Best Practices for Co-Selling with Partners Using Nearbound

NU - The Ultimate Partner Manager Library

September 13, 2023

minutes

Best practices for co-selling with partners using nearbound

Multiple Contributors

The current blockers for co-selling with partners

Unfortunately, co-selling requires a little more than just calling your partners up and saying, “Let’s work together.”

Companies often struggle to co-sell with partners because they aren’t aligned on the right data or using the right tools. Co-selling requires the partnered companies to not just align on partnership objectives, but also enable their respective sales teams with every available resource needed to succeed.

Building a Nearbound co-selling strategy lays the foundation for a fruitful collaboration that transcends individual goals and fosters a shared mission to conquer markets together.

Benefits of co-selling with partners using nearbound

Co-selling has always been a formidable strategy for driving revenue, but let’s face it – it hasn’t always been a walk in the park. That’s where nearbound swoops in like a superhero, transforming the co-selling landscape and making it a force to be reckoned with.

So, what makes nearbound the game-changer in the co-selling realm? Here are some examples:

Trust amplification: By leveraging trusted partners, Nearbound turbocharges your credibility, opening doors to new markets and customers who are ready to embrace your joint offerings.
Unparalleled insights: Nearbound harnesses the power of data and intelligence, equipping you with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions. You’ll identify the right partners, understand customer preferences, and align your efforts for maximum impact.
Co-creation synergy: Nearbound fosters a collaborative environment where partners join forces to co-create exceptional solutions. Together, you’ll tap into each other’s strengths, combine expertise, and deliver unparalleled value to customers. The result? A co-selling partnership that thrives on innovation and drives customer success.
Amplified reach: Nearbound empowers you to expand your market reach like never before. By tapping into your partner’s network and influence, you’ll break through barriers, reach new audiences, and create a buzz that propels your co-selling efforts to new heights.
Revenue rocket fuel: By unlocking the power of co-selling, you’ll unleash a revenue engine that drives growth, propels your business forward, and puts you on the fast track to success. With Nearbound, your co-selling efforts become a force to be reckoned with, fueling your bottom line with extraordinary results.

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If you want to become the co-selling superhero, you need to embrace the power of Nearbound. Don’t let siloed initiatives be your kryptonite. Enable your GTM and your partner teams on nearbound data, so you can start gaining their trust and rocket revenue to new heights.

Expert tips for co-selling with partners using Nearbound

So, how does this look in practice? We’ve gathered insights from industry leaders who have mastered the art of co-selling with partners using Nearbound and achieved remarkable success.

These experts have paved the way to co-selling greatness, and now it’s your turn to leverage their experiences and propel your partnerships to new levels of success.

Kevin Linehan

Kevin Linehan is the Head of Strategic Alliances at Reveal. A partner professional at heart with a selling background, Kevin has built, scaled, and operated within B2B SaaS partnership programs for the last 13 years with HubSpot, Drift, and Impact.com.

Here’s Kevin’s advice for successfully co-selling with partners using Nearbound.

Harness the power of clarity

When it comes to co-selling with nearbound, never underestimate the power of clarity. As partners, we often make assumptions about each other’s roles, responsibilities, and expectations, which can lead to confusion and missed opportunities. That’s why it’s crucial to make your asks and expectations crystal clear from the get-go.

Clearly communicate your desired outcomes, define roles and responsibilities, and set realistic expectations for each stage of the co-selling journey. By eliminating assumptions and fostering a culture of transparency, we pave the way for seamless collaboration, efficient decision-making, and remarkable co-selling success. So, let’s leave assumptions at the door and embark on a co-selling adventure where clarity reigns supreme.

Have a give-get mentality

When making requests for help, remember that it’s a two-way street. If you’re seeking assistance or support from your partner, be prepared to offer something valuable in return. It’s not always about providing direct customer intros (though those are certainly valuable!).

