Today’s guest has worked in many bootstrapped B2B start-ups and VC-backed companies, starting in sales roles and moving into marketing roles. He’s on a mission to make sure every B2B marketing and sales interaction provides impact outside of the product. Taylor Wells is the Host & Founder of GTM.news and Fractional Head of Demand Generation at Potential Opportunity. Taylor shares why go-to-market leaders need a reality check, why adding value to the end customer should be the focus of any partnership, and which types of partner motions early-stage startups should pursue.
Takeaways:
- The foundation of any successful partnership is its ability to jointly impact the customer positively. Understanding the customer's needs and how the partnership can address those needs is crucial.
- If the product wasn't designed with partnerships in mind, including integrations and tapping into ecosystems, focus should be on simpler forms of partnership like co-marketing or co-learning.
- Initiating the first steps in a partnership by giving without expectations can establish trust. Hosting webinars, creating joint content, or referring customers first are ways to show commitment and value to potential partners.
- Deep insights into the customer come from strong relationships. Building and maintaining relationships with partners, customers, and within the industry are vital for gaining trust and understanding customer needs.
- For startups, the emphasis should be on co-learning, co-marketing, and possibly co-selling. These early stages are crucial for establishing trust, understanding market needs, and laying the groundwork for more intricate forms of partnerships.
- With increasing commoditization, creating an offering that stands out and provides unique value is key. This differentiating factor can strengthen partnerships by offering something exclusive to the partnership that benefits end customers.
- Ensure that every partnership and sales effort is committed to creating real value for the customer. This commitment should be ingrained in the company culture and reflected in every business activity.
Quote of the Show:
- “Unless you create a product that's specifically designed to go through a partnership motion, it's going be really challenging.” - Taylor Wells
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