Cloud Partnerships Go-to-Market: A 3-Year Partner Plan

Want to build successful Partner Plan? Discover key timelines, milestones, and strategies for effective collaboration with AWS, Azure, and GCP.

UPDATE: ⭐️Free Course Offer to the Medium Community⭐️: Mastering Cloud Partnerships & Co-Sell

Due to the high demand on learning how to partner with AWS, I have shared my FULL Cloud Partnership Playbook over a comprehensive course. I want to share with the Medium community a free access to the course, click here to get a FREE coupon to the course.

Creating and nurturing partnerships with cloud service providers (CSPs), like AWS, Microsoft Azure and GCP, is an investment in your business’s future. However, it’s essential to understand that this path is not for those seeking quick returns. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the realistic timelines of partnership progress and explore common pitfalls to avoid. With the right approach and patience, you can develop a fruitful partnership with CSPs.

Partnering with CSPs involves a long-term commitment. Before diving it, you should assess whether a cloud partnership with a certain CSP is the right move for your business. Read more here to learn how to assess the partnership opportunity with CSPs.

So assuming that a cloud partnership is the right move for you, let’s talk about a typical partnership joureny with cloud giants like AWS, Microsoft Azure and GCP.

On average, it takes around 3 years to see repeatable and scalable results. The first year is dedicated to building the partnership foundation. The second year is focused on executing partnership initiatives and the third year is all about scale. Sounds too vague? let’s go these 3 years, with specific examples. Here is an example of a typical 3-year partnership plan including insights into the journey’s various phases:

🚀 The First Year: Establishing a Strong Foundation

The first year is all about setting up. Focus on:

1. Join the CSP’s Program: Sign up for the cloud service provider’s partnership program. It’s your entry pass.
2. Create a Compelling Joint Value Proposition: Create a narrative that highlights the symbiotic benefits of your partnership, setting you apart.
3. Diving into CSP Co-Sell and Differentiation Programs: Leverage relevant Co-Sell programs to build a scalable Co-Sell motion with the CSP sales teams.
4. Launch your Solution on the CSP Marketplace: For a deeper dive on why Cloud Marketplaces are important, read this post.
5. Choose a Partnership Leader: Appoint a dedicated owner responsible for managing the CSP partnership.

🚀 The Second Year: Gaining Momentum and Visibility

With the foundation set, year two is all about building on that groundwork and starting to see tangible results. Your strategy should include:

• Launching Joint Marketing Initiatives: Collaborate on campaigns that amplify your presence, leveraging the CSP’s vast reach.
• Celebrating Initial Joint Wins: Use early successes to demonstrate the value of the partnership, both internally and externally.
• Deepening Your Footprint in the CSP Marketplace: Focus on enhancing your Marketplace deals to drive more engagement and sales.
• Fostering a Robust Joint Sales Pipeline: Collaborate closely with CSP sellers to identify and pursue opportunities that benefit both parties.
• Engage with your Partner Development Manager (PDM): Integrate a dedicated PDM to act as a catalyst for your partnership, facilitating growth and opportunities.
• Scaling Your Partnership Operations: Assess the progress and scale your partnership team accordingly to keep pace with the growing demands of your partnership.

🚀 The Third Year: Scaling Co-Sell Motions — Expanding Reach and Deepening Impact

The third year focuses on scaling your co-selling efforts. This phase is all about broadening your impact and ensuring sustainable growth. Key areas of focus include:

• Growing your Marketplace Presence: Keep expanding your Marketplace deals.
• Strategizing with Channel Partners: Collaborating with channel partners for deal execution.
• Leverage Joint Marketing Initiatives: Accessing CSP-led marketing opportunities.
• Growing Your Partnership Team: Expand your team to support the increasing scale and scope of your partnership.
• Keep Checking Your Progress: Always look at how things are going and adjust your plan to do even better. See here KPIs to measure partnership progress and performance.

It’s important to note that while a 3-year timeline is provided here, there’s no guarantee of immediate ROI. Measuring your partnership’s impact along the way is crucial, allowing you to adjust your strategy as you progress. Tracking partnership Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can be instrumental in assessing your partnership’s effectiveness.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

To ensure a smooth partnership journey, here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

• Aligning Expectations: Ensure your leadership is onboard with the partnership’s long-term nature and potential for transformative impact.
• Understanding the Partnership Dynamics: Recognize that entering a partnership program is the beginning of a journey that demands active engagement and strategic effort.
• Balancing Support and Initiative: While a PDM is invaluable, success requires your proactive strategy and execution.
• Dedicating the Right Resources: Assign dedicated team to manage and nurture the CSP partnership, recognizing its critical importance to your business’s growth.

Wrapping Up

Building a successful partnership with cloud service providers (CSPs) is a strategic marathon that demands patience, careful planning, and continuous refinement. By embracing a realistic timeline and sidestepping common pitfalls, you can forge a partnership that not only stands the test of time but also significantly boosts your business’s growth and market presence.

Stay Engaged and Take Your Partnership to the Next Level:

Eager to dive deeper into cloud partnerships and unlock more advanced strategies? my comprehensive course on Udemy, “Zero to Hero: Mastering Cloud Partnerships & Co-Sell” is designed to offer you in-depth insights, actionable strategies, and real-world examples to elevate your cloud partnership journey. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale existing relationships, this course will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed for success in the competitive cloud ecosystem.

🌟 Unlock your path to cloud partnership excellence with our exclusive guide — now offering a FREE coupon for the Medium community! 🛤️