Howdy Partners

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Jun 2024

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This podcast covers the world of Strategic Alliances & Partnerships in tech. Join Will Taylor, Ben Wright, and Tom Burgess on the trail to green pastures and unchartered territory through raw stories and dialogue, allowing our listeners to learn and decide how strategic partnerships can drive success...whether you are a VP or a professional looking to break into the space, join us on the Howdy Partners journey.

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June 27, 2024Episode 7638 min

Episode 76: Collaborative Power: Driving Success with Internal and External Enablement with Marco De Paulis

Marco joins Tom and Will to discuss the significance of cross-team collaboration and internal enablement in partnerships. They explore building great teams, fostering collaboration, aligning with other teams, and demonstrating partnership value. The discussion also covers compensation and incentives for partner professionals. Key takeaway: prioritize cross-functional collaboration and build strong inter-team relationships for partnership success.TakeawaysPrioritize cross-functional collaboration and build strong relationships with other teams to drive partnership success.Be curious and understand the goals, challenges, and motivations of other teams.Prove the value of partnerships by showing how they contribute to the goals and success of other teams.Consider a variety of KPIs and incentives to motivate partner professionals, focusing on both short-term and long-term impact.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Welcome13:36 Building Strong Relationships with Other Teams26:16 Incentivizing Partner Professionals34:22 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

June 13, 2024Episode 7531 min

Episode 75: Prioritizing Operations or Relationships? Striking the Balance in Partnerships with Coriena Hipple Merejo

Will and Coriena talk about balancing relationship-building and operations to generate revenue. Coriena shares her experience in managing relationships and operations, emphasizing clear communication and active listening. She highlights a transition program that improved retention and call center efficiency. They also discuss supporting partner managers and designing partner programs. At Pipe Drive, Coriena reduced onboarding time by 50% and created a partner advisory council. Takeaways:Striking a balance between relationships and operations is crucial for successful partnerships.Clear communication and active listening are key in building strong relationships.Implementing a transition program can improve retention and reduce handle time.Operations play a vital role in supporting partner account managers and designing effective partner programs.Partner advisory councils can provide valuable input for product development.Separate meetings and tasks, and ensure actionable takeaways with clear ownership and timeframes.Chapters:00:00 Introduction: Striking a Balance between Relationships and Operations05:28 Improving Retention and Reducing Handle Time in Call Centers09:33 Supporting Partner Account Managers with Effective Operations26:00 Gathering Valuable Input through Partner Advisory Councils

May 30, 202430 min

Episode 74: Reactive Partner Marketers Are Salary Wasted - Jessica Fewless

Jessica Fewless, Director of Partnerships and Growth Marketing at Inverta, joins the podcast to discuss Nearbound ABM (Account-Based Marketing), the challenges and misconceptions surrounding partner marketing, the importance of integrating partner data into marketing strategies, and the need for a proactive and strategic approach to partner marketing.Takeaways:Partner marketing often gets a bad reputation within marketing teams and organizations, but Nearbound ABM offers an opportunity to leverage partner ecosystems and expand influence with prospects and customers.Partner marketers should sit within the demand gen team and be senior-level professionals who can negotiate within their organization and with partner organizations.To convince CMOs of the value of partner marketing, partner marketers should highlight the opportunity to drive pipeline and reach new audiences through partners, as well as the need for a proactive and strategic approach.Partner marketers should focus on integrating partner data into marketing strategies, identifying strategic campaign opportunities, and being proactive in adding value to the organization.Cohesive and orchestrated campaigns are more effective than one-off tactics, and partner marketers should strive to create connected ecosystems rather than siloed tech stacks.Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Overview04:47 Challenges and Misconceptions of Partner Marketing14:18 The Unlock for Partner Marketers

May 16, 2024Episode 7342 min

Episode 73: The Modern Interconnectedness of Brand, Employee Advocacy, and Ecosystems - Ed Ceballos

Ed Ceballos joins Will and Tom to discuss the evolving landscape of brand partnerships. They explore blending personal and professional lives, social media's influence, and leveraging networks to build trust. Ceballos highlights understanding consumer motivations, personalized strategies, the role of referral programs, and embedding partnerships into go-to-market plans.Takeaways:The blending of personal and professional lives has changed the context in which brands operate, and it is important for brands to understand and participate in this new context.Social media has unified the silos between personal and professional personas, creating new opportunities for brands to engage with consumers and build trust.Referral programs and partnerships can tap into existing networks and leverage the power of recommendations and positive relationships to drive business growth.Partnerships should be an integral part of the go-to-market strategy, involving all team members and focusing on delivering value and building strong relationships.Understanding consumer motivations and personalizing strategies is key to success in partnerships and building trust with customers.Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates11:18 The Impact of Social Media and Blending Personal and Professional Lives28:05 Partnerships as an Integral Part of the Go-to-Market Strategy37:18 Understanding Consumer Motivations: Personalizing Partnership Strategies

