How do you select and train alliance managers and teams?

The role of an alliance manager can be compared to being a conductor in an orchestra. The role of the conductor is to unify the performers and to ensure that the orchestra plays in tune. Similarly, an alliance manager needs to unify the alliance partners and their team members. Both of them don't need to be experts in separate team roles, but need sufficient understanding of music / the company's business to orchestrate the team. Alliance managers need to possess certain characteristics to be successful in their role. They need to be a diplomat and a lobbyist, an analyst, strategist, business manager and relationship manager.

In addition to the macro skills above, my experience is that successful alliance managers need to straddle various disciplines and coordinate across them internally to their own organization: product, sales, marketing, customer success and others. This requires really thinking broadly about their alliance partners in the context of product and business strategy rather than in a siloed fashion.

In my role as an alliance manager, effective collaboration with Sales, Marketing, and Product teams proved essential. - The Sales department facilitated the acquisition of valuable alliance leads, significantly enhancing operational efficiency. - Marketing efforts in promoting alliances and special promotions attracted keen interest from key industry leaders, reinforcing the company's value propositions. - The Product team's innovative contributions were pivotal in refining offerings to better appeal to alliance partners. Their responsiveness to partner feedback streamlined improvement processes. These collaborative efforts not only strengthened alliances but also advanced strategic objectives significantly.

Na sele??o e treinamento de gerentes e equipes de alian?as, a empresa busca pessoas com as habilidades certas e experiência em parcerias estratégicas. Eles fazem entrevistas focadas em comportamento, testes práticos, e garantem que a pessoa se encaixe na cultura da empresa. Após a contrata??o, há um processo de integra??o, mentoria, treinamento em habilidades específicas e desenvolvimento contínuo, com avalia??es regulares de desempenho para garantir que estamos sempre melhorando.

In Afghanistan, I served as an Officer with the 30th Medical Command, the first ever organization to command all medical forces in the area. The strategy involved selecting individuals adept at understanding alliance goals, engaging in multidisciplinary collaboration, and excelling in innovative problem-solving. Effective #communication and #adaptability in challenging environments were pivotal. #Training focused on practical scenarios and collaborative exercises, supported by a clear mission. Decision-making was decentralized, empowering team members for greater effectiveness. This approach cultivates a team capable of thriving in dynamic situations, highlighting the value of versatility and resilience in alliance management.

Alliance manager success requires a specific blend: Communication & Negotiation: Build rapport, negotiate win-win deals. Business Savvy: Deep understanding of own company's goals and value. Collaboration: Foster teamwork across departments and with partners. Train to assess partner potential and leverage alliance management best practices.

Alliances needs a strong relationship and priority service level. It needs a better communication and friendly approach. Having good product knowledge and convenienceing ability. Meet the market trend and adopt best practices.

In my experience professional Alliance Managers are required to manage a portfolio of alliances which by their very nature are different to each other. This means adaptability ranks high in the skills and mindset of successful Alliance Managers. The idea of being able to recruit someone specifically for one particular alliance is a dream I am yet to experience despite nearly 20 years in alliance management

Choosing an alliance manager requires evaluating their fit with the alliance strategy, their experience and reputation, availability and commitment, and compatibility with the partner’s manager. The ideal candidate should grasp the alliance’s vision and value proposition, have a successful history in similar alliances, dedicate sufficient time and resources, show strong commitment and enthusiasm, and maintain a positive relationship with the partner’s manager.

Alliance manager training should include relationship building, communication, cultural sensitivity, and negotiation skills for strong partnerships. Product knowledge is essential to understand technical features, align solutions, and drive co-innovation. Basic legal, financial, and tech literacy, along with performance monitoring, enables effective decision-making. Risk management, change management, and innovation spotting help adapt to shifts and foster growth. Soft skills, partner-specific training, and on-the-job learning are critical to mastering alliance management and collaboration. Finally job shadowing and cross-functional introductions are also valuable for building internal alignment and insights.

During my 8- month training period, which included rotations in product and marketing departments, I gained invaluable skills crucial for my role as an alliance manager. I developed expertise in crafting marketing and product enhancement strategies, enhancing my proficiency in working with big data and social media marketing tools. This foundation proved instrumental as I later honed my sales and negotiation skills upon assuming the alliance manager position. This diverse experience equipped me with the multifaceted skills necessary to excel in this demanding role.

One thing that is very real in this demanding job is burn out. When your alliance portfolio gets bigger and you have to wear multiple hats in managing, onboarding and retaining partnerships. Fulfilling their multi-faceted requirements, it was a juggling game to satisfy everyone at the same time. We had a team of 6 people working together and always felt that our department needed more brains because the burn out was that fast. It is stressful yet rewarding because you do play a pivotal role in driving the business forward and forming amazing connections with key partners on the way!