Build a more strategic approach to software sales using these six tips
Leading ISVs who thrive and mature their Cloud GTM across multiple clouds are the ones strategically leveraging their Tackle partnerships to its fullest potential. It’s not only about utilizing the Tackle Platform; it’s about crafting a strategic approach that reshapes the narrative of software sales success.
Tackle isn’t just a platform but a catalyst for transformation in how your organization goes to market. Successful ISVs understand this and use their Tackle partnership in key areas to add substantial value to the business by integrating Tackle into the fabric of their workflows, streamlining sales processes, and navigating the complexities of the Cloud Marketplaces and co-selling with finesse.
Let’s take a look at how our top-performing customers make the most out of Tackle.
1. Unlocking Tackle’s Cloud GTM Platform
Top ISVs are adept at adopting, integrating, and maximizing the features offered by Tackle’s Cloud GTM Platform. The Platform, coupled with seamless integration with Salesforce, activates the Cloud GTM Flywheel. Here are the three key features that lead to accelerated results for both sellers and buyers:
- Tackle Prospect: Identify the right accounts in your pipeline to understand which ones are most likely to buy from each Cloud Provider. By honing in on these accounts, ISVs can tailor their efforts more effectively through a targeted and efficient approach to engagement.
- Tackle Co-Sell: Accelerate deals through streamlined co-selling workflows with the Cloud Providers in the Tackle Platform or in Salesforce. The Salesforce integration not only enhances operational efficiency but also accelerates the closure of co-sell deals. ISVs can seamlessly navigate through co-selling processes, fostering stronger partnerships and expediting the journey from prospect to closed won.
- Tackle Offers: Simplify the process for sales, finance, and operations teams to create, send, track, and book custom Marketplace offers in a single application. Plus, use Tackle’s Salesforce App to streamline the workflow for cross-functional teams, execute transactions more smoothly, and provide a seamless experience for all stakeholders involved in the process (including your buyers).
By unlocking the full potential of Tackle’s Cloud GTM Platform and learning how these key features support your strategy, ISVs can navigate the complex cloud ecosystem with precision and agility.
2. Automate and scale with Tackle’s Salesforce integration
For high-growth ISVs, private offer and co-sell automation is not just beneficial—it’s essential. Tackle has evolved its Platform to include automation for both co-sell and Marketplace offers, delivering scalability through the Tackle Cloud GTM Platform and integrated capabilities within Salesforce.
A great example of an ISV using automation to scale is CrowdStrike. When asked about using Tackle automation to scale, Lindsay Bregman, Crowdstrike’s Manager of Cloud & Tech Ecosystem Alliance Ops said, “We need to be able to scale quickly and Tackle has really been a fantastic partner to help us get there at the volume of transactions that we do. If we had to do that one by one, manually entering all different stuff, going into three different portals to try and close out one deal, it’s just not efficient.”
Bregman also looks forward to the future with Tackle, “We’re really excited about opportunities we have with Tackle to help make it easier for our sales reps to engage, make the visibility a lot better, and automate the connections between multiple systems.”
3. Harness the power of dedicated Cloud GTM Coaching
The Tackle Cloud GTM Coaching Services team is dedicated to empowering ISVs on their journey. Successful ISVs partner closely with their Cloud GTM Coach, receiving strategic guidance and consulting on co-selling, Marketplace, data-based prospecting, and optimal use of Tackle technology.
Your Cloud GTM Coach becomes a partner and advocate invested in your success. Key responsibilities of Cloud GTM Coaches include:
- Providing invaluable expertise and alignment throughout your Cloud GTM journey. Coaches help guide you through strategic planning and goal setting, making sure that you’re well prepared. Working with your Coach, you’ll create goals that align to your Cloud GTM journey, whether you’re just getting started or need advanced strategies.
- Manage partnerships and co-selling with the clouds. A Cloud GTM Coach helps you identify potential partner programs, understand best practices for Cloud Provider’s co-sell and Marketplace programs, and amplify revenue opportunities with Cloud Partners.