May 2, 2024Episode 7228 min

Episode 72: Psychology of team-wide buy in - The Answer to Partner Program Success with Maurits Pieper

Maurits Pieper shares his experience in building a successful partner program at Dixie. He discusses the importance of buy-in from different departments and the impact of incentivizing reps to work with partners. Moritz also emphasizes the need to track partner influence and not just source revenue. He advises partner professionals to be selective in the content they consume and to be proud of the program they've built. TakeawaysObtaining buy-in from different departments is crucial for the success of a partner program.Incentivizing reps to work with partners can lead to increased engagement and collaboration.Tracking partner influence, not just source revenue, is important for measuring the impact of partnerships.Be selective in the content you consume and focus on building a program that you can be proud of.Track partner mentions in conversations using tools like Gong or Jiminy.Celebrate the success of others and encourage a culture of collaboration.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background03:10 Incentivizing Reps and Tracking Partner Influence05:54 Shifting the Focus from Source to Influence09:31 Managing Expectations and Overcoming Challenges12:43 Using Data to Drive Change and Gain Buy-In15:24 The Importance of Selective Consumption23:18 Tactical Takeaway: Tracking Partner Mentions26:36 Tactical Takeaway: Celebrating Success and Uplifting Others

April 18, 2024Episode 7132 min

Episode 71: Natasha Walstra on Increasing Luck Surface Area in Business

Natasha Walstra discusses the connection between Nearbound and personal branding. She shares her experience starting her own business and helping leaders and sales professionals leverage personal branding to drive sales. Natasha highlights the challenges of personal branding, particularly the mindset shift required to put oneself out there. She also explains the ROI of personal branding and offers practical advice for taking action and starting small.TakeawaysPersonal branding is a powerful tool for driving sales and building relationships.Overcoming mindset challenges is crucial for success in personal branding.Personal branding can lead to various forms of ROI, including referral partnerships, conversations with private equity, and attracting top talent.Engaging with industry experts and thought leaders through comments and conversations is an effective strategy for building relationships and expanding your network.Start small and take action by updating your profile and engaging with others on LinkedIn.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Welcome01:08 Natasha's Business and Personal Branding05:38 Challenges of Personal Branding06:55 Overcoming Mindset Challenges08:20 Building Trust and Shifting Mindsets09:25 The ROI of Personal Branding11:30 The Impact of Personal Branding on Hiring and Partnerships15:13 Lessons Learned in the First Six Months19:14 Making Personal Branding a Revenue-Generating Function22:46 Starting with a Clear Strategy25:25 Setting Next Steps and Building Relationships28:19 Light-hearted Moment: Will's Unique Pizza Order30:33 Tactical Takeaway: Engaging with Industry Experts

April 4, 2024Episode 7027 min

Episode 70: Generating $5 Million Through Partnerships with Pedro Mattos

Will and Tom interview Pedro Mattos from selfpublishing.com about the power of partnerships in solving business problems. Pedro shares his hot take on why not using partners to solve top business problems is comical. He discusses the barriers and disconnect that business owners often have when it comes to partnerships. Pedro then shares his own success story of generating millions of dollars in revenue through partnerships. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on solving customer problems and leveraging affiliate marketing and partnerships.TakeawaysPartnerships are a powerful way to solve business problems and provide a better experience for customers.Business owners often have barriers and a scarcity mindset when it comes to using partnerships.Pedro's success in generating revenue through partnerships highlights the importance of focusing on solving customer problems and leveraging affiliate marketing.A tactical takeaway is to facilitate introductions and build a network to create mutual success with partners.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Catching Up01:14 Introducing the Guest and the Topic02:09 The Hot Take: Why Not Using Partners to Solve Business Problems is Comical03:01 Barriers and Disconnect in Using Partnerships06:10 Pedro's Success in Generating Revenue through Partnerships12:58 Connecting Partnerships to Solving Business Problems20:30 Leveraging Affiliate Marketing and Partnerships24:06 Tactical Takeaway: Facilitating Introductions and Building a Network27:04 Conclusion

