Hi Reader,
We've spent the past weeks exploring what it takes to make indirect sales work. You know the conversation. Someone on the team says "we should look at partners." The logic sounds good. More reach. Faster scale. Leverage we can't build ourselves.
Then reality hits.
Partners want more margin than you want to give. They need tools you didn't care to build. They expect deals you're not ready to hand over. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you're thinking: 'Can't we just get the scale without giving away so much?'
That's the question that kills most partner programs before they start.
Here's what 33 years in the international software scene taught me:
Partners don't care about your commission percentage.
They care about the business they can build around you.
A partner looks at your product and thinks: 'What else can I sell?' Migration. Training. Integration. Optimization. Support. If that adds up to real margin — now you have their attention.
Chris Dial, who ran Microsoft's partner channels, put it this way: "You don't want to be a product in somebody's supermarket. You want to be an ingredient in their recipe."
If it doesn't add up — for whatever reason — you're offering shelf space. And shelf space doesn't pay anyone's bills.
Indirect isn't a growth hack. It's a trade. And the trade only works when partners profit too.
The full framework is here: https://valueinspiration.com/direct-vs-indirect-sales-framework-saas/
It covers what kills partnerships, what partners actually need, when indirect works — and five signals that mean you shouldn't try at all.
Question for you to reflect upon:
What profitable business can partners build around your product — beyond the commission you're offering?
The Remarkable Effect is ... when partners become your unfair advantage.
Ton