Co-selling and building relationships with cloud providers is a huge component of an effective Cloud GTM strategy. Done right, co-selling, can speed up deal cycles, deepen relationships with cloud providers, and create new paths to revenue.
But let’s be honest—that doesn’t mean building a scalable co-sell strategy is easy. ISVs often struggle with co-sell best practices, as well as more nuanced aspects like cultivating a long-term co-sell partnership that actually works.
The good news is that ISVs that have cracked the co-sell code are usually happy to share their experiences. Companies like Rubrik, Commvault, and Grammarly offer real-world examples of what success looks like in action and how to replicate it.
Form a co-sell partnership in the early stages
At Rubrik, co-selling was a strategic decision from day one. Rather than waiting for the right time, the team built a dedicated framework for working with hyperscalers and prioritized joint value creation. This clarity and intentionality allowed Rubrik to scale co-sell wins into repeatable success by aligning with partner incentives, investing in enablement, and activating the flywheel.
Tackle’s State of Cloud GTM Report found that companies with the most successful Cloud GTM strategies often integrate directly with core cloud services, forming a co-sell best practices playbook and a strong joint value proposition. In fact, 83% of respondents reported that Cloud GTM is a top priority for their executive teams, underscoring how essential co-sell motions have become to driving growth.
Grammarly approached co-sell with a minimal viable product mindset. Corey Woodburn explained:
“You’ve never arrived with this, and I knew that from the start. So we asked ourselves: how do we start small? What is the MVP version of this? And then how do we grow it to ‘we can help you with every single deal?’”
Before launching, Grammarly hosted a co-sell session with AWS and recorded it for ongoing use. “One training is not going to solve the problem—it’s an ongoing process,” Corey said. This early investment paid off, especially after integrating Tackle into Salesforce. “It’s the best week of my life,” he added.
Co-sell readiness starts with intent and alignment
A key piece of guaranteeing that an ISV is shepherding the right solution to the right marketplace with the right cloud provider involves the use of cloud buyer intent data. Identifying specific opportunities, and not just flooding every marketplace with every product, allows teams to focus and scale efficiently.
At Rubrik, this meant working closely with Tackle to evaluate where the greatest joint market demand existed. Similarly, Grammarly used historical data and cloud commitment trends to shape their strategy and inform internal education.
As ISVs begin to ramp up their co-sell motion with cloud providers, it’s important to consider how existing sales structures, like channel partnerships, fit into the equation.
Rubrik and Commvault recognized that channel partners were a key asset. In fact, Commvault deployed a peer-to-peer program that helped kickstart their co-sell motion.
“It was one of our most successful programs because we focused on value for all four parties: the partner, the customer, Microsoft, and us,” said Commvault’s Thad Keating. “It became a strong anchor for our early co-sell and go-to-market strategy.”
Of course, launching isn’t about perfection; it’s about momentum. Thad added:
“It’s a domino effect once you start asking questions like, ‘What’s our customer success model gonna look like? What’s the renewal model gonna look like? What happens when a channel partner shows up?” said Thad. “All of that stuff has to be considered when you think about what your marketplace strategy is. But I would tell you, if you wait to get all of that perfect, you’re never gonna be on the marketplace.”
A successful Cloud GTM strategy requires some planning, but that shouldn’t stop an organization from diving in. Start where your solution aligns well with the hyperscaler’s goals. Use your internal data, or theirs, to identify strong market opportunities, build early wins, and grow from there.
Overcoming challenges and lessons learned
Co-sell is a long game, and even successful companies face challenges. Grammarly’s biggest hurdle was educating sellers who weren’t familiar with AWS or marketplaces. So Corey started with the basics: how to submit an opportunity in Tackle.
“We have to show them why. Why do you care? How do I make your life easier? And starting from that place has really helped the adoption of the resources that I’ve actually built.”
On the other hand, Commvault’s biggest challenge was understanding how to fail and get back up again with an even better plan the next time.
“If I could rewind the clock and go back again, I would help the company define what true ‘true north’ is…so you can fail fast, pivot, and have the support you need,” said Thad.
Hand in hand with setting those definitions of success and pinpointing your “true north” is ensuring that everyone in your organization, particularly sales, is enabled and empowered to co-sell.
Activating sales for Cloud GTM success
Beyond drafting your internal story around co-sell, it’s also vitally important that you’re kicking off engagement calls with cloud providers correctly, using messaging that aligns with their goals. This includes elements from your ‘better together’ story—messaging that showcases a united front between you and the cloud provider, presenting one joint solution and one cohesive team addressing the customer’s problem.
There are thousands of ISVs that these hyperscalers can spend their time with, and their sellers are all super busy. So it’s important to think about where your incentives and solutions are aligned, like thinking about where you have synergy with the cloud provider sales teams.
This becomes even more critical when the ISV’s solution might be very similar to one of the cloud provider’s offerings. Make sure your sales team knows how they get paid, and how the other side gets paid, so everyone can communicate incentives clearly.
But no matter what, it’s to your advantage to document everything, because as you scale your co-sell motion and build stronger relationships with cloud providers, you’ll want to be able to replicate that success down the road.
Keeping the flywheel going
There’s no silver bullet to co-sell success as it’s an ongoing cycle of strategy, learning, and refinement aided by a melding of processes and technology. But one thing is for sure: with all of the ingredients in place, ISVs stack the odds in their favor.
“There’s a lot of engineering, a lot of co-marketing, a lot of co-selling, a lot of enablement involved,” said Thad. “But that flywheel is on high speed right now.”
Curious how ready your team is to co-sell effectively? Take our three-minute Cloud GTM Readiness Review to find out.
Frequently asked questions
What does co-sell mean?
Co-sell is a collaborative go-to-market strategy where ISVs partner with cloud provider sales teams to jointly sell solutions. It differs from reselling or co-marketing by emphasizing shared execution and customer alignment.
What are the benefits of co-selling?
Co-selling allows ISVs to accelerate deal cycles, tap into pre-established enterprise budgets, and benefit from the credibility of the cloud provider’s brand. It also opens up access to broader customer networks and increased co-marketing opportunities.
What is the difference between co-marketing and co-selling?
Co-marketing focuses on shared promotion through campaigns and events, while co-selling involves joint sales execution and working side-by-side with Cloud Provider reps to close deals.
What is the difference between re-selling and co-selling?
Reselling means another entity sells your product independently, often bundling it into their offering. In contrast, co-selling is a partnership where both teams collaborate throughout the sales process while maintaining their own customer relationships.