Instead, think about what you, as a Partner Manager, can say "yes" to that will benefit your partner. Maybe it’s sharing market insights, offering access to exclusive resources, or even providing expert guidance on a particular topic. By being proactive in offering reciprocal value, you foster a culture of mutual benefit and trust within your co-selling relationship. So, let’s embrace the spirit of reciprocity and unleash the power of giving in our co-selling endeavors.

Put yourself in your AE’s shoes—they aren’t partnership experts

As a Partner Manager, it’s crucial to invest quality one-on-one time with your Account Executives (AEs) and extend a helping hand. Remember, not all AEs have experience selling with partners, and some may not even realize they need assistance.

That’s where your empathy and expertise come into play. Lead with empathy, understanding the challenges AEs face in their demanding roles. Take the time to educate, guide, and empower them on the power of partnerships and the Nearbound approach.

By investing in their success, you pave the way for a harmonious co-selling journey where AEs feel supported, valued, and equipped to leverage partnerships effectively. Remember, they have a tough job too, so let’s collaborate with empathy and build a solid foundation of trust.

Jason Yarborough

Jason Yarborough is the Head of Strategic Partner Accounts at Reveal. Coming from the agency world, building relationships with SAPs and Oracle, Jason is partner-focused professional that has led onboarding and enablement GTM programs, directed cross-selling opportunities, and served as tech evangelist in companies like Drift, Terminus, and PFL.com.

Here’s the approach Jason uses when co-selling with partners:

Make it about them

Successful co-selling starts with establishing trust and making it crystal clear that you have your partners’ best interests at heart. When engaging with your partners, it’s essential to convey that you’re here to help them win. This means understanding their goals, challenges, and aspirations, and aligning your efforts to support their success. By demonstrating your commitment to their triumph, you foster a strong foundation of trust and collaboration.

Prioritize building authentic relationships based on mutual trust, transparency, and shared goals.

Make it attainable

To drive remarkable success, it’s crucial to make your partners’ journey seamless and their path to achieving success with your product attainable. You need to position yourself as a turnkey solution, seamlessly integrating with their existing GTM (Go-to-Market) strategy.

Just like agencies have their own GTM solution comprising a CRM, MAP, and other tools, you want your solution to become an integral part of their GTM arsenal, something they turn on for their customers with ease. By adapting your partnership approach to align with how your agency partners do business, you create a seamless and symbiotic relationship.

Make it attractive

When you’re trying to co-selling using nearbound as your secret weapon, you need to make every moment, routine, and program you share with your partners incredibly valuable. When your partners consistently find immense value in what you offer, their commitment and dedication skyrocket.

So, what does a value-add program look like, you ask? It’s all about going above and beyond to provide your partners with a treasure trove of benefits. Think co-marketing initiatives that amplify their brand, granting them exclusive access to resources, equipping them with powerful tools, showcasing compelling case studies that highlight joint success, and implementing a robust co-sell program that turbocharges revenue growth for both parties.

Make it valuable

To make your co-selling program irresistible, it’s crucial to build it specifically for the agency, not for yourself. Tailoring a program that’s purpose-built for their unique needs and goals is a surefire way to capture their attention and win their hearts. When agencies see that you have confidence in your solution and understand their business inside out, they’ll view you as more than just a vendor— you’ll become their trusted GTM partner.

By aligning your program with their objectives, challenges, and aspirations, you position yourself as a valuable resource they can rely on. So, roll up your sleeves and dive deep into their world. Take the time to truly understand their business, their pain points, and their growth ambitions. Armed with this knowledge, you can craft a co-selling program that not only meets their needs but exceeds their expectations.

