PE M&A Activity ↑12.4%│ Industrial EBITDA Multiples 7.2×│ B2B Buyer Trust Index ↓31%│ SEO Click-Through Rate ↓44%│ LMM Deal Volume ↑8.1%│ Sales Hire Failure Rate 67%│ Organic Growth Gap 2.3× plan│ PE Dry Powder $2.59T│ PRESS: Ed Marsh at PE Operating Partners Summit│ DEAL: Midwest controls automation acquired at 7.8×│ PE M&A Activity ↑12.4%│ Industrial EBITDA Multiples 7.2×│ B2B Buyer Trust Index ↓31%│ SEO Click-Through Rate ↓44%│ LMM Deal Volume ↑8.1%│ Sales Hire Failure Rate 67%│ Organic Growth Gap 2.3× plan│ PE Dry Powder $2.59T│ PRESS: Ed Marsh at PE Operating Partners Summit│ DEAL: Midwest controls automation acquired at 7.8×│

Franz Schrepf on Partnership Ecosystems and Channel Sales

Partnership ecosystems may be a buzzword, but they offer enormous B2B industrial sales potential, as Franz Schrepf explains.

Ed Marsh
Ed Marsh
INDUSTRIAL REVENUE GROWTH
5 MIN READ
partnership ecosystems are an underutilized avenue to grow industrial sales for manufacturers

Franz Shrepf Lays out the Power of Partnership Ecosystems and the Nearbound Movement 

franz-schrepf-partnerships-for-b2b-industrial-sales

Franz was a banker. In Munich. And he was bored.

So he began a tech, start-up, and marketing journey that took him to multiple continents.

Along the way his vision came into focus. 

Partnership ecosystems have the potential to drive significant revenue growth. And so he established himself as one of the tech world's preeminent experts on building and optimizing partnerships.

And then he wrote the book on it!

Franz brings a very nuanced and sophisticated understanding of channel sales and the potential of partnership ecosystems - and offers lessons we can take from tech and SaaS and apply to industrial sales.

Connect with Franz for frequent insights into partnerships, channel sales and partnership ecosystems.

Website |    | |

Franz' TEDx talk on marketing

Partnership Ecosystems and Channel Sales for Industrial Manufacturers - Franz Schrepf on Industrial Growth Insitute Episode 18

 

Show Transcript

Episode Recap

Summary

franz-schrepf-on-partnership-ecosystems-and-indirect-channel-sales

In this episode, Ed Marsh interviews Franz Schrepf, a director of strategic partnerships at StreamYard and a renowned expert on partnerships. They discuss the importance of partnerships in tech revenue growth and how it applies to various industries including industrial sales.

Franz shares his journey from being a Bavarian banker to working in the tech industry in Northern California, and the conversation covers various topics including:

  • the power of face-to-face interactions
  • personal branding in partnerships
  • the importance of partnerships and how they can create a competitive advantage for companies
  • the concept of an ideal partner profile and the different types of partnerships that exist.

Franz emphasizes the need for partnerships to be mutually beneficial and aligned with the goals of both companies involved. He suggests that by partnering with market leaders and integrating their products, companies can attract more customers and gain a competitive advantage.

They also discuss:

  • Nearbound aims to redefine partnerships as a go-to-market strategy for all departments within a company
  • Indirect sales channels, such as value-added resellers, are examples of partnerships that are still relevant
  • Sales enablement content plays a critical role in supporting partnerships and sharing the better together story
  • Organizational structure for partnerships depends on the type of partnerships a company focuses on, with teams often sitting in marketing, sales, or product departments

Franz closes with the thought that the biggest risk for businesses in the next five years is staying top of mind for customers. However, partnerships present a significant opportunity for companies to leverage existing trust and customer bases to succeed in a rapidly changing landscape.

Takeaways

  • Partnerships are a strong trend and a key driver of revenue growth in the tech industry.
  • Partnerships leverage trust and recommendations to acquire new customers and access new audiences.
  • Partnerships can create a competitive advantage for companies by leveraging shared customers and social capital.
  • An ideal partner profile should focus on companies that have a customer overlap and can help achieve mutual goals.
  • Different types of partnerships exist, such as marketing partnerships, technology partnerships, and service partnerships.
  • The Nearbound movement redefines partnerships as a go-to-market strategy for all departments
  • Indirect sales channels, like value-added resellers, are still relevant
  • Sales enablement content is crucial for supporting partnerships and sharing the better together story
  • The organizational structure for partnerships depends on the type of partnerships a company focuses on
  • Staying top of mind for customers is a significant challenge in an era of AI and automation
  • Partnerships present a significant opportunity for companies to leverage existing trust and customer bases

Takeaway Quotes from Franz Schrepf

  • "If you partner with the market leader, all the competitors will want to partner with you as well."
  • "There is a special magic to being in person."
  • "Good marketing means being at the right time at the right place."

Outline

00:00 The Power of Partnerships in Tech Revenue Growth
09:14 The Magic of Face-to-Face Interactions
25:21 Leveraging Trust and Recommendations in Partnerships
31:12 Creating a Competitive Advantage through Partnerships
43:07 The Importance of Partnerships
45:46 Defining a Partnership and Competitive Advantage
47:25 Uncovering Partnership Opportunities
51:20 Exclusivity and Mutually Beneficial Partnerships
53:24 The Power of Partnerships
57:39 The Nearbound Movement
01:00:44 Partnerships as a Testing Ground
01:01:40 The Role of Sales Enablement Content
01:05:20 Structuring Partnerships
01:19:15 Partnerships in a Changing Landscape
01:21:28 The Opportunity of Partnerships

How does a re-engineered partner ecosystem and sales channel fit into your go-to-market plan?

Engineered manufacturing revenue growth with the Overall Revenue Effectiveness™ Framework

More on channel sales & partner ecosystems

How to build a partnership ecosystem to drive capital equipment sales

Building indirect sales channel value
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Most complex industrial purchases must clear five separate buying decisions.
  • Decisions 2 and 3 determine whether a purchase happens at all — and most reps don't know they exist.
  • Most big-ticket B2B industrial forecasts are fantasies because they ignore those decisions.
  • Buying teams typically include eight to twelve people.
  • Reps need business acumen — not just product knowledge — to engage decision-makers early.
Ed Marsh
Ed Marsh
Ed was going to be an architect because he loved the nexus of engineering and design. That was before was going to be an engineer; before he graduated from Johns Hopkins; before he was an Army Infantry Officer (Airborne Ranger); before he set B2B industrial sales records; before he was partners with a German capital equipment manufacturer; before he founded a distribution/rep company for industrial products in India; until he decided that managing a business and employees wasn’t what he enjoyed. Now that Ed’s got all of that out of his system he runs a consultancy that helps US manufacturing companies grow by applying process excellence to business development – completing the full circle back to an engineering & design combination. His practice is built on a unique methodology which combines powerful digital marketing methodologies (a HubSpot partner) with his extensive international biz dev experience.
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