Best of LinkedIn: Channel Marketing CW 39/40

00:00:00: This episode is provided by Thomas Allgaier and Frennis, based on the most relevant LinkedIn posts about channel marketing in calendar weeks, thirty nine and forty.

00:00:08: Frennis is a BDB market research partner, helping enterprises translate market, customer and competitive insights into actionable strategies that drive growth and success across their channel and partner ecosystems.

00:00:21: Welcome to the deep dive.

00:00:23: Our mission today, well, it's laser focused on channel marketing.

00:00:27: We spent the last couple of weeks really combing through top B to B insights shared on LinkedIn and we want to help you cut through some of that noise.

00:00:34: Yeah, there's a lot out there.

00:00:35: Exactly.

00:00:36: So we're here to extract actionable knowledge on how to execute your partner programs better, how to get those teams aligned with sales, and really understand this huge strategic shift we're all seeing that move from simple channels to these complex intelligent digital ecosystems.

00:00:52: That's absolutely right.

00:00:53: And what was really fascinating about this specific period these two weeks was how practical the conversation has become.

00:01:00: It feels less theoretical now, much more focused on measurable outcomes.

00:01:04: We saw some really clear themes.

00:01:06: like Manisha Chaudhury noted, things like achieving real sales alignment, what AI actually does in partner workflows, not just the hype.

00:01:15: And defining what this whole evolution from transactional channels to these intelligent ecosystems really means for your day-to-day strategy.

00:01:23: Okay, let's unpack this then.

00:01:25: Where should we start?

00:01:26: Maybe with where the money's moving now.

00:01:28: Sounds

00:01:29: good.

00:01:29: Let's call our first theme, the Ecosystem Command Center.

00:01:32: It's really about how... Marketplaces, alliances, distribution, how they're all merging, kind of forming the new go-to-market playbook.

00:01:41: Indeed.

00:01:41: And the source material, it was pretty unambiguous.

00:01:44: Marketplaces aren't just optional anymore.

00:01:46: They are, as the summary put it, force multipliers for discovery and scale.

00:01:51: Force multipliers,

00:01:53: I like that.

00:01:53: Yeah, they provide that critical distribution leverage.

00:01:55: They just speed everything up.

00:01:56: They do speed things up, but, and this came through loud and clear, here's the big caveat, the source is flagged immediately.

00:02:03: Marketplaces are not a replacement for, you know, relationship-led selling.

00:02:07: Oh,

00:02:07: definitely not.

00:02:08: Rob Fegan shared this really specific story.

00:02:11: A partner lost a fifty thousand dollar sauce deal.

00:02:15: Why?

00:02:16: Because they just assumed the marketplace listing would, like, do all the heavy lifting for them?

00:02:21: Ouch.

00:02:21: Right.

00:02:22: Marketplaces lower friction?

00:02:23: Sure.

00:02:24: But they don't create the demand.

00:02:26: They don't build that trust.

00:02:27: It's

00:02:27: a perfect example, isn't it?

00:02:29: Confusing a transaction engine with a demand engine.

00:02:32: Dr.

00:02:33: Alejandro Cananero describes marketplaces more like command centers in this sort of modern ecosystem warfare.

00:02:40: Command centers.

00:02:41: Yeah,

00:02:41: where alliances and co-sell motions are the kind of necessary levers you need to really multiply your reach.

00:02:48: And we saw real proof of this.

00:02:49: Shannon Leninger highlighted the Cisco and AWS partnership.

00:02:53: They're using the AWS marketplace platform specifically to streamline customer choice, make procurement way more efficient.

00:02:59: It's a great example.

00:03:00: That partnership angle.

00:03:02: absolutely key because it's not just about being listed is it it's about being truly integrated into the core engine.

00:03:08: and Roman Kersanov reported a really tangible payoff from doing that.

00:03:13: he found sixty two percent of teams generate actual net new revenue from marketplaces new but Only when they properly wire them into their main sales and marketing motions.

00:03:23: Yeah, it can't just be a side project.

00:03:25: No, it has to be core.

00:03:26: and if you connect that dot to the bigger picture this shift It fundamentally changes how a company is even valued.

00:03:32: How so?

00:03:33: Well, Chris Ramachandran argued pretty compellingly.

00:03:36: I thought that a say ten million dollar ARR business with a strong partner ecosystem is actually worth more.

00:03:44: More.

00:03:45: Intrinsically worth more than maybe a fifty million dollar business without one.

00:03:48: Wow.

00:03:48: Okay.

00:03:49: Because growth without that distribution leverage.

00:03:52: it's just too fragile in today's economy.

00:03:54: You need that scale that partners provide.

00:03:57: That idea of distribution leverage feels like the new currency.

