Partnership Management Terms, Definitions & Key Concepts

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Account Mapping

Partner Account Mapping, is a strategic process used in business-to-business partnerships where sales teams from two partnering companies align their accounts based on various factors such as geography, deal size, industry, or customer needs. This process helps both companies identify shared customers and prospects, enabling them to coordinate sales efforts, leverage shared relationships, and create joint sales strategies.

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Affiliate

Affiliates promote the offerings of a company and earning revenue through commission based agreements. These individuals typically use their online presence like personal websites, social media handles and email databases to reach out to possible customers on behalf of the company. For each successful sale made via these efforts by affiliates they receive commissions as per pre determined terms.

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Affiliate Marketing

A type of performance-based marketing where a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's own marketing efforts.

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Agent

Agents represent a company and its products or services to potential customers. They may work on a commission basis or for a fixed fee

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Alliance

An Alliance is relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose.

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Angel Investor

Angel Investor is an individual who provides capital for a business start-up, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity.

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Annual Contract Value (ACV)

Annual Contract Value (ACV) represents the revenue a customer brings in within a year.

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Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)

Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) is a measure of a company's yearly subscription revenue.

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Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is the value each user brings to the business. This is significant as there are costs associated with acquiring new users.

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Capital-Efficient Growth (CEG)

Capital-Efficient Growth (CEG) is a business growth strategy that aims to make efficient use of financial resources. This involves leveraging partnerships and the company's ecosystem to optimize resources and maximize growth potential.

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Channel Partner

Channel Partners are companies that refer, co-sell, resell or distribute the products or services of another company. These partners often have a close relationship with the company whose products or services they sell. Channel partners is a category of partners that included different types of partners.

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Co-Branding

Co-Branding is a partnership between two or more companies in which they collaborate on branding efforts in order to promote their products or services. This can involve using each other's logos, slogans, or other branding elements in marketing materials, as well as collaborating on co-branded products or services.

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Co-Creation

Co-Creation is a collaborative process in which two or more companies or individuals work together to create something new, such as a product, service, or process. This can involve sharing ideas, resources, and expertise in order to create innovative solutions that are mutually beneficial to all partners.

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Co-Development

Co-Development refers to the practice of two or more companies working together to develop new products or services. This can involve sharing resources, expertise, and ideas in order to create innovative solutions that are mutually beneficial to all partners.

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Co-Innovating

Co-Innovating refers to the practice of two or more companies working together to develop new products, services, or processes. This can involve sharing resources, expertise, and ideas in order to create innovative solutions that are mutually beneficial to all partners.

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Co-Investment

Co-Investment refers to the practice of two or more companies or individuals investing together in a project or venture. This can involve sharing the financial risks and rewards of the investment.

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Co-Licensing

Co-Licensing refers to the practice of two or more companies or individuals sharing the rights to use a patented technology or other intellectual property. This can involve sharing the financial risks and rewards of the license.

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Co-Marketing

Co-Marketing is a partnership between two or more companies in which they collaborate on marketing activities in order to promote their products or services. This can include activities such as co-branded marketing campaigns, joint promotions, and shared social media or email marketing efforts.

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Co-Selling

Co-Selling refers to the practice of two or more companies working together to sell their products or services to a common customer base. This can involve a range of activities, such as joint sales presentations, shared marketing efforts, and cross-selling to each other's customers.

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Collaborative (Business) Relationships

Collaborative Business Relationship is a type of partnership in which two or more businesses work together in a cooperative manner to achieve a common goal or mutual benefit. This type of relationship is characterized by open communication, mutual trust, and a willingness to share resources and expertise. Collaborative business relationships can be long-term and ongoing, or they may be more short-term, focused on a specific project or goal.

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Collaborative Working

Collaborative Working is a process in which individuals, teams, or organizations work together to achieve common goals, sharing resources, expertise, and responsibilities.

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Commission-Based Pricing

Commission Based-Pricing means, partners receive a percentage of the revenue generated from sales of the company's products or services. This model is often used for affiliates or resellers.

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Community-Led Growth (CLG)

Community-led Growth (CLG) refers to a growth strategy that depends on an active and supportive community. It is a critical component in obtaining new customers, expanding services to existing customers, and retaining them. This approach cultivates a sense of loyalty, trust, and relationship beyond just the product or service, making it a powerful tool for business growth.

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Competitive Advantage

Competitive Advantage is a condition or circumstance that puts a company in a favorable or superior business position.

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Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is the annualized version of Compound Monthly Growth Rate. Calculated as CAGR (%) = (Ending Value + Beginning Value) ^ (1 + Number of Periods) - 1.

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Compound Monthly Growth Rate (CMGR)

Compound Monthly Growth Rate (CMGR), also known as month-on-month growth rate is a key metric investors usually look at.

