Crossbeam Tech Ecosystem Maturity Diagnostic
You are an “Explorer”
You are Here
Explorer
You are Here
Producer
You are Here
Connector
You are Here
Supernode
About Explorers:
Our diagnostic reveals that you are a fresh-faced Explorer. You’ve done the difficult work of advocating for a tech ecosystem and are diligently exploring the right next phase to unlock growth.
Explorers are builders laying the foundation for a growing ecosystem. A new house can’t survive without a strong foundation, and you can’t build a partner program without creating scalable workflows.
If that sounds scary and nebulous, it is. But don’t worry, we’re here to make it less scary. Below is a treasure trove of resources to help you know where to focus. Before you know it, you’ll be essential to the business.
But first, we build.
Most Explorers Answer...
Next,
You Should...
Do you have a public-facing directory of integrations?
“No, we do not have a public-facing directory of integrations.”
Make some choices to get your integrations in the hands of users ASAP. Decide if you’ll build your directory yourself or use a “marketplace as a service” platform.
Do you use a partner ecosystem platform (PEP)?
“No / I don’t know.”
Set up your account mapping workflows. Most companies start account mapping with spreadsheets and then move to a PEP. Don’t do that. Start off on the right foot:
What best describes your co-selling workflows?
“My AEs are non-cooperative, regardless of partner status.”
Start with incentives. Give out SPIFs. Propose quota relief. Make sure they have a partnership-focused OKR.
Read about the 5 ways to incentivize your AEs to co-sell with partners.
More Actionable Advice for Explorers:
Partnerships 101: How to Launch a Tech Partnership Program
Tech partner programs show a strong ROI by bringing in new leads, accelerating deals, and reducing customer churn. Getting it right matters. But, where do you start?
How Amir Karmali Resurrected 40 Partners to Rebuild Marketcircle's Partnerships Program
Getting your stakeholders involved in the process from the start will help you build the foundation you need to scale your partner program with internal and external support.
The 5 Things to Do in Your First 90 Days as a Partnership Leader
Learn how Ashley Scorpio, Vice President of Partnerships at Hawke Media, got alignment from her sales, marketing, client success, and services teams and increased partner-sourced revenue YoY by 12% in 2020.
Convinced you’re not an Explorer? Browse the other maturity levels to see if there’s a better fit: