When it comes to partnerships in the SaaS space, there’s no universal playbook. However, there are crucial lessons that can help you avoid common mistakes and navigate the complexities of scaling with partners. Jesper Larsen, Partner Director at Voyado, shares his journey and insights on how to craft a successful partner strategy.
From WAP to SaaS with partners
Jesper’s experience with partnerships began during the early days of selling WAP, a challenging product that often failed to deliver customer value or revenue. The turning point came when his team leveraged partnerships to land massive deals, proving the power of collaboration.
This foundation carried over to the SaaS world, where partnerships evolved from technology collaborations to comprehensive ecosystems. For example, during his time at a Malmö-based SaaS company, Jesper saw firsthand how early partner involvement enabled the scaling of service delivery and market penetration. The lesson? Partnerships aren’t just about technology, they’re about capacity, community, and creating value for everyone involved.
Scaling with partners: A strategic approach
Scaling isn’t just a sales function; it requires a company-wide commitment. Jesper emphasizes that partnerships can help scale not only your sales but also your delivery capabilities. However, setting the right strategy is key:
- Tech partners: Leverage “piggybacking” strategies to capitalize on larger platforms.
- Complementary partners: Build partnerships that enhance your platform or localize your product for specific markets.
- Industry-specific partners: Align with specialists to deepen your value in niche industries.
No matter the strategy, start early but don’t outsource everything. Retain the ability to train and enable your partners effectively.
Success factors for partner strategies
Jesper outlines four critical factors for success:
- Enablement: Create materials that serve not only your partners but also your customers and internal teams.
- Alignment: Involve all customer-facing teams to ensure everyone understands the partner’s role.
- Control the sales pipeline: Avoid over-reliance on partners during high-demand periods; align closely to ensure consistent sales efforts.
- Start with trusted partners: Choose reliable partners to demonstrate success internally and build organizational confidence.
Timing matters in partnership sales
Jesper highlights the importance of timing in partnership sales:
- Customer interest: Ensure there’s customer demand before initiating partnerships.
- Relationship & trust: Build trust and create FOMO to entice partners.
- Joint sales process: Align internal teams to maximize efficiency and manage opportunities.
- Enablement: Time enablement activities appropriately, aligning them with sales progress.
- Scale and mutual dependency: Aim for a stage where both you and your partners are mutually reliant for success.
Practical tips for partnerships
To wrap up, Jesper shares actionable tips for building strong partnerships:
- Transparency: Be open about successes, failures, and opportunities. Mutual transparency fosters trust.
- Rethink referral models: Legacy referral agreements may no longer add value. Modernize your approach.
- Volume of engagement: Meet with a wide range of potential partners to narrow down to the best-fit collaborators.
- Customer focus: Always prioritize customer value in negotiations and decision-making.
Final thoughts
Jesper’s journey underscores the value of starting early, staying hands-on, and building meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships with partners. While there’s no one-size-fits-all playbook, a clear strategy and disciplined execution can set the foundation for long-term success.
By focusing on enablement, alignment, and timing, SaaS companies can turn partnerships into powerful growth engines.
