Indirect is cool...again

Look back to learn how to look forward.

Glance at the history of B2B SaaS companies and we see something very interesting. It has been defined by three important eras.

• The Era of Sales Digitization (2000s)
• The Era of Marketing Automation (2010s)
• The Era of Partner Ecosystems (2020+)

(Read more about each era in the PartnerHacker manifesto.)

The first two eras were defined by direct channels and direct access to new markets of customers. When one growth channel stopped producing ROI, new channels seemed to emerge to fill the void.

But that’s changed.

People overlooked indirect in the early years of B2B SaaS because technology made direct cheap and possible in ways it never was before. But that’s getting played out. Direct methods have flooded the market, and people are tuning out.

But now that indirect is coming back, people think it’s new. It’s not. What’s happening is indirect channels are finally catching up to all the innovation in B2B SaaS.

This leaves an amazing opportunity: the chance to connect the small-world trust of the pre-digital era with the scale, scope, and reach of the infinite-world digital era.

Nearbound brings the best of both worlds.

Partners influence, land, and expand

Jay McBain’s trifurcation of the channel captures the shift from the old to the new channel.

This transformation occurred as partners started impacting different parts of the value chain. So instead of only being a transaction channel, partners became a source of influence, transactions, AND retention.

Translate that to Nearbound terms, and you’ve got Nearbound Marketing (Influencer), Nearbound Sales (Transaction), and Nearbound Success (Retention).

Share this image with your network to help them visualize the evolution!

(BTW, if you’re new to partnerships, Jay McBain is a must-follow.)

Dell confirms sales layoffs

Dell recently announced the biggest change ever in their go-to-market model.

They’re transitioning to a partner-led model, incentivizing their direct sales team to prioritize selling storage products through the channel.

This is very positive news for the channel,

said one partner.

The message to channel partners: Call the reps.

To the rep: Call your partners. The gloves are off. Go make more money. Go sell the best storage portfolio in the business. Go keep taking market share.

Check out Chip Rodgers’ thoughts on the announcement and join the conversation in the comments.

Stuff you don’t want to miss!

• Today, August 21-23rd in Denver – Join us at Catalyst – Isaac, Jared, Ademola, and Will will be at Catalyst. Stop by the podcast booth, stop us in the event hall, or join us for impromptu interviews. Say hey, we’d love to meet you!
• September 7, 4-10 PM EST – INVITE-ONLY EVENT – Nearbound at Inbound – We’re partnering with HubSpot for some major fun on the green ⛳️. Only a 5-minute walk from HubSpot’s Inbound 2023 conference. VIP guest list. Toasts from industry leaders like Scott Brinker, Harbinder Khera, Tyler Calder, and more. 
• September 8, 12 PM EST - Game Changers: Isaac Morehouse — Isaac will join Oana Manolache to talk about how to use content creation to define a category. He’ll share the 3 elements to help you build brand awareness, drive pipeline, and unite your team. 

Expand the in-crowd by sharing the PhD

B2B SaaS is used to direct channels, but the innovators recognize the value of indirect. Share this with someone you think will get it.