How can I make it easier for my customers to buy, and how can I better leverage their relationships with trusted advisors?
If you’re an ISV, you probably ask yourself this question regularly. It’s not enough to build the right software for your target market. To reduce friction and shorten sales cycles, software teams must also understand how their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) approaches the task of provisioning or purchasing solutions. Cloud Marketplaces play a significant role, allowing customers to compare multiple products and services in one place and manage committed cloud spend simultaneously.
Channel partners are also key players in the software purchasing process for many customers. These channel partners often possess deep domain expertise in solution areas and may have a long-term, trusted advisor relationship with the customer. Canalys predicts that nearly a third of total Marketplace transactions will involve channel partners by 2025. As Alastair Edwards, Chief Analyst at Canalys, said: “Most enterprise deals involve complex sales processes and negotiations, often with multiple partners. And as more complex technologies become available on Marketplaces, many customers seek expert partners to help them discover, procure, deploy, and manage these technologies.”
To cater to customers’ preferences and buying habits, bridging the gap between these channel partner relationships and the Cloud Marketplace purchasing sales motion is crucial. That’s why Tackle is thrilled to announce our support of Google Cloud Marketplace’s Marketplace Channel Private Offers (MCPO), which is Generally Available today.
This is a significant step forward in Tackle’s mission to make the software purchasing process easier and more efficient for any software buyer. With MCPO, Tackle’s customers can now track and fully understand Google Marketplace Channel Private Offers when accepted. When you transact MCPO offers on Google Cloud Marketplace through Tackle, you will receive bookable artifacts, including pricing details and other contract information. Your finance teams book and manage MCPO orders like any other Google Cloud Marketplace order.
“We’re thrilled that the Tackle Cloud GTM Platform supports Marketplace Channel Private Offers today as we announce its General Availability,” said Dai Vu, Managing Director, Cloud Marketplace & ISV GTM Initiatives at Google Cloud. “We’re proud to continue our strong partnership with Tackle as we build on our shared philosophy of ‘meeting customers where they buy.’ This collaboration ensures that we stay customer-focused and make it easy for ISVs and channel partners to sell via Google Cloud Marketplace.”
Software buyers are leading the way with this type of buying. In Tackle’s 2023 State of Cloud GTM report, 63% of survey respondents indicated channel partner involvement in their Marketplace deals, and 85% expect more participation in the coming year. Programs like MCPO will help ISVs and channel partners work together to plan their strategies for making Google Cloud Marketplace a central part of their business.
“We’re excited that Tackle and Google Marketplace support this new MCPO functionality,” said Jack French, Sr. Director, Cloud at World Wide Technology. “Channel Private Offers through Google Marketplace lets us provide greater flexibility and value to our clients. At the end of the day, we’re here to make them successful, including meeting clients where and how they want to buy.”
Ready to get started with Tackle and MCPO? Check out Tackle Docs on how to get started.