- Drive increased revenue and profitability. A Tackle Coach provides valuable expertise in Marketplace listing strategy, pricing, and optimization. Your Coach will ensure your listing strategy with your business goals, making sure your company stays competitive while maximizing profitability.
- Customized enablement to drive sales efficiency. Our Coaches offer tailored enablement sessions for your field sellers, exploring how to best leverage Cloud GTM as a channel. They also provide customized training for other roles including alliances, RevOps, deal desk, and more.
- Ongoing, long-term support. Tackle Coaches provide ongoing support through regular reviews of KPIs and metrics, making data-driven decisions and adjustments to your Shared Success Plan, as well as training and resources to strengthen your team’s abilities in areas like customer engagement, sales, and marketing.
With the help of Tackle coaches, our top-performing IVSs take their Cloud GTM to the next level, accelerating time-to-value and maximizing ROI.
4. Join Tackle’s Advisory workshops
ISVs who make the most out of Tackle engage in our advisory workshops, which concentrate on essential value areas and uniting key stakeholders for crucial discussions around Cloud GTM. We deliver valuable content and facilitate the understanding, planning, and initiation of established best practices for organizational success. Some of our most popular workshops include:
- Cloud GTM Executive Overview. This collaborative workshop empowers executive stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of Cloud GTM, where we assess your current maturity, define business goals, and offer insights for informed strategic decision making.
- Cloud CRM Data Intelligence. This workshop is designed to help you understand and quantify your company’s Cloud GTM data initiatives, with a specific emphasis on bolstering Marketplace and co-selling strategies while harnessing the potential of buyer intelligence for informed decision making.
- Co-sell GTM & Operations. This workshop explores the nuances of operationalizing your company’s co-sell motion, offering essential knowledge and best practices in co-sell methodology for effective collaboration with Cloud Provider partner programs and enabling your organization to achieve scalable success in co-selling initiatives.
- Operational Transformation. Focused on optimizing your quote-to-cash process, this workshop uncovers best practices for scaling revenue through enhanced operational efficiency, exploring strategies to streamline and elevate your revenue generation capabilities.
- Marketing for Cloud & Marketplace. In this workshop, we discuss best practices for enabling, launching, and standardizing your Marketplace Marketing motion, uncovering effective strategies to achieve success in the cloud ecosystem through your marketing initiatives.
ISVs who engage with these Tackle workshops walk away with the tools necessary to bring their teams together and implement proven strategies. Make the most of our expertise to navigate the complexities of the Cloud GTM landscape and position yourself for ongoing success.
5. Review and optimize your “better together” story
The most successful ISVs make sure their sales teams have the right messaging and understand how to effectively talk about co-sell and the benefits of a cloud partnership. This is what we call a “better together” story.
An effective “better together” story communicates how the partnership is win-win for everyone involved. It hits on how the ISVs product improves the Cloud Provider’s ecosystem and helps its customers, all while driving cloud consumption.
Creating a strong “better together” story is a team effort. In a Tackle webinar about creating an effective “better together story,” John Leon, Vice President of Partnerships & Business Development at Apiiro, said “It’s important to understand how the message is maturing and evolving. It’s a team effort. Bring your operations people in, your RevOps, the people that are going to be transacting, recognizing the revenue, booking the PO. You want them to understand how this process works.”
6. Stay connected with Tackle events and activities
Tackle is committed to removing friction in the B2B software buying and selling process. ISVs are encouraged to participate in various office hours and webinars offered throughout the year, connecting with Tackle and other ISVs. Collaboration is the key to success in the cloud, and Tackle is here to facilitate that journey.
Also, don’t miss Tackle’s State of Cloud GTM Report–our fourth annual industry report focused on how software companies are driving efficient routes to market with the Cloud Providers. It covers the latest data, insights, and predictions about how software companies drive revenue efficiently through the clouds and their experiences with co-selling and the hyperscaler Cloud Marketplaces.
