Join hosts Josh Wagner and Justin Gray for a conversation with Mark Roberge, co-founder of Stage 2 Capital, on his insights and experiences with partnerships. In this episode, Mark emphasizes the importance of not rushing into partnerships too early and highlights the need for founders to first establish product-market fit and go-to-market fit. Mark also discusses the misconception that sales is about pitching and emphasizes the importance of asking questions and understanding the customer's needs. He provides valuable advice on building successful partnerships and gaining mindshare within partner organizations.
Takeaways:
- Partnerships should not be pursued too early in the growth stage of a company. It is important to first establish product-market fit and go-to-market fit.
- When pursuing partnerships, it is crucial to understand the partner organization's top strategies and how your partnership can address them.
- To gain mindshare within partner organizations, founders need to motivate sales teams to prioritize their product over others. Strategic partnerships can be instrumental in scaling a business.
- Understanding the internal value proposition for sellers is important in motivating them.
- Different types of partners require different approaches and strategies.
Quote of the Show:
"The top third of performing salespeople in the industry speak less than half of the time on the first sales call." - Mark Roberge
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What is The GTM Cheat Code?
Serial entrepreneurs Justin Gray and Josh Wagner combine decades of B2B and GTM expertise with unwavering honesty on The GTM Cheat Code Podcast. Episodes feature interviews with investors, founders and true experts who reveal the pragmatic approaches and ideas (read: ‘cheats’) they’ve employed over the years to side-step failure, create opportunity, break down barriers and ultimately beat the game.