The Art of Cloud GTM Alliances: Lessons from an Italian Adventure

Introduction

Hey everyone, thanks for bearing with me. I moved the blog to bi-weekly and then to monthly due to an overwhelming response and business growth. For the last few weeks, my wife Elizabeth and I decided to unplug by touring Italy, from the Alpine wonders in the north to the breathtaking Amalfi coast in the south.

The Trip as an Analogy for Cloud GTM

Our Italian tour provided me with fresh perspectives on Cloud GTM strategy for ISVs. Just like you'd benefit from local expertise for a vacation, you need expert guidance when navigating the cloud marketplace. In Italy, a former colleague and his wife, who started their own travel experience company, played the role of our Alliances team, guiding us through the journey, while Elizabeth and I acted like the Sales team, eager to explore and achieve our goals. They helped plan and organize 70% of the trip and I did the rest. With their local experience on the ground and my knack for creating a spontaneous last minute day trip, our adventure was a successful whirlwind of fun. It was very similar to how ISVs in various states of maturity on their cloud GTM journey with some being heavily Alliance driven, others being Sales driven and all that falls between. You see, I’d never been to Italy before and AC (nickname for my colleague) and his wife had owned a place there and were way more experienced. So they took on the role of my Alliances team and Elizabeth and I were very much the Sales team. We knew we wanted to see things (sell) and we had only so many days to do them but they could provide the direction, and insights and manage the process for us as we learned along the way.

The Starting Point: Need for Alliances in Cloud GTM

If you're an ISV, you probably recognize the importance of an Alliances team to guide you through cloud programs, competencies, co-sell, and marketplaces. On the other hand, your Sales team is goal oriented and eager to drive results. You see when you start out with Cloud GTM you typically need help, we’ve established this before, and that help takes time to learn so your business usually has the closest people to the Clouds (alliances) begin that process with an expert, a coach or even through DIY. That Alliances team through coaching, trial and error or simply time begins to understand how to navigate cloud programs, competencies, co-sell, marketplace, etc…

Analogy Breakdown: The Role of Alliances

Our trip was a success because we combined local expertise and spontaneous planning. The Alliances team built the foundation, much like my friend AC and his travel company "Italy with Bella" laid the groundwork for our Italian trip. As an ISV in this space, you likely start here too. Then there are two options for your business to choose from. Do we want to build out this channel as an Alliances driven, staffed, and invested team (like the travel company), or do we want to mature over time to become a sales driven business that has the sellers driving and doing all the activity? 

Business Models: Alliances-Driven vs. Sales-Driven

As an ISV, you'll want to decide between two starting options:

1. An Alliances driven model with a team fully dedicated to partnerships.
2. A Sales driven model where sellers are the primary movers.

Both have advantages and disadvantages but the idea is that you have a plan going in as to where you want to be. Ideally, the team ends up moving towards Sales driven and Alliances supported motions but this doesn't make sense for everyone and the key to this is to do so at the right times. You cant move to fast without infrastructure, enablement, compensation, and more in place but you also need to consider how much added workload going too slow puts on the Alliances and supporting groups. So how do you figure this out easier? Simple, see my last blog and hire a coach to help you, a coach can offer valuable insights.

The Alliances Partner Portal: Your GTM Roadmap

Now getting to the heart of the matter today is looking at the initial phase of maturity where Alliances is doing the heavy lift. There is something here that I see missing often from blogs, webinars, and the like when we talk about managing all of this. That is the partner portal. Sure you can buy PRM and CRM software and integrations but I’ve yet to see one that actually solves the problem of managing all of this for an Alliances leader across cosell, marketplace, programs, and more. This typically starts as an Excel sheet. On our trip, we had a super nice application from AC and the team that gave detailed information, updates, and schedules for everything. We need something similar for Alliance leaders managing single or especially multi-cloud relationships.

I’ve built a manual version of this in Excel and share it with my customers but many hadn’t begun to think through this. So what does it do and why is it important you build yourself?

What Does the Alliances Partner Portal Cover?