Make it scalable

Now that you’ve laid the foundation of trust, value, and attractiveness, it’s time to kick things into high gear. Here’s how you can scale like a pro:

QBRs (Quarterly Business Reviews). Regularly scheduled QBRs with your partners are a fantastic way to align strategies, identify opportunities, and track progress.
Make consistent account mapping and reviewing a top priority. Continuously evaluate and refine your partner accounts to ensure you’re maximizing opportunities and addressing any potential roadblocks.
Enable, enable, enable! Empower your partners with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to effectively promote and sell your solution. From training programs to sales collateral, equip them with everything necessary to become your nearbound champions.
Don’t forget the power of referrals. Actively refer your partners to relevant opportunities and customers within your network. By showcasing their expertise and connecting them with valuable prospects, you foster a strong sense of reciprocity and mutual support.
Celebrate your wins together. Recognize and appreciate the accomplishments of your partners.

Jared Fuller

Jared Fuller is an entrepreneur and student of B2B markets. He serves on multiple advisory boards ranging from Universities to Venture-Backed SaaS startups. Jared hosts PartnerUp, The Partnerships Podcast and is the Chief Ecosystem Officer of PartnerHacker and Reveal. Previously, Jared held executive GTM and partner positions at PandaDoc and Drift, both now known as B2B SaaS Unicorns.

Here’s what Jared wants you to know about building a successful Nearbound co-selling strategy:

Fix your structural problems first

The biggest mistake B2B SaaS companies make is a structural problem, not an execution problem. The existence of an overlying Nearbound strategy vs. a singular partnerships department is what sets the winners apart from the strugglers, respectively.

Partnerships is not a department. Partnerships is a strategy, an overlay, and a commitment. Partnerships is a part of EACH department, not its own. This should include co-selling, but also co-marketing, co-delivery, co-innovation, and so on.

Partnerships is how you build strong relationships to tap into, and Nearbound is how the entire company leverages those relationships to systematically win.

Create a partnership commitment where every department cares about themselves, their customers, and their partners the same. If this is fixed structurally, then your sales team will be ready to embrace every co-selling opportunity that comes their way.