00:04:01: But then how do you maximize that leverage without just, you know, hiring a ton more people?

00:04:05: Ah,

00:04:05: good question.

00:04:06: Which I think takes us perfectly into our next theme, right?

00:04:08: Because AI is changing what that leverage even looks like.

00:04:11: And the consensus we saw was pretty clear.

00:04:14: AI is about Augmentation for the partner motion.

00:04:17: It's not about outright replacement.

00:04:19: The focus is definitely on the practical side of things now.

00:04:22: The sources, they're really concentrating on how AI can automate the... the administrative busy work?

00:04:29: The

00:04:29: stuff nobody likes doing.

00:04:30: Exactly.

00:04:31: Phil Laslet highlighted how AI can handle that heavy admin lift and, you know, filling in Salesforce, doing the reporting, which frees up partner reps to focus on the high value stuff.

00:04:41: Like new acquisition, alignment.

00:04:43: Right.

00:04:43: The critical activity.

00:04:44: Makes sense.

00:04:44: Yeah.

00:04:45: And on the enablement side.

00:04:47: Mike McKeown gave a really clear use case there.

00:04:50: He mentioned very matrix.

00:04:51: partners are using AI agents for like Instant answers and even multilingual training support.

00:04:56: Instant answers.

00:04:57: Multilingual.

00:04:58: That's huge.

00:04:58: It

00:04:59: is.

00:04:59: That's immediate measurable acceleration.

00:05:01: It just speeds up that time to first deal so dramatically.

00:05:04: Okay, but this raises a big question, doesn't it?

00:05:07: If AI becomes so integral, how do partners maintain that essential layer of trust?

00:05:12: That's the crux of it.

00:05:14: Asher Matthew shared some MIT research showing executives prioritize very specific things from an AI vendor.

00:05:21: They want a vendor they actually trust.

00:05:23: Number one.

00:05:24: Number one.

00:05:25: Plus a deep understanding of their workflows and really clear data boundaries.

00:05:30: And these are all areas where, you know, human partners naturally excel.

00:05:33: So the partner isn't just selling the tech.

00:05:35: No, it suggests the human partner relationship is becoming almost the governance layer, the ethical layer for the whole AI implementation.

00:05:42: They're the trust.

00:05:43: Interesting.

00:05:44: So if the partner is the guardian of trust in AI, well then the market opportunity must be absolutely massive.

00:05:52: Oh,

00:05:52: it's staggering.

00:05:53: Jay McFayne and Omdia Research predict A, wait for it, two hundred and sixty seven billion dollar AI opportunity by twenty thirty.

00:06:00: Billion.

00:06:01: With a B. With a B. But here's the kicker, the really shocking detail.

00:06:05: Ninety five percent of that.

00:06:07: Ninety-five is expected to flow through partners.

00:06:09: Ninety-five

00:06:10: percent.

00:06:10: Which means every vendor, like right now, needs to rethink their hiring, their product strategy, everything.

00:06:15: This isn't just reselling licenses anymore.

00:06:17: Capturing that ninety-five percent, it means partners need to start developing reputable IP, building out agent development frameworks, offering hyper-specialized vertical capabilities.

00:06:27: It's a whole

00:06:28: new game.

00:06:28: And this AI shift, it even ripples down into content strategy, doesn't it?

00:06:33: Yeah.

00:06:33: I've of Lesimsky observed something interesting.

00:06:36: AI-driven search results.

00:06:38: They're causing this massive rise in zero-click searches.

00:06:41: Hmm,

00:06:41: yeah, I saw that.

00:06:42: But here's the game changer.

00:06:44: Apparently, AI visitors convert four point four times better than traditional organic search visitors.

00:06:49: Four times better, okay.

00:06:51: Which forces partners to stop chasing, you know, vanity traffic and start creating really strategic assets, content that's tailored for both the human buyers and the LLM readers.

00:07:00: So you have to write for the bots first, almost.

00:07:03: Kind of.

00:07:04: Your content has to satisfy the AI to even get seen properly.

00:07:07: Fascinating stuff.

00:07:08: Really is.

00:07:08: Okay, let's shift gears a bit now to our final theme.

00:07:11: Program mechanics.

00:07:13: This is really the nuts and bolts, you know.

00:07:15: What actually works right now in program design.

00:07:17: The

00:07:17: practical stuff.

00:07:18: Exactly.

00:07:19: And Christina Karstensen observed this critical philosophical shift happening.

00:07:23: The channel is moving away from just transactional box shifting.

00:07:27: The old way.

00:07:27: Yeah, towards a much more consultative, recurring revenue approach, which of course demands really deep partner enablement and serious vertical specialization.

00:07:37: And that

00:07:38: focus on quality, on depth.

00:07:40: Uh-huh.

