership system → Codify onboarding, first wins, and partner enablement → Equip champions inside and outside your org The difference between 10% growth and market dominance? Moving from ad hoc deals to a scalable system. Remember this: Partnerships aren't a channel. They’re the strategy your competitors haven’t figured out. Yet. Need to capture growth? Send your team to The Partnership Lab. A 12 week group coaching program delivers the strategy, AI-based tools and community to close 6-figure deals with confidence. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/etQTiW6u ♻️ Repost to help a BD leader or founder move to category leader ➕ Follow Phil Hayes-St Clair for more like this

One question turns failed PropTech pitches into closed deals. And most vendors never ask it. Here's the strategy alignment secret nobody's talking about. Last week, I watched another great product get rejected. Strong features. Clear value prop. But they pitched long-term efficiency to a merchant builder focused on exit value. Now they're wondering why the deal went nowhere. Here's how to align your pitch with their investment strategy: 1. Focus on strategy, not just asset type The secret isn't just knowing office from multifamily. It's understanding their investment timeline: Most vendors only see: • Office vs. retail • Multifamily vs. industrial • Class A vs. Class B Smart sellers also ask: • Hold period length • Exit strategy • Value creation timeline • Cash flow priorities Most fail because they stop at asset class. 2. Tailor your pitch to their timeline For long-term holders, focus on: • Operational efficiency • NOI improvement • Portfolio-wide impact • Solution stability • Compound ROI over time For short-term players, emphasize: • Repositioning acceleration • Lease-up support • Quick implementation • Flexible contract terms The timeline mismatch breaks more deals than price. 3. Ask the right questions first Start with: • "What's your typical hold period?" • "Are you looking to stabilize and hold or exit?" • "How do you handle property management?" • "What's your current solution stack?" Not: • "What types of properties do you own?" • "How many units do you have?" • "What systems are you using now?" • "When can we demo our product?" 4. Connect your value to their strategy Your pitch should show: • ROI within their ownership window • Value that matters to their strategy • Implementation that fits their timeline • Flexibility that matches their exit plans Never assume: • All owners want long-term savings • All GPs prioritize NOI • All buildings are forever holds • All operators think the same 5. Become a strategic partner Investment strategy changes everything: • It shapes their decision criteria • It determines their value metrics • It drives their timeline needs • It defines their success The difference between just another vendor and a strategic partner is understanding their investment strategy. Want to learn how the best PropTech companies align their pitches to investment strategies? Check out our free PropTech Pipeline Playbook email course in the comments.

A signed partner is not an activated partner. It is a distinction many partnership programs learn the expensive way. The agreement gets signed. The announcement goes live. The kickoff happens. The logo appears on the website. From the outside, it looks like progress. Then three months pass. Pipeline has barely moved. Sales is not seeing partner-led opportunities. The partner is not bringing you into the right conversations. And leadership starts asking: “What is this partnership actually producing?” Often, the partner is not the problem. The activation plan is. In a recent webinar, Basem Emera shared an example involving partners with large sales organisations. The opportunity was there. But their sellers had not been equipped to attach the product to their existing deals. That is the gap many companies underestimate. Partners do not adopt your sales motion because an agreement has been signed. They need to know: ✦ What trigger or problem to listen for ✦ How to position the joint value ✦ What action to take next Here’s a simple test of whether your partners are properly enabled: Could one of your partner’s sellers explain, in under 30 seconds, when to introduce you and why the customer should care? If not, the partner is not activated. You have a signed agreement with untapped potential. Before recruiting more partners, look at whether the right existing partners are equipped to refer, attach, influence or co-sell effectively. Because the more useful question is: “How many partners can confidently help us create revenue?” That is often where your untapped partner revenue opportunity starts to become visible. Want to understand yours? I’ll drop our calculator in the comments.