Jared Fuller’s take on how to sell better360° Goals Determine your hypotheses to track over time. Historical timeline for the account, including how many reps have tried working on this account over the last 12 months. that best align with your shared goals, organize the segment data by rep and team. Intel, intro, influenceObjections you’ve encountered. . This means that it officially becomes part of the sales process, and relevant actions and resources can be allocated to move the opportunity forward. Once you have established the relationship with your partner you need to need to get and share intel like:When deciding which co-selling opportunities to go after with your partners, build your target list of prospects so that it is aligned with what both your company and the partner’s company deem the most important prospect accounts.Let’s do it!Collaborate HubSpot widgetDocument progress and future next steps Do you have enough information to decide that yet?partner-influenced revenue6. Execute your strategy:Explore examples of the partnership in action: Once the initial contact has been established, and both parties are aligned on pursuing a joint solution, the opportunity is moved to Consider that you might run different “plays” for different reps based on the overlaps within a specific population. to identify existing customers who are also potential customers of your partners, as well as open deals that your partners have with customers who could benefit from your offerings. By mapping out these accounts, you can uncover opportunities for collaboration and mutual benefit..Here are some tips to action your strategy: Coordinate calls with select sales reps to review dataNow that you have the tips, you may be wondering how to action them. Well, we know that forming strategic partnerships and leveraging shared expertise is essential for unlocking new growth opportunities. So we took the liberty of laying out a brief guide to help you co-sell better: Coordinate meetings with partners to review dataYou’re selling with your partners because they help you build trust with your prospects and customers. You need social proof to back up your story and deepen that trusted relationship.Document next steps for both you and your sales rep with specific timelines to be met. is not just a strategy—it’s a game-changer that propels your business forward. By embracing trust, value, and Nearbound, you unlock the full potential of collaborative partnerships. With Nearbound as your trusted ally, you’ll amplify your reach, drive revenue growth, and create a co-selling ecosystem that thrives on shared success.It’s time to dive into the world of co-selling with Nearbound. Learn more about our powerful platform, explore co-selling strategies from top experts, and book a demo today. Document what you did and what you’re going to do What are the accounts that APPEAR to be the best to focus on? You’ll be validating this target list with both partners and sales/CS teams. Use the Analytics feature to identify the win rate (likelihood of success), and the strength of the relationship with the partner. 4. Move to Collaborate:Collaboration, communication, and coordination between both teams are crucial to ensuring a seamless and effective co-selling process. In this stage, you can also start requesting intros by using either Reveal Engage in Salesforce or the Co-selling with Revealwho do they sell to? Want to learn more about co-selling best practices? Listen to the SELL[ING] TOGETHER podcast with Jessie Shipman to know more insights on topics like co-selling, lead gen, sales training, and how to gain trust. : Use all of these learnings to build a standardized planning document that can be used to organize those involved. Track your progress: Reveal and HubSpot integration 3. Create a new task for AE to reach out to a partner:Execute a prep call: With the necessary information, introductions, and influence from your partners, it’s time to execute your co-selling strategy. This involves working closely with your partners to deliver a compelling joint solution to the customer. to create workflows and pin your AEs as soon as a partner becomes a customer or an open opportunity. Divisions or business units you have access to, or aim to expand to. Use cases for your solution and competing alternatives.5. Get the 3 I’s: Use the Once you have the You need to understand Understand their business and the partnership:Your value hypothesis for how/why your solution will address their current priorities (A value hypothesis tests whether a product or service really delivers value to customers once they are using it). : Set expectations for the calls ahead of time. Partners should bring some insights to share and discuss. These calls should focus on the list of key accounts you’ve built together. Document your insights and desired next steps for each of these accounts. from that partner and any others that overlap on the account. Key contacts you’ve spoken to already. This task involves initiating contact, discussing the potential for a joint solution, and strategizing on how to work together effectively. This step lays the foundation for a collaborative partnership.Stay aligned with company objectivesKeep a running document with your call notes and next steps. Ensure you’re keeping tight timelines. It is imperative that you’re prepared for the calls that are set up between you and a partner, even when your prospect isn’t involved. Just as you wouldn’t show up to a prospect “discovery” call without having looked at their website and doing additional research on the company, the same goes for these calls with partners.Any planned upsell or services motions you’re driving as part of the strategic growth plan.This ensures that you’re focusing your efforts, resources, and strengths on the accounts that matter most to both you and your partner.Together, let’s revolutionize the way you sell, one partnership at a time. Get ready to soar to new heights of success with Nearbound by your side! Build your learnings into a mutual action plan template for co-selling with partners Always set clear expectations with all parties involved, reviewing the necessary data, and documenting the progress so that everyone is on the same page. Here’s how: Once the account mapping is complete, it’s essential to prioritize the list of potential co-selling opportunities. Factors to consider for prioritization include: Key contacts and DMs you need access to. : Following the conversations with partners to review the data and insights, the next step is with your sales team. You’ve already organized the account overlaps by rep and team. Your calls with partners should parse this list down further. You should, by now, have a good idea of the sales reps that you want to work with based on the account mapping and partner’s validation. Co-selling with nearbound Get closed/won lost reviews with the people involved in your deal to get feedback and set specific action items to improve, and track list of opportunitiesSo, what are you waiting for? ; these actions are also tracked in pipeline. 1. Account mapping with partners:What team on sales and CS represents the most fruitful opportunity for collaboration?When organizing your segment data, consider key questions such as: What do they sell? How do they service? Why are we better together? and Where could we potentially compete? 2. Prioritize the list: After prioritizing the opportunities, it’s time to create a specific task for your Account Executive (AE) or Partner Manager to reach out to the relevant partner. You can leverage the Record your observations about this process. Use specific examples for context and reinforcement.From just partners to revenue powerhousesDiscuss this document regularly in 1:1s with leadership.: Maintain formal, written documentation about your process and progress. Good practices include:Use the 360° Goals to obtain partner signals (indications of interest or alignment from the partner),

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