How to Know if You’ve Achieved an Unfair Advantage with Your Partner

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Do your partners think of you as just a vendor? Or do they rely on you as a trusted business advisor?

We’ve worked with hundreds of channel account managers (CAMs), dealer business managers (DBMs), and partner account managers (PAMs), and have been impressed by many top performers. How do you know if you’re one of them? 

Hint: It's not about training or spiffs or even bringing the best donuts to your partners.

The measurement we use isn’t quota attainment, Winner’s Circle attendance, or growth over the prior year. Rather, it’s if your partner sees you as a true business partner as evidenced by the types of conversations they engage you in and the questions they ask you.

It’s a given that your partner’s executive team expects you to understand their motivators, goals, metrics and culture. And it’s important to be aware of any gaps between the culture they believe they have and the one they actually have. With this landscape in mind, they expect you to articulate the strategic and economic value proposition of your solutions in the context of their priorities and culture.

Nailing these gives you a level of engagement and intimacy with your partner that will set you apart. It takes consistency and commitment to demonstrate your value as a business partner. 

Moving beyond this layer of discussion is when you can really stand out. We know you’re there when your partner asks you questions that have absolutely nothing to do with your products or solutions. That’s when you know you’re not seen as a vendor in their eyes, but as a true business partner.

Here are a few questions your partner might ask which tell you that you’ve moved beyond “just a vendor” status:

  • “What do you think about our potential merger or acquisition?”

  • “We’re hiring. Would you be on our interview team?”

  • “How could we improve our compensation plan?”

  • “What technology should we invest in?”

  • “When you’re ready to leave your role, would you work for us?”

We’d love to hear from you what other questions your partners have asked you as their trusted advisor. How did you know when you’d made the leap into more than “just a vendor”?