In the rapidly evolving world of cloud solutions, businesses are constantly seeking innovative strategies to drive growth and increase their customer pipeline. One such strategy that has gained significant traction is co-selling with a cloud provider. This approach involves partnering with a cloud provider who can offer complementary services to your own. In this blog post, we'll delve into the benefits of co-selling with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and how to make the most of this partnership.

The Power of Co-Selling with AWS

AWS facilitates co-selling through the APN Customer Engagement (ACE) tool. This portal enables Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to collaborate securely and co-sell with AWS. By registering and managing pipeline opportunities with the AWS team through ACE, you can enhance customer engagement and grow your overall business with AWS and your customers.

Crafting Your Unique Value Proposition

When co-selling, it's crucial to educate the AWS team on how your product or service stands out from competitors. The best way to achieve this is by crafting a compelling "better together" story. This narrative should highlight the unique value that your solution brings to AWS customers.

Maximizing Impact on the AWS Sales Team

To make co-selling work, you need to maximize your impact on the AWS sales team. This can be done by clearly outlining the value that your offer provides to both the customer and AWS. Here are some tips for developing a successful co-sell strategy with AWS:

1. Narrate a Clear Story: Show how your product or service will benefit both the AWS team and their customers.
2. Leverage ACE: Use the information in ACE to develop a repeatable formula for introducing appropriate stakeholders to collaborate on deals.
3. Embrace Co-Marketing: Co-marketing can significantly boost your visibility. Don't miss out on Go-To-Market (GTM) programs through AWS.
4. Establish a Sales Process: Create a process for collecting all the information needed for submitting an opportunity into ACE.
5. Capitalize on Opportunities: When an opportunity arises, take advantage of account mapping with the AWS team. Share updates on existing pipeline and potential new opportunities for the future.

Additionally, if possible, calculate the amount of AWS services your product will consume when deployed and share this information with AWS. This is crucial from a compensation standpoint for the AWS team. Understanding the motivations and compensation structures of each AWS representative you interact with can help you tailor conversations and requests to their specific needs.

The Bottom Line

Co-selling with AWS can significantly enhance your business growth. It not only helps you increase your existing customer pipeline and generate new business but also improves your prospecting process, builds your brand, and establishes trust and credibility for your company. By leveraging the expertise of a cloud provider and promoting them as a reseller, you can unlock new avenues for success in the cloud solutions landscape.

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Navigating Co-Selling Challenges

Success in co-selling doesn't happen overnight. It's crucial to maintain realistic expectations and be prepared to adjust your strategy if necessary. Consider your co-selling efforts as a multi-year journey and aim for incremental growth year over year. Start small by focusing on one Cloud Provider at a time, perfecting your co-selling rhythm before expanding.

DIY co-selling involves leveraging your own sales efforts to generate sales through the Marketplace, rather than relying solely on a co-sell program. This approach can help you generate early success and attract the attention of the Cloud Provider. It offers the dual advantage of generating short-term revenue through the Marketplace while building a successful track record to increase your chances of being accepted into a co-sell program.

With a finite number of engineers and product people, it's essential to prioritize building what makes your products better. Automatum's platform and team are here to simplify every step of your journey. We support you not just at launch but as you scale and sell. Our goal is to help you build a scalable Cloud Go-To-Market and co-sell strategy to complement your revenue system.

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To see how Automatum can help you get listed and scale your Cloud Marketplace revenue schedule a call.

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