The Allbound Podcast: How Being a Better Advocate Will Help You in Sales
Jill Fratianne, a partner channel manager at HubSpot, joined me to discuss some of the qualities she looks for in a new partner, insights she’s picked up as a business owner and the importance of face time — all on the the latest episode of The Allbound Podcast.
Want to listen? Subscribe on iTunes here.
What are some changes you’ve noticed in the industry over the years?
People are very educated when they get to the point of meeting a sales rep. They don’t want to talk to you unless you have some extra value to add to the conversation. How do you compare against your competitors? What can you tell me about my business and how is a solution going to give me deliverable results? Never assume they don’t know more than you, or haven’t done research before they got to you, because they have.
What advice or guidance do you give your partners?
You’re not there to sell for the sake of selling. People despise that. However, people do enjoy a sales process if they think it’s done well, because they wouldn’t be talking to you if they weren’t interested in your services somehow. I’ve learned both through business ownership and sales that if you’re doing the right thing for people, and you really listen to their goals, they actually appreciate a bit of pushing from you because you’re trying to do the right thing for them.
How do you build relationships with partners?
You have to have a personality type that puts them first — their needs first and their business first, and your needs second. From now until the end of time. It comes down to personal relationships and caring.
How do you measure the success of new and existing partners?
We look at everything including what types of calls we do with partners, how many calls we’re having with agencies every day and whether they are registering new leads. Then, of the types of leads that we’re getting, how many coaching calls have I had per marketing agency? Are there any agencies that I have in my book that I am forgetting, or ignoring, or just not paying attention to because they’re just not speaking up to me? We measure all of the activity, because in sales, that’s the only thing you can control.
What challenges do you have in engaging your partners in marketing for themselves?
Those who are successful market themselves. Meaning, you’ll attract more business when people see that you actually drink your own champagne. I have a free Hubspot account, and I have an account that I pay for. My family and I started a very small, but now wildly successful, wedding business using Hubspot and inbound marketing. I don’t have time to do it, but I force myself to use the software, understand marketing, publish posts, do all those things. It allows me to have the conviction when talking to marketing agency clients.
To hear Jill’s best practices for collaborating with partners and the qualities she looks for in aligning with the right partners, download the podcast.
I originally published this on November 9, 2016 here.
Jen Spencer is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Allbound, a SaaS platform that helps companies empower their resellers and distributors to be more customer-focused through content and collaboration. Jen loves animals, technology, the arts, and really good Scotch. You can follow her on Twitter @jenspencer.