✨ Channel Sales in SaaS:: Scaling Beyond Direct Sales For SaaS companies, scaling beyond direct sales is a challenge. Hiring more sales reps isn't always the answer—building a strong channel sales strategy can unlock sustainable growth. But here’s the truth: most channel partnerships fail because they’re treated like a shortcut to revenue. Successful channel sales require: ✅ The Right Partners – Not just anyone who can sell, but those who align with your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) and add real value. ✅ Enablement, Not Just Onboarding – Training, playbooks, and ongoing support ensure partners aren’t just resellers but true extensions of your team. ✅ Incentives That Work – Competitive commissions matter, but so does ease of doing business. The best programs minimize friction and maximize motivation. ✅ A Win-Win Relationship – If your partners don’t see long-term value, they’ll move on. Mutual trust and shared goals make partnerships last. Channel sales isn’t just an alternative to direct sales—it’s a force multiplier. The best SaaS companies scale by building ecosystems, not just sales teams. What’s your take? Have you seen channel sales succeed (or fail) in SaaS? Let’s discuss!

So excited to have Kieran Snyder on our team at Microsoft helping enable AI transformation. Her latest piece validates what many leaders are already seeing: it is no longer enough to simply “have AI” or “add AI” to a product or process. The expectation now is outcomes. Kieran analyzed AI-focused cold emails in 2025 and found a clear shift in how vendors are selling AI. Early in the year, the dominant pitch was “AI-powered” and “agentic.” By the end of the year, the language moved toward “outcome-based” and “enterprise-grade", confirming what we believe - buyers want results, not buzzwords. That shift is exactly why we start with the end in mind. When we transform a role or process, we begin by defining the outcome we want to drive, then measure what changes after applying AI and automation responsibly. https://lnkd.in/g8NkQPF8

Hey Salespeople: According to Gong data, you’re 130% more likely to close deals when you have access to the Economic Buyer. The problem? You’re stuck with a mid level champion in 90% of deals. 5 steps to gain access to the Economic Buyer: 1. Introduce the Evaluation Framework When the time is right: Teach your champion what a successful evaluation looks like. Sales is an act of leadership. When you spell out what the path looks like? You position yourself as a leader. Here’s the key: Show when, why, and how the ‘CXO’ should be involved. 90% of champions default to “including their boss” at the end. If that happens? You're running two sales cycles. Not just one. Establish the expectation for earlier involvement at the get-go. 2. Set a Double Upfront Agreement As you wrap up your first call: Set the expectations of the second call: “The next call will still be just you and me… “The purpose of that call, at the end, will be to decide if we expand the conversation to others…” Again, you’re setting the expectation. The next call’s point is to decide whether it makes sense to expand the footprint. You do this a full call in advance of that moment. Because now you set the expectation. If they push back immediately? You can have that conversation now. Instead of waiting until it’s too late. 3. Establish value first, qualify second. Rule of thumb: Don’t: • Ask buying process questions • Request access to power • Qualify the buyer … until you’ve first established value. Does your champion even want what you’re selling? Until that happens: You have no business pushing for access. Value first. Process second. 4. Negotiate the sequences of steps Ok. Now you’re at the end of that second call. You’ve established value. It’s time to include the Economic Buyer... Per your evaluation framework. Most of the time, it’s still not that easy. You don’t get a hard no. But you get a little pushback. Your next move? “Ok. Well let’s talk about the full series of steps you and your company would need to take to evaluate this, then we can talk about the right sequence.” Then get them to lay it all out. Once they do? Negotiate the SEQUENCE of those steps. Pull access to the Economic Buyer as far forward as they’ll allow. 5.  Draw the line If you’re STILL getting resistance? Something is wrong. You either didn’t sell value. Or you have a fake champion. Or your champion just doesn't see you as credible. In either case, you’ve got to make a choice: Disqualify? Find a new champion? Or continue on knowing you may waste your time? The choice is yours. But now you can make that choice – eyes wide open. Ok. That’s all for today. Hope this was helpful. If you liked it, feel free to tag a friend in the comments. Or share the post/video with your team in Slack.