Partner Sales Programs

When I first started in Procurement, I used to segment suppliers by spend alone. You know the old Pareto rule we all use: The “strategic” ones were the top 20% of spend (sometimes less!) The “tail” was… well, the tail. And if you also work in Procurement, you already know the flaw in that logic. Spend doesn’t always equal value, especially when it comes to services. I learned this when we had three very different suppliers in the same category: 🔴 Supplier A: Huge spend. Solid, but they delivered exactly what the contract said. Nothing more. 🟠 Supplier B: Mid-spend. They’d call me before I even knew there was a problem. 🟡 Supplier C: Tiny spend. But one year, their niche expertise saved us from a regulatory mess that would’ve cost millions. Same category Same procurement process Completely different value profiles Around that time I decided to shift from a spend-based segmentation to a value-potential segmentation: 70% Core – The operational backbone. You keep them efficient and reliable. It’s about SLAs, contract compliance, and stability. 20% Adjacent – Capability builders. They bring in adjacent skills, fresh insight, and potential to expand into new areas. 10% Transformative – Innovation partners. High risk, high reward. They might change how the business operates in the next 3–5 years. Managing this mix isn’t just operational but also political because stakeholders will always push for more time with the “big” suppliers. It’s relational because you need trust to get a small supplier to share their best ideas. It is also strategic because you’re betting on who might matter most in the future. When you get it right, you stop treating small suppliers like an afterthought… …and you start finding value in places the spend report will never show you. -------------- If this got you thinking differently about supplier segmentation, you’ll love my newsletter The Procurement Blueprint, where I share the real strategies, tools, and mistakes from nearly 20 years in Procurement. Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eg5C2b5i

Cold Calling Is Dying. Here’s What’s Replacing It. The numbers don’t lie: • Cold call success rates have dropped to 2.3% in 2025, down from 4.8% last year (Cognism). • 72% of sales calls never reach a person, and it takes 8+ dials to connect with just one prospect. • Only 28% of reps still view cold calling as effective. Meanwhile, high-performing teams are doing something different. Research-Driven, Insight-Led Outreach Wins: • Reps who thoroughly research their prospects are 3x more likely to succeed (Clevenio). • Prospect-specific research can lift conversions by ~30%. • Insight-led outreach builds trust before a call is ever placed. Email and Social Are Outpacing Phone-First Approaches: • Personalized cold emails outperform generic ones by 32%; average reply rates are 8–9%. • 78% of social sellers outsell peers, and social-enabled teams hit quota 66% more often. Takeaway: 1. The call is no longer the first touchpoint. It’s the third or maybe the fourth; it’s only viable once you have demonstrable engagement via other channels. 2. Buyers start with research—so should you. Start with research. Deliver value. Leverage email and social. Then—and only then—call with context. You’re no longer the teacher like when you were knocking on doors. 3. This is how modern sales works. And this is how trust is built at scale. Welcome to the future, my friends. 🙌🏾 #NervousSystemsStrategist #SalesLeadership #ModernSelling #ColdCalling #SalesDevelopment #InsightSelling #SalesStrategy #SalesEnablement

I watched a company lose a $1.2M deal last quarter because they were still running MEDDPICC like it's 1996. They identified a Champion and an Economic Buyer. They documented Pain points. They were textbook perfect. The problem in 2025 is that no single Champion can get a deal done. Sales methodologies from the 90s weren't built for today's buying committees, consensus-driven decisions, and distributed authority. The modern sale requires a complete methodology upgrade. No more obsessing over a Champion. You need relationships with the entire team. No more chasing generic Pain points. You need Numerical Priorities linked to business outcomes. No more vague "Compelling Event". You need documented, financially-validated trigger points. No more hoping for Decision Criteria. You need to shape it with objective benchmarks. The best sellers still run a methodology, but it's evolved. They're identifying group priorities, mapping out competing initiatives, and anchoring everything in provable ROI. Try this on your next deal…instead of asking "What's keeping you up at night?" ask "What are the top 3 numerical priorities for your department this quarter?" Watch how quickly you can separate real deals from wishful thinking.

