The best place to start (or re-start) developing a successful partner practice

In this series of blogs, we will explore the key milestones, building blocks, and outcomes that are critical in developing a robust and repeatably successful partner practice.

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Today’s topic: where to start.

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As with that a great journey, the beginning is the toughest part. This is when the possibilities and opportunities are limitless. ?It’s the purest embodiment of the “paradox of choice”. At this critical juncture you are either setting yourself up for rapid, sustainable success or overwhelm and eventual failure.

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One of the best ways to lay the groundwork for success is to develop a business plan.

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Before you start scrolling to whatever is next in your feed give me 5 minutes to share a simple way to get started. Taking this step will allow you to be successful faster and stay successful longer.

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Define success

The definition of success will depend on if your practice is new or established. If we focus on a younger or newer partner practice the answer could be to grow the practice to have revenue of X dollars overall. If the practice is more established then it’s likely you will break down those goals into revenue, licenses, etc. based on product or industry. It is really that simple. Remember, without a clear goal in mind of the definition of success, the practice will always be in a reactive mode. That is not sustainable, and it is not a method to drive long-term success.

Examine capabilities

• What is the practice (or organization) most well known for? The answer to that question is a great place to lean in first. It will be optimal for the practice to begin by focusing on where there historic success. It will establish a solid reputation in the marketplace.
• What does the practice want to be known for? Branching out into new areas of focus or expertise will be important to ensure continued success. But that should only be attempted once the practice is established and has a solid reputation.

Develop priorities

Based on the area of focus chosen, it will be important to take a critical look at the state of the organization. Examining capability in the 7 key disciplines that make up a sustainably successful partner practice (list them below) will be critical to doing that successfully.

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What are the keys to success for the practice in priority (since we can't do everything all at once)?

?Highlight what is already in place, for example:

1. Well established sales training organization
2. Awesome marketing team to develop initiatives to draw potential customers in
3. Highly sophisticated development process in place

Outline what is missing and what, realistically, can be done to bridge any gaps in the org, for example:

1. Develop robust talent development process
2. Ensure streamlined process to access key partner tools or technology
3. Creation of learning pathways by persona
4. Establishment of good sales pipeline hygiene

Define long term plan

You can't, and shouldn't, do everything all at once. Therefore, it'll be extremely important to determine what are the most important areas in terms of strengths and gaps to lean in on. To add fuel to the growth fire, it may be necessary to double down on something that is a core competency - like training your salespeople or developing product apps to get the ball rolling. On the other hand, it might be critical to develop a robust talent acquisition and onboarding program or even a program to reskill current employees to jump start growth right away. ?The key is start acting, measure, revamp, repeat.?

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Beginning anything new is hard. There is a tendency to want to get everything right the first time…but that is dangerous. Of course, an organization should not start anything like this unprepared. But there will be no perfect time to get going. Determine what needs to be accomplished each quarter or bi-annually. Highlight the areas of focus for each time chunk, and, get started. Then on a regular basis (probably monthly in the beginning), really examine progress. Shift resources, timelines, and processes accordingly. Then rinse and repeat…

What do you think is a critical first step in starting a thriving partner practice?