Well its a lot of information but it's essentially your single pane of glass across the cloud providers for your business. Here you'll see the best practice items to track:

General Information

• Consumption
• Programs
• Funds In and Out
• Campaigns
• Program Status
• Related Deals
• Cloud AE and Contact Information
• Introduction Emails
• Product and Program Information
• Updates and Timestamps

Co-Sell

• Opportunities Shared
• Status
• Related Campaigns
• Co-Sell Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Reports

Marketplace

• Public Offers
• Private Offers
• Products and Updates
• Marketplace Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Reports

CRM

• CRM Updates - Bi-Directional
• Inbound Leads
• Status
• Introductory Emails
• Product and Program Information

Strategy and Objectives

• Alignment Score
• Roadmap Alignment

Financials

• Revenue Share
• Cost Metrics

Relationships

• Partner Tier Status
• Executive Engagement

Marketing & Sales

• Customer Testimonials
• Event Participation

Training & Certification

• Partner Certifications
• Training Programs Completed

Marketplace Specifics

• Customer Reviews and Ratings
• Featured Listings

Reporting and Analytics

• Links to internal and external reporting
• Real Time Dashboards
• Automated Alerts

Extra Information

• Surveys and Feedback
• Customer Onboarding Time
• Churn Rate
• Global Reach
• Data Handling and Security Audits
• NPS Scores
• SLA Compliance Rates
• API Usage
• Integration Points

Why Metrics Matter

Understanding the 'why' behind each metric is as important as tracking them. For instance, Consumption metrics help in optimizing offerings, while Funds In and Out help maintain budget controls. If you looked at my list and wondered what most of them were for, we need to chat because this is the basis for success and your Alliances Partner Portal that needs to be built in order to help you manage your business. Anyone looking to enter into this role should think about how they can programmatically build this out and then hopefully integrate it with tools at your company that can help make it a bit less manual. Many of you may have something in place already, perhaps its a combination of things, let me know in the comments!

Why the Framework Matters

On our free days in Italy, I planned trips to Switzerland, Venice, Cinque Terra, Rome, and Capri. To do so I needed a framework that consisted of a timetable, travel vehicle(s), weather, activities, and more, it took a few hours the night before but we made it happen. Going forward I can use these examples to help the travel organizations to better assist me and build backup plans and options into the application and streamline or minimize effort going forward, thereby maturing the process much like the Alliance leader with this process.

Moving Beyond the Spreadsheet: Automation and Integration

Why remain stuck with spreadsheets when you can integrate advanced tools that offer real-time updates and actionable insights? Consider platforms that sync PRM and CRM directly with your Partner Portal.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. The modern-day Roman Alliances leader must integrate. No, really. For most Alliances leaders, this whole shebang starts with a spreadsheet. But why remain in the age of Julius Caesar when you have the power of Augustus at your fingertips?

There are now platforms that integrate PRM, CRM, and more, directly syncing with your Partner Portal, allowing real-time updates and offering actionable insights. However, these platforms are not one size fits all. So, look for customization features, easy data export and import options, and of course, top-notch security features (as the Italians say, "Meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani" – better an egg today than a hen tomorrow).

Emotional vs. Rational Decisions

Numbers are important, but so are intangibles like trust and shared values. Just like my trust in AC's company was built on their genuine care for our experience, your partners can tell if you're genuinely invested.

Sure, numbers are crucial, but so are the intangibles. Trust, shared values, and long-term visions are what transform a partnership from transactional to transformational. On our Italy trip, the trust I had in AC and his travel company was not just built on efficient planning but also their genuine care for our experience. And believe me, your partners can tell if you're genuinely invested or just ticking boxes.

Conclusion and Next Steps

During my travels, I couldn't help but wonder about the maturation process of ISVs. Much like you wouldn't visit Venice without experiencing a gondola ride, why would you invest in alliances without a clear path to maturity and evolution? This doesn't mean you jump headfirst into every new initiative, but rather, strategically decide when to graduate from being alliance led to sales driven.

This maturation process will be unique to each ISV and must be done at the right pace. Rush it, and you risk system collapses. Drag your feet, and you fall behind in a fast paced marketplace. Like a well planned journey, each phase should flow naturally into the next, building upon lessons learned and adapting to new challenges and opportunities.

Navigating Cloud GTM is akin to planning a successful Italian trip. To evolve from a transactional relationship to a transformational one, you must balance data with emotional intelligence, just like balancing the ingredients in a plate of spaghetti aglio e olio.

So, let's bring it all back to the "piazza." Your Cloud GTM strategy, akin to a beautiful Italian fresco, is a masterpiece in the making. Understanding the importance of the Alliances Partner Portal, integrating systems, building trust, and strategically maturing your processes are the colors that bring your fresco to life. When orchestrated correctly, you end up with a vibrant tableau that tells the story of a business not just surviving in the cloud but thriving.

To navigate this complex and often confusing landscape, don't hesitate to bring in an experienced guide. Sometimes a fresh perspective can make all the difference between going in circles and breaking new ground. As I always say, no one ever regretted investing in expertise.

Ciao for now, but as always, if you have more questions or need personalized advice, feel free to reach out. The world of Cloud GTM is as expansive and rewarding as a trip to Italy, and it’s always better when navigated with a knowledgeable guide.