"We're moving forward with another vendor." Every rep's nightmare sentence. I pressed for details. "Their approach felt more open. We actually knew what we were buying into." That stung. I'd shared: ••• Exhaustive feature documentation ••• Dozens of success stories   ••• Complete pricing breakdowns Where'd I go wrong? Days later, I got access to our competitor's sales process. The difference hit instantly: They didn't preach transparency. They lived it. Their follow-up wasn't an email avalanche. It was one collaborative hub where buyers could: ••• Monitor which stakeholders engaged with what ••• See their exact position in the evaluation journey ••• Find materials curated for their unique pain points ••• Manage internal distribution seamlessly My revelation: I was buried in PDFs. They were cultivating partnership. Next prospect, new approach: I built a shared workspace exposing EVERYTHING: → Which team members on our side viewed their data → Critical docs they'd missed → Realistic implementation expectations → Where we excel AND where we don't The buyer's response: "Finally, someone not playing games." Ink on paper in 10 days. Here's what's real: Today's buyers aren't starved for data. They're starved for authenticity. Yesterday's strategy: Bombard with polished assets that sidestep weaknesses. Tomorrow's strategy: Build transparent environments that tackle doubts directly. Your buyers know when something's off. Even when nothing is. Quit running sales like a shell game. Start running it like a glass house. You with me?

Your Competitor Isn’t Another Sales Organization In modern B2B sales, your biggest competitor isn’t a rival company. It’s your client’s fear of being wrong. Most decision-makers aren’t comparing your solution to someone else’s. They’re comparing action versus inaction. The risk of change feels greater than the pain of staying the same. Deals die quietly — not because your product failed, but because buyers lack the certainty to sign. Sales leaders often misread this. They push for more follow-ups, bigger pipelines, and better decks. But none of that fixes the real problem: your buyer doesn’t feel safe making a decision to change. Here’s how to fix it: 1️⃣ Lead with Insight — Start with a non-obvious idea that reframes the buyer’s world. 2️⃣ Reframe the Risk — Move from “What if this fails?” to “What if you don’t act?” 3️⃣ Transfer Confidence — Prove you understand their problem better than they do. 4️⃣ Build Consensus — Find the “CEO of the problem,” the one responsible for results. 5️⃣ Teach, Don’t Pitch — They buy rarely; you sell daily. Be their guide, not a vendor. Expertise is the new currency. Modern buyers don’t need pressure — they need confidence. #SalesLeadership #B2BSales #ModernSelling #OneUp #SalesStrategy

I warmed up a prospect for 3 months on LinkedIn before our first call. They signed a £75K deal in 3 days. Modern selling demands a new approach: cold outreach fails, warm relationships win. Think about it... That prospect had consumed 47 of my posts. Watched my videos. Read my articles. Engaged with my content. By the time we jumped on that first call? They already trusted me. They already knew my approach. They already understood the value. I didn't have to sell them. They'd already sold themselves. Here's my framework for turning content into closed deals: 👇 1. Build trust at scale BEFORE the pitch Stop spraying and praying with cold messages. Start building relationships through value. Each post builds trust. Your insights mark credibility. Stories create connection. Your content is doing the heavy lifting while you sleep. 2. Let buyers self-educate on THEIR timeline Modern buyers don't want to be sold to. They want to discover solutions themselves. ↳ 70% of the buying journey happens before they talk to sales ↳ They're researching you before you even know they exist ↳ Your content is either attracting or repelling them Give them what they need to make informed decisions. 3. Recognize the REAL buying signals Forget MQLs and SQLs. Think about PQLs (product qualified leads) Here's what actually matters: - Multiple engagements across different posts - Bringing colleagues into the conversation - Asking specific, detailed questions - Moving from public comments to private messages These aren't leads. These are pre-qualified buyers. 4. Keep momentum BETWEEN meetings Here's where most deals die: The 167 hours between your calls. While you're chasing other prospects, your buyer is: ↳ Getting cold feet ↳ Talking to competitors ↳ Forgetting why they were excited Smart sellers stay present even when they're not there. This is where tools like Consensus come in. They let buyers explore demos on their own time. Answer their questions at 10 PM. Share materials with their team. Stay engaged between touchpoints. It's how you keep social selling momentum right through the demo stage. https://lnkd.in/ePVWw-Bi 5. Close with confidence, not pressure When trust is already built? When value is already proven? When buyers are already educated? Closing feels natural, not like a battle. The best deals I've ever closed felt inevitable. Because the relationship started months before the opportunity. Here's what this approach delivers (in my experience): ✓ Significantly faster sales cycles ✓ Much higher close rates ✓ Bigger deal sizes (pre-sold = less negotiation) ✓ Happier customers (they chose you, not the other way around) Stop thinking of social selling as "nice to have." Start treating it as your primary sales strategy. Your next big deal isn't in your CRM. They're scrolling LinkedIn right now. What content are you creating to catch them? #ConsensusPartner

