PartnerOps Partner Aaron Howerton

This week, I'm taking a play from "Stuff You Should Know" and I'm going into the archives to pull back a 'classic' - CRM Foundations for Partnerships!

UNLIKE my para-social friends Chuck and Josh, however, I'm calling it a 'rehash' because I'm not just cycling up the old content. I've pulled it out for an update and tied it a pretty big announcement, at least for me... and maybe anyone trying to make Salesforce 'work' for Partnerships. 

In this episode:
What's happened in Partnerships since last year CRM's are still worthless for Partners OOTBThe Ice Machine Problem - still relevant! Psssst, you Salesforce people... wanna buy an "ice machine" for Partnerships? Announcing Partner Foundations - now seeking Beta customers! If you're struggling with attribution and want to make Salesforce 'work' for your team so that you can focus on program growth and scale, let's talk!

aaron@partnerstrat.com = email me here for access to a demo video of Partner Foundations, a Salesforce native solution for scalable Partner attribution!

If you're not on Salesforce.... well I'm sorry... I can only do so much! I'm still happy to chat and advise on the principles that are driving our new solution and, as soon as we get to market and 'stabilize' growth ourselves, we'll be looking to duplicate the concepts across other platforms.

Check out my LinkedIn Newsletter for the writeup and a screenshot teaser - look forward to chatting soon! 

Until next time, good luck partnering! 
Aaron Howerton
www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhowerton
www.partneropspartner.com

This week we're circling back to PartnerOps and introducing everyone to Ashely Ortega on her podcast debut! 

Ashley recently received her THIRD promotion within Partner Operations at Klaviyo and was kind enough to join me to celebrate! We also discuss her trajectory from Channel Operations Analyst to her new role as Senior Manager, Partner Operations alongside a slew of other topics... 
Ashley's path from Sales to Partner OperationsThe value of that history to success in her current roleThe value of Scrum as an Operations Manager How learning to push back and challenge ideas made her better at her job What Ashley feels is her 'superpower' in supporting PartnersThe varying definitions of 'Partner Operations' How the work of Partner Operations changes with company growth The value of internal connections to drive project success The difference between 'requirements' and 'solutions' Which food just doesn't make sense You can find Ashley on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-ortega-90482385/ 

If you connect, make sure to tell her I sent you! 

As always, thanks for listening, and until next time, good luck partnering! 
Aaron Howerton
www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhowerton
www.partneropspartner.com

Antonio is currently the Senior Director of Channel Programs at Megaport where he's been building and expanding the partner foot print for nearly 3 years. Before that, he cut his teeth at a global powerhouse called IBM (maybe you've heard of them?). 

Today, Antonio and I basically realize we need more time to go through a few more things. BUT... in this episode we did talk about: 
The baggage of being called/viewed through the lens of 'Channel' The evolution of channel into modern partner conceptsHow industry impacts the type of language/program you build Handling ops in homegrown v. purchased tooling/systems Being "ops" as a program manager When to hire PartnerOps in a modern program (hint: Getting really consistent answers here!) The role of empathy and the lack of recognition for PartnerOps (and other Ops) in traditional reward methods (President's Club, etc.) How Antonio has leaned in to network value and growth to share experience and highlight other's successBonus Question: Which sport would Antonio eliminate from the world if he had the chance?! 
If you enjoy the energy Antonio brings, definitely encourage you to hear his thoughts on some other recent calls. 
"Should Santa Bring you a PRM for Christmas?", hosted by Franz-JosefPartnernomics Show, hosted by Marc BrigmanAlso, if you're in Ops, you should follow and support Antonio, especially on this post where he's shining a light on the gaining momentum of Partner Ops as a role. 

Antonio Caridad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoniocaridad/

As always, deeply appreciate the listen, follow, subscribe, or review, and until next time... good luck partnering! 
Aaron Howerton
www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhowerton
www.partneropspartner.com

Last week (because #life after #SKO sickness has delayed everything), one of my favs joined me to share insight into her journey as a Partner Tech Founder and a few other things, such as: 
Who is "Bluey" really made for?An unreasonable amount of time discussing how long we've known each other Jessie's journey as a tech founder from initial launch to current stateWhat Fluincy does Jessie's unexpectedly fantastic promotional idea for her next conference (hint: think dress up and mixed tapes). Why Aaron is getting random work calls via Zoom The challenges of selling partner tech: emphasizing budget constraints, long Partnership ROI timeline, and shifting buyer personnas. How Jessie's background has paved the road for her current efforts and the skill/interest that I think drives her effortsThe changing landscape of partner tech and the potential for companies like Fluincy to offer alternatives to traditional PRM solutions.Follow Jessie on LinkedIn to stay connected on her growth and just get banging ideas on how to drive improvements, and check out her platform if you're looking for helping  uncovering partner referrals from everyday conversations.

Until next time, good luck Partnering!

PS - please forgive the typing sounds that pop up somewhere in the middle of the episode! I don't always remember to mute while taking or adjusting show notes! 
Aaron Howerton
www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhowerton
www.partneropspartner.com

This week it's early stage partnerships with Adam Pasch! 

Adam brings several years experience with early stage program development as well as a deep background in public sector partnership work. He was kind enough to jump over from our time on Literal Scratch and join me for a 1-1 where we covered: 


His background and 'qualifications' to level set the audience Getting shit done in an early stage program as the 'all in one' partner leader (ops, marketing, sales, recruitment, onboarding)Key operational needs to get partnerships off the ground within existing systems Things Adam wants to track in these early stage programs and whyWhat happens when you can't tell the revenue story of partnershipsWhen to hire PartnerOps as a dedicated hire, why the company and program plays a role in that decision, and where he likes to find them... man other great things! As mentioned in the podcast, Adam is soon to spin up networking events for the new year, so reach out on LinkedIn for more information and be patient while he fields a response! 

As always, thanks for your time, and good luck Partnering! 
Aaron Howerton
www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhowerton
www.partneropspartner.com

This week we circle back to Tech Founders and I'm very excited to drag my friend and founder Rob Rebholz onto the podcast. In this episode: 
Rob describes Superglue and it's value in building bridges between Partners and AEsDiscussion on the importance of integrating technology to assist sales and partner teams more effectively, focusing on real-time assistance and data-driven referrals.Challenges and solutions in partner operations, emphasizing the necessity of CRM integration and data quality for successful partner management.Insights into building and maintaining a partner ecosystem, with an emphasis on creating a science-based approach to partnerships and the vital role of partner ops.Superglue's commitment to working with customers that are ready for the integration and holding off on the ones that aren't (hint: it's a CRM thing) As partner tech continues to see new entrants, Superglue stands out to me as a unique solution for the partner space due to the self-administrated nature and value of the platform to help teams automate engagement at scale. 
Learn more by following Rob on Linkedin or by visiting his company at www.superglue.io. 

Until next week, good luck partnering! 
Aaron Howerton
www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhowerton
www.partneropspartner.com