Bricks of Content
to Pave Your Way to Business Growth
As part of my work with startups, entrepreneurs and companies I'm researching different methods, practices and tools that lead to business growth.
Since partnerships are a great way to access new audiences or untapped markets, I reached out to a few heads of partnerships at successful SaaS companies, to learn how they do it and put together their advice.
As part of my work with startups, entrepreneurs and companies I'm researching different methods, practices and tools that lead to business growth.
Since partnerships are a great way to access new audiences or untapped markets, I reached out to a few heads of partnerships at successful SaaS companies, to learn how they do it and put together their advice.
Ronit Belson, COO at Testim.io, shares her
SI experience
"You have to first understand the main business of the partner and then ask yourself 'can I help them sell more of their own!'"
Ronit Belson has the Midas touch: previous companies she served as their COO were acquired one after the other (just saying).
Throughout her career she formed many partnerships, and she now works as the COO of Testim.io, an AI-based UI testing.
We met up for a fun zoom-coffee to hear her take on partnerships.
To begin with, Ronit clarifies some terms.
"Business development is a confusing term since it includes lots of things. There is biz dev with more partnerships and there's strategy, and it could be through a reseller or through SI (system integrators such as Accenture, Deloitte KPMG and many more. t.n). In general, biz dev comes to assist with GTM (go to market).
In the case of Testim, "SI are significant. There are many companies that use SI for testing. These SIs came to us and brought us to customers. The SIs saw a great potential. There are many SIs, it's a huge world.
"Many companies would be a good fit to work with SIs, BUT the challenge is that SIs don't want you, unless it's really fitting for them.
The optimal way to work with them - is to locate a place where the two benefit.
Q: Knocking on their doors is very hard.
How would you convince an SI to work with you?
A:"Best is to understand why they should work with you.
With us (Testim) it's different, we did only little outreach but mostly customers told them about us. They looked for a service around tests and that drew a big boost and we're being chased after.
"The optimal way is to create the situation that happened naturally to us. When you are at a customer that needs services around your product, and there's an opportunity to bring in someone with your product - you need to show them the money. The best way is to make it come from the customer - to create an opportunity in which they will make money. In simple words, to chew up an opportunity for them.
Check out Testim's partneship program
Q: How long would a typical process take?
A: "Outbound in the case of SIs will take a year. It would pay off in the end but takes long. Young founders think they have a nice product and expect the other company to thank them for letting them sell it. This doesn't work, this leads to disappointment and lot's of wasted resources.
"My motto in biz dev is to bring value to your partner. The partner always sells something. This could be services - so sell more of these, or products - so sell more of HIS products. Bring value to the customer whomever he is.
Q: How do you know if a partnership is worthwhile?
A: "Let's say a partner with a cool product approaches Testim.
If it doesn't help me sell more of my own product - it is not interesting even if I'll make more money, because I'm a product company and not a reseller.
You have to first understand the main business of the partner and then ask yourself 'can I help them sell more of their own?'
"Take Deloitte for example, they like to sell more services. They are into Testim because they think they will sell more testing services through their digital transformation packages - in simple words, it will assist them in the process and they will sell more.
"Another scenario is a reseller that could get nothing from the deal, but still brings us to his customers since they are stuck and we'll help. They want to stay objective towards customers that generate them business.
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