The Human Touch: Unlocking Success with a People-First Partner Program

By: Matt Klepac, Vertify CEO and Founder

I recently spent a couple days with the Salesloft team at their Revenue Kickoff and was inspired. I was inspired because over the years we have built much of our business around the importance of partnerships, and with all our experience working across partner ecosystems, I was truly impressed at the Salesloft’s approach and execution to their partner program.

You see, it is easy to roll out a partner program, but it is a much different thing to roll out a successful partner program that is driven by a selfless desire to serve.

In the bustling world of tech partnerships, it’s easy to get lost in integrations, pipelines, and revenue targets. But amidst the numbers, one element often gets overlooked: the people. Successful partnerships aren’t forged on technology alone; they’re built on trust, collaboration, and a genuine desire to see each other win.

Here’s where Salesloft shines as a beacon of inspiration for me. Their people-first partner approach stands as a testament to the power of building relationships rather than just chasing transactions. 

Let’s explore the key tenets, from my perspective, behind their success and see how you can translate them into your own partner program:

1. Hire With Heart, Partner With Empathy

It all starts with the team. Salesloft understands that passionate, people-oriented individuals are the backbone of lasting partnerships. It seems to me that they actively seek empathy-driven professionals who value authentic connections and building bridges, not just closing deals. This ensures a genuine interest in understanding your business and goals, fostering a collaborative spirit that goes beyond mere profit margins.

Revenue Kickoff was a wonderful proving ground to see the heart of the Salesloft team in action. I walked away from the event with countless experiences where people were genuinely interested in what we do, how we help customers, how we help the Salesloft product, and why we ultimately do what we do. 

Time and again, the Salesloft team walks through walls and tears down barriers that get in the way of progress or success. Onsite, they were eager to connect people and process to empower partner success. This “We Will Find a Solution” ethos is clearly woven through the fabric and culture at Salesloft. We saw this illustrated from Salesloft CEO, David Obrand, and countless others. 

2. Keep the Customer at the Core

The ultimate goal of any partnership should be customer success. Salesloft prioritizes partnering with companies that share their commitment to creating exceptional customer experiences. This means their partners actively contribute to customer satisfaction by offering complementary solutions and fostering a seamless user journey. By focusing on shared values, both partners and customers reap the benefits of a cohesive, customer-centric environment.

The partner lineup that was present at this year’s RKO seemed to all have the same heart for the customer. It’s certainly not common to have a group of partners, some being competitors of one another, not only getting along but wanting to see the others succeed. This successful alignment is driven by the standard and culture that Salesloft presents. 

3. Listen, Adapt, and Grow Together

No partnership thrives in a vacuum. Salesloft actively listens to the needs and feedback of their go-to-market teams. This valuable input fuels the evolution of their partner ecosystem, ensuring it offers relevant support, growth enablement, and resources specifically tailored to their team’s needs. This collaborative approach builds trust, fosters innovation, and keeps all parties moving forward in sync.

We had countless conversations with sales, customer success, and marketing teams at this year’s RKO, and that is a testament to the partner team listening to their colleagues so that they could put together a partner lineup that adds value across their entire revenue strategy. It was clear that these teams were excited to engage with us because the solutions we provide, along with the other participating partners, were solutions that create positive outcomes for their goals and their customers’ goals. 

Beyond Salesloft‘s Partner Program

While Salesloft serves as a prime example, their principles can be applied to any partner program. Here’s how:

• Hire with intention: Seek individuals who value collaboration and building genuine relationships. People that will walk through walls to identify alignment and to help you achieve your goals.
• Emphasize customer success: Ensure your partner teams contribute to a positive customer experience. If a partner team does not lead with the customers’ goals in mind, then they will likely have a lot of turnover and very contentious relationships across the internal revenue teams. Lead with the customer’s voice and needs first.
• Foster open communication: Regularly solicit feedback from your go-to-market teams. The GTM and product teams are the boots on the ground. They have the customer relationships and understand the customer’s needs. They understand what is going to make the customer successful, and by helping your customers succeed, this in turn will help your organization succeed. This must translate to the partner team so that they can assemble a team of partnerships that are focused on enabling the GTM teams.

Final Thoughts

Remember, technology partnerships are human endeavors. By prioritizing people, aligning goals, and fostering open communication, you can cultivate a thriving ecosystem that drives mutual success and, ultimately, creates exceptional value for your customers. It’s time to move beyond transactions and embrace the power of people-first partnerships.

Let your partner program be a testament to your company’s values, and watch it blossom into a force for growth and success. Looking to partner with the #1 no-code data integration platform for revenue teams? Connect with Vertify today!