March 21, 2024Episode 6927 min

Episode 69: Why Fractional Partner Management? - with Pat Ferdig

Tom and Will are joined by Pat Ferdig to discuss fractional partner management and its connection to nearbound execution. Pat shares his extensive partnership experience and explains why more companies are considering fractional partner management. He highlights the challenges organizations face when managing partnerships and the importance of focus. Pat also discusses the nearbound methodology and how it can drive new business opportunities. He emphasizes the need for internal alignment and enablement when implementing nearbound strategies. The episode concludes with a tactical tip on establishing rules of engagement for successful nearbound execution.TakeawaysFractional partner management is becoming more popular as companies look to spread partnership knowledge and wealth to organizations that may not have the understanding or bandwidth for a full-blown partnership model.The challenges in partner management often stem from a lack of focus and the need to wear multiple hats. Fractional partner management can help alleviate these challenges by allowing someone to focus on specific pain points and initiatives.Nearbound execution, a framework that leverages relationships to drive new business opportunities, is gaining momentum. It involves establishing rules of engagement, enabling internal teams, and focusing on collaborative conversations and introductions.Internal alignment and supportive KPIs are crucial for successful partnership programs. Companies should ensure that every department has KPIs related to supporting the partner channel if they expect significant revenue flow through partnerships.A tactical tip for nearbound execution is to establish clear rules of engagement with partners and enable internal teams to understand the process. This will help drive successful nearbound initiatives.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Mustache Talk02:11 Pat's Partnership Experience04:23 The Rise of Fractional Partner Management06:46 Challenges in Partner Management09:53 Implementing Nearbound Execution13:48 Enabling Sellers to Embrace Nearbound16:00 Overcoming Roadblocks in Nearbound Strategy19:46 Establishing KPIs and Internal Alignment23:38 Setting KPIs Based on Partnership Maturity26:07 Tactical Tip: Establish Rules of Engagement

March 7, 2024Episode 6830 min

Episode 68: Automating Revenue Generating Partnerships with Rob Rebholz

In this episode of the Howdy Partners Podcast, host Will engages with Rob Rebholz, the founder of Superglue, to explore leveraging automation to drive revenue in partnerships. Rob shares insights from his experience in building partner ecosystems and emphasizes the importance of treating partnerships as a science rather than just an art. They discuss the challenges and opportunities in co-selling, the role of relationships in partnerships, and the impact of automation on partner-led growth.TakeawaysPartnerships are less of an art and more of a science – building scalable partner programs requires a structured approach and processes.The key to successful partnerships lies in efficient and revenue-focused strategies, especially when managing partnerships as a founder.Overcommitting and spreading oneself too thin can be a major mistake in the early stages of building a partner ecosystem.Automation in partnerships can streamline processes, enhance prioritization, and enable proactive engagement with key stakeholders.The challenge in partnerships lies not in the technical setup of automation but in understanding what aspects to automate for maximum impact.The core of co-selling success is aligning multiple parties involved and orchestrating different tasks to create a more scalable co-selling motion.Hard results from automation in partnerships can include significant increases in partner engagement, sourced deals, and overall revenue within a short timeframe.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation02:30 Background and Experiences: Rob's Journey to Founding Superglue08:15 Lessons Learned: Building Scalable Partner Ecosystems14:45 Efficient Revenue Generation: Challenges for Founders21:10 Role of Relationships: Beyond Partner Managers28:00 Automation in Partnerships: A Prime Benefactor

February 22, 2024Episode 6732 min

Episode 67: Sales Insights Unleashed with Jakub Hon

SummaryIn this episode, Will is joined by Jakub Hon from SalesDoc to discuss the changing trends in the sales landscape and the rise of Nearbound strategy. They explore the importance of building trust and relationships in sales and how influencer marketing can be a powerful tool. They also discuss the future of sales in 2024 and the role of partnerships in driving success. The episode concludes with a tactical takeaway on the importance of consistency in goal setting.TakeawaysBuilding trust and relationships is crucial in sales, especially in the B2B tech industry.Influencer marketing can be an effective strategy for reaching and engaging with potential customers.The sales landscape is changing, and salespeople need to adapt by focusing on building credibility and expertise.Partnerships with VCs and sales leaders can be a valuable way to expand your network and gain credibility.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Nearbound Strategy04:08 Changing Trends in the Sales Landscape10:39 The Solution: Nearbound and Influencer Marketing19:17 The Future of Sales in 202426:21 Building Partnerships with VCs and Sales Leaders30:46 Tactical Takeaway: Consistency in Goal Setting32:11 Conclusion and Where to Find Jakub Hon