November 20, 2024
Issue #698
You know that feeling when you’ve sent one too many emails, had back-to-back meetings, and your creativity feels like it’s clocked out early?
But don’t worry — we’ve got something to reignite that spark.
Today, we’re diving into Chris Lavoie’s genius AI-powered ELG playbook. It’s packed with tactical advice to break through the monotony, get partners excited about your accounts, and, most importantly, close deals.
Ready to trade brain fog for actionable insights? Let’s get to it.
PRINCIPLES
Break the repetition
Doing the same thing over and over (and over again) is a surefire way to drain your creative energy.
Let’s be real, if you’ve spent your entire day cranking out emails, hopping on calls, managing teams, or jumping from one deal to the next, it's perfectly normal to reach a point where you can actively feel your brain turning to mush, making it difficult to be fully engaged in the activities that are going to drive the most revenue impact for your company.
Sound familiar? I’ve been there too. And while it might seem obvious, here's a little reminder: you don’t have to go it alone. Lean on your partners and teammates for that insight that no one else has.
Yes, it’s your account, and yes, it’s your task — but that doesn’t mean you’re stranded on an island. Your partners and colleagues often have perspectives about your potential buyer you might not have considered.
So, the next time you feel your creativity running on fumes, reach out, collaborate, and brainstorm. Sometimes, all you need is a quick huddle to reignite that spark. Two (or more) heads are almost always better than one.
TACTICS
Use ChatGPT and ELG
We all know the struggle of trying to get partner reps to rally behind your accounts. Here’s a tactical play straight from Chris Lavoie, Head of Global Partnerships at AfterShip, (which he shared last week on LinkedIn) that’ll make sure you’re not spinning your wheels, but that you're spinning up deals.
Step 01: Identify your top target accounts
First things first, fire up Crossbeam to pull a list of your top [insert here the number you need] mutual customer accounts. From there, easily find the names of key players like account managers, CSMs, and AEs associated with each of these accounts — use Ecosystem Intelligence in your Copilot widget to quickly find this information in your CRM.
Step 02: Map and prioritize key partner reps
Use ChatGPT to analyze how many unique accounts each partner rep manages. Prioritize those who have influence over 3+ accounts to create your VIP list. These are the reps with serious leverage — the ones who can pull strings and open doors. In other words, they’re your MVPs in this partnership game.
Pro tip:
It’s like finding the perfect nacho chip — loaded with toppings and just the right amount of crunch. These reps are your loaded nachos, ready to deliver value with every bite.
Step 3: Create custom messaging at scale
Now let the creative juice flow to drive engagement. Instead of sending the usual “Hey, how’s it going?” message that gets lost in your buyer’s inbox, use ChatGPT to craft personalized, value-led messages for each VIP rep.
Make it juicy:
Mention the specific accounts they manage and the tech stack they use, and don’t forget to dangle a shiny SPIFF incentive (think $50 per referral, $100–$300 per closed deal). Remember, nothing grabs attention like the promise of some extra $$$ in their pocket.
Example:
“Hey {partner.rep}, I noticed you’re managing [Account A, Account B, Account C] — let’s collaborate to turn these into success stories. Btw, there’s a sweet $300 SPIFF for every deal we close together. Let’s make it rain!”
Bonus: CustomGPT assistant for quick outreach
If you’re feeling extra fancy (or just strapped for time), take things up a notch by building a CustomGPT bot. This AI sidekick can whip up outreach copy on-demand, tailored to each rep with prompts like:
"Write a LinkedIn DM to {partner.rep} with value-driven copy citing their managed accounts and earnings potential."
If you need more AI powered ELG plays, send Chris a DM and leverage the AI Recommended Plays in Crossbeam Copilot. Thanks for the play, Chris!
MEME OF THE DAY
Who else is feeling like this?
I’m pretty sure almost everyone. Am I right?
Millennials
for the meme.
STUFF YOU CAN'T MISS
- November 20 — GTM Partners Better Together Roadshow: San Francisco — TOMORROW
If you’re a GTM leader, join the first B2B go-to-market conference focused on unifying teams and tech. The Crossbeam team will be at the next event in San Francisco, learn more here.
- November 21 — Rethinking Nurture: How to Create an Always-On Strategy That Drives Pipeline
Meghan Crook (Intentsify) and Jessica Fewless (Inverta) will share how to build a signal-based strategy that will help you keep the conversation going and facilitate the buyer journey across multiple channels.
Save your spot here.
- December 3 — What's new in Crossbeam: From data integration to seamless collaboration
Join Crossbeam's product team for an upcoming release webinar, where you'll explore the latest Crossbeam updates designed to streamline your workflows, deliver more data to your sales teams, and push ecosystem data where you need it most. Save your spot here.
- December 5 — Year in Review: Top Partnership Insights of 2024
Kelly Sarabyn will speak with Greg Portnoy, Nelson Wang,and Jill Rowley, as they review top partnership insights from 2024 and how that will guide partnerships in 2025.
Save your spot here.
You're all caught up
See you tomorrow
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