00:07:40: It means simplification becomes absolutely critical, right?

00:07:43: Definitely.

00:07:44: Brian J. Feeney and Jessica McLeod, they explained how Cisco was putting partner profitability right at the core of their new three-sixty partner program.

00:07:53: And they're dramatically simplifying partner status.

00:07:56: How so?

00:07:56: Well, they're moving away from all those complex tiers, you know, gold, premier, whatever.

00:08:00: They're boiling it down to just two.

00:08:02: Cisco partner or Cisco preferred partner.

00:08:04: Much cleaner.

00:08:05: That makes a lot of sense.

00:08:06: Less bureaucracy, more focus on value.

00:08:08: And that prioritization of quality over just sheer quantity, it produced some genuinely surprising results.

00:08:14: we saw reported.

00:08:15: Oh yeah.

00:08:16: Nicole Sophie reported actively removing half of their underperforming affiliates.

00:08:21: Half?

00:08:21: Wow, that's bold.

00:08:23: You'd expect revenue to dip, wouldn't you?

00:08:25: I certainly wouldn't worry about the pipeline hit.

00:08:27: But get this.

00:08:29: In just one month, the revenue from the remaining more committed partners actually jumped thirty-five percent.

00:08:35: Thirty-five percent increase after cutting half the partners.

00:08:38: Exactly.

00:08:39: It strongly validates that advice.

00:08:40: we keep seeing prune the underperformers.

00:08:43: It really can improve your overall ROI.

00:08:46: But ROI?

00:08:47: An attribution.

00:08:48: They still feel like this huge, pervasive problem that just undermines everything else.

00:08:53: It's the Achilles heel, isn't it?

00:08:55: It really is.

00:08:55: Rahul Prakash just dated it plainly.

00:08:58: Logos don't drive pipeline.

00:08:59: ROI does.

00:09:00: Simple as that.

00:09:02: And Tetiana Yerco shared some pretty damning data.

00:09:05: Let

00:09:05: me guess, nobody can track

00:09:06: it.

00:09:06: Pretty much.

00:09:07: Eight out of ten companies have formal partner programs, right?

00:09:10: But less than half, only forty-two percent can actually track revenue influence accurately across the whole customer journey.

00:09:17: Less than half.

00:09:17: that lack of tracking it leads directly to distrust from sales leaders, you know, of course and the operational fix for this It's absolutely necessary if you want to grow.

00:09:27: Rob Moyer suggested a framework basically angering partner compensation directly to clear attribution tiers.

00:09:34: Okay, what kind of tiers?

00:09:35: We need to clearly distinguish between partners who truly sourced the entire deal.

00:09:39: Found it from scratch.

00:09:40: Right.

00:09:41: Versus those who actively participated in a collaborative COSEL motion.

00:09:45: Worked

00:09:45: alongside the direct team.

00:09:46: Exactly.

00:09:47: And finally, those who perhaps only influenced the final decision in some

00:09:51: way.

00:09:51: Got it.

00:09:52: Sourced COSEL influence.

00:09:54: Making those distinctions clear ensures partner managers are operating on the same credible playing field as the direct sales team.

00:10:01: And that leads to much better forecasting, better alignment.

00:10:05: everything.

00:10:05: It all comes back to that measurable influence and credibility, doesn't

00:10:09: it?

00:10:09: It really does.

00:10:10: So to kind of synthesize this whole deep dive, the sources from these weeks show channel marketing is definitely evolving.

00:10:17: It's becoming a highly measurable, very strategic lever for growth.

00:10:21: And it's fundamentally focused on achieving that crucial distribution leverage, mostly through smart ecosystems, and then augmenting all that human expertise with very targeted, very practical AI applications.

00:10:35: Okay, great summary.

00:10:37: So if you enjoyed this episode, new episodes drop every two weeks.

00:10:40: Also check out our other editions on the account-based marketing, field marketing, AI, and B to B marketing, MarTech, go-to-market, and social selling.

00:10:48: And maybe just a final provocative thought to leave you with.

00:10:52: Building on some insights, Rob Selinka shared about vendor lock-in and the need for agility.

00:10:57: Okay.

00:10:57: If you are a beta leader listening to this... Are you actively architecting a breakaway strategy, like a realistic, fully-costed exit or transition plan?

00:11:07: Are you building that into every major strategic platform partnership right from day one?

00:11:12: A breakaway strategy.

00:11:13: Yeah, just to ensure your business resilience if things change down the line.

00:11:16: Something to think about.

00:11:17: That is a tough question, but yeah, an absolutely necessary one to answer for yourself.

00:11:21: Something to definitely mull over.

00:11:22: Thank you for joining us on this deep dive.

00:11:24: Thanks, everyone.

00:11:25: And remember to subscribe for more actionable insights.