Most people only see sales from the front. The pitch The persuasion The pipeline. But behind the scenes, especially in Southeast Asia, sales live inside partnerships. No matter how good a seller is, you can’t win alone. Not in tech. Not in enterprise. Not in SEA. There are always three groups moving together: 🧩 The principal partner (product, brand, enablement) 🧩 The delivery partner (execution, workflows, customer support) 🧩 The humans (personalities, motivations, culture) When these three align, outcomes look easy. When they don’t, deals feel “stuck” even when interest is high. And if I’m honest, dynamics are never perfect. Different priorities. Different timelines. Different definitions of urgency. But the thing that makes partnerships actually work is much simpler: → Respect (for each role) → Openness (to share the real situation) → Accountability (to deliver when it’s your turn) Without these, a partnership becomes a logo exchange. With these, it becomes a real growth engine. --- 👉🏻 I’ve been lucky to experience this close-up. Chloe Teo on the HubSpot side - patient, sharp, and supportive. Surindren Manickam on our side at VLAN Asia - relentless in keeping us visible, credible and on track with "Making Things Right". Vinoth Sekaran a big part of keeping this engine running. And now Daryl Loh stepping in - you can already feel the gears turning again. 👉🏻 Then there’s the cultural layer. Partnerships in the US are contract-first: “Scope, SLA, roles, done.” In Southeast Asia, it’s relationship-first: “Do I trust you? Will you show up when things get messy?” The first is transactional. The second is relational. Both can work but in SEA, relational trust often decides who gets the phone call, who gets looped into deals, and who gets invited into strategy. 👉🏻 Visibility plays a role too. It’s not just about being technically capable - the partner needs to know you exist and trust you enough to put you in front of their customers. Surin has been carrying that torch for years - keeping VLAN visible with principal brands like HubSpot and earning the right to be considered. That’s how deals get distributed. That’s how collaborations scale. 👉🏻 And finally: Clarity. When principals and partners aren’t clear about: → who drives what → how the customer buys → where the friction actually is the customer experiences confusion, not confidence. When there’s clarity, deals move. When there’s no clarity, they “remain in consideration” forever. --- People romanticize sales as a lone ranger job. The truth? A lone ranger can close some deals. But partnerships close markets. 2026 will reward the companies who partner well, not just pitch well. Thank you Hubspot partner team for an exciting 2025 ♥️ ✌🏻

Partnerships have a honeymoon period. But you can't build a successful partnership strategy that way. A successful partnership strategy can't survive on starry-eyed excitement. It needs consistent tracking, review, and adjustment. Setting up a routine for regular partnership reviews helps ensure that every partner continues to contribute value and align with your goals. Here’s a straightforward guide to establishing an effective review cadence: DURING MONTHLY CHECK-INS: Monitor Engagement and Pipeline Health: - Partner Engagement: Are partners actively promoting your solutions? Monitor how frequently partners engage, share leads, or collaborate on content. - Pipeline Health: Review the current status of partner-sourced leads. Are they progressing through the pipeline or stalling? This provides a pulse on lead quality and pipeline velocity. (Pro Tip: Use CRM dashboards to quickly visualize monthly trends. A partner falling behind in engagement or lead generation can be flagged for extra support before the issue impacts quarterly goals.) DURING QUARTERLY CHECK-INS (Quarterly Business Reviews or QBRs): Assess KPIs and impact: - Revenue Contribution: Track revenue from partner-sourced leads. Are partners contributing to target revenue goals? Compare this against previous quarters to detect any patterns. - Deal Velocity: Examine the average time for partner-sourced deals to close. Faster deal cycles may indicate strong alignment with your audience, while slower cycles could highlight areas for enablement improvement. - Retention and Renewals: Review retention rates for customers acquired through each partner. Higher retention often suggests the partner is bringing well-aligned, high-value leads. (Pro Tip: Share a summary of the QBR data with the broader team and executives. Keeping everyone informed boosts alignment across departments and reinforces the value of your partnerships.) DURING ANNUAL CHECK-INS (Annual Pipeline Audit): Evaluate & adjust long-term strategy - Trend Analysis: Review metrics like partner-sourced revenue, pipeline growth, and retention over the year. Look for trends that show which partnerships delivered consistent value and which may need reevaluation. - Resource Allocation: Identify high-impact partners and consider how to deepen those relationships. This could mean exclusive training, co-marketing, or more dedicated support to further accelerate growth. - Forecasting and Goal Setting: Use annual metrics to set achievable targets for the coming year. Which partner types or industries contributed the most? (Pro Tip: Use insights from the annual audit to adjust your Ideal Partner Profile and refine your partner strategy. Trends from a full year’s data will guide resource allocation and pinpoint where to focus for maximum impact.) Anything you'd add?

If your sales strategy is still built on “Always Be Closing,” you’re stuck in the past. The old-school “ABC” sales mantra was great in the 90s, but in today’s market, it just doesn’t cut it anymore. Customers are smarter, more informed, and want genuine partnerships—not pushy sales tactics. So, what’s working now? Here’s what modern sales looks like: ⤵️ 1) Always Be Connecting: Build genuine relationships, not just transactions. Focus on long-term value, not short-term gains. Customer retention and loyalty are more profitable than chasing new leads. Use social selling to establish trust before the pitch. 2) Always Be Curious: Ask probing questions to uncover real pain points. Listen more than you speak (aim for 80/20 ratio). Continuously educate yourself on your client's industry. 3) Always Be Consulting: Position yourself as a trusted advisor, not just a vendor. Offer strategic insights that go beyond your product. Sometimes, the best sale is telling a client they don't need you (yet). 4) Always Be Customizing: Customize your approach to each prospect's unique needs. Use data and AI to personalize at scale. Adapt your offering to provide bespoke solutions. 5) Always Be Collaborative: Work with prospects to co-create solutions. Involve multiple stakeholders in the buying process. Encourage internal partnerships to deliver comprehensive value. 💡 In today’s sales world, the rule is simple: "Always Be Valuable." Your worth isn't measured by closes, but by the positive impact you make on your clients' businesses. #SalesStrategy #BusinessGrowth #ModernSales #SalesEvolution  #SalesTips #ThoughtLeadership

Everyone’s talking about “partner-led growth” but most people misunderstand what it actually means. It’s not about signing a few logos and hoping partners fill your pipeline next quarter. It’s not a magic switch that suddenly delivers revenue. And it’s definitely not something you delegate to one person and expect instant results. Here’s what I tell founders and CEOs when we sit down: Partnerships should align with your company’s strategy and accelerate what you’re already trying to do. If your North Star is top-line growth, partnerships can drive high-quality leads and better conversion. If you're trying to reduce churn partners can improve onboarding and deliver more value across the lifecycle. If you’re under pressure to do more with less, partnerships can reduce cost-to-acquire without bloating headcount. But that only works if the business is aligned. I’ve had execs say, “We want partners to fill the funnel next month.” My answer? Sure! If you want spray-and-pray, you’ll get noise, not results. Real partner-led growth is a capability you build not a quick campaign. It takes alignment, systems, enablement, and commitment. The companies that win? They stay the course. They get everyone on the same page. And they treat partnerships as a function, not a side hustle. Because when done right, it’s not just “partner-led.” It’s strategy-led, sales-aligned, and growth-proven. Curious how much untapped revenue is hiding in your partner program? Check out our Partnership Revenue Gap Calculator [Link in the comments.]