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Consortium

Consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal.

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Consultant

Consultants provide expert advice and guidance to businesses to help them solve specific problems or achieve certain goals. They may be hired on a short-term or long-term basis

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Conversion Rate

Conversion Rate, in the case of SaaS, typically refers to the percentage of users who switch from a free plan to a subscription-based plan.

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Coopetition

Coopetition, a blend of 'cooperation' and 'competition,' is a strategic business approach where companies, usually direct competitors in one area, decide to form collaborative partnerships in another, creating inherent tension within the partnership. This situation is frequently found in the partnership field and requires a carefully formed alliance that acknowledges the boundaries between collaborative and competitive areas. For coopetition to be sustainable, it demands highly honorable partners. Coopetitive partnerships are complex and challenging to manage but are becoming increasingly common among major strategic partnerships. These collaborations can lead to increased innovation, cost reduction, and access to new markets, ultimately benefiting both parties involved.

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Cross-Promotion

Cross-Promotion is the practice of promoting another product or service to one's customers.

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Customer Relationship

Customer Relationship is a business relationship in which one business (the seller) provides goods or services to another business (the buyer). Customer relationships may be transactional (meaning they are based on the completion of specific transactions) or ongoing (meaning the buyer continues to purchase goods or services from the seller on a regular basis).

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Ecosystem

An ecosystems is a complex network of interconnected individuals, organizations, and resources that interact and depend on one another to create a sustainable and thriving environment, often for the purpose of promoting innovation and growth.

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Ecosystem Qualified Lead (EQL)

Ecosystem Qualified Leads (EQLs) are leads or potential customers that have been identified as a good fit for a company's products or services, based on the company's Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). These leads may come from a variety of sources, such as marketing campaigns, sales outreach, or referrals from partners or affiliates.

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Ecosystem-Led Growth (ELG)

Ecosystem-led growth (ELG) refers to customer acquisitions, accounts expansion, and access to new markets via partners and partner data as part of the go-to-market (GTM) motions.

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Exclusivity (de facto)

De Facto Exclusivity refers to an exclusive situation that exists in practice, even though it may not be formally or legally recognized. It arises from circumstances or practical factors rather than an official rule or law. De facto exclusivity can occur, for example, when a company dominates a market due to its overwhelming market share, effectively excluding competitors even if there is no legal or contractual barrier to entry.

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Exclusivity (de jure)

De jure exclusivity refers to an exclusive situation that exists as a result of a formal, legal, or contractual agreement. De jure exclusivity is granted by law or through a legally binding contract that explicitly outlines the exclusive rights or privileges granted to an individual, organization, or entity. For instance, a company may hold a patent on a product, granting it the exclusive right to manufacture and sell that product, thus creating de jure exclusivity.

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Executive Sponsorship

Executive sponsorship refers to the active involvement and support of high-level executives or senior management in a project, initiative, or partnership. Executive sponsors play a crucial role in championing the project within the organization, providing strategic direction, ensuring resources are allocated, and helping to overcome obstacles. Their backing can significantly impact the success and visibility of a project or partnership.

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Paper Partnerships

Business agreements that stay mostly inactive after signing. While companies officially become partners on paper, they never create real business value together. The partnership document becomes just another contract in the files, instead of leading to active collaboration and shared success. Common causes include sales-focused incentives that reward signing deals rather than creating value, products that don't fit the partner's market needs, or rushed partner selection without proper qualification.

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Partner Account Management

Partner Account Management refers to the process of managing and maintaining relationships with a company's partners or affiliates. This may involve activities such as communication, collaboration, and providing support and resources to help the partners achieve their goals.

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Partner Category

Partner Categories are used to group partners with similar characteristics together. For example, resellers, distributors, and brokers are often grouped together as channel partners.

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Partner contracts and agreements

Contracts or agreements in place with partners define the terms and conditions of the partnership, including the rights and responsibilities of both parties. These contracts may be customized based on the type of partnership and the needs of the partner.

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Partner Ecosystem

The Partner Ecosystem is a network of companies that have a collaborative business relationships in order to offer a comprehensive solution to customers. The partner ecosystem includes product partners, channel partners, marketing partners, solution partners and other categories of partners that work together to provide a joint value for the customer. The partner ecosystem lives within the business ecosystem.

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Partner Ecosystem Platform (PEP)

Partner Ecosystem Platform (PEP) is a digital platform or tool that is used by a company to manage and facilitate its relationships with partners or affiliates. The PEP may include features such as a partner portal, a customer relationship management (CRM) system, and tools for collaboration and communication

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Partner Enablement

Partner programs may include enablement resources and support to help partners get up to speed with the company's products or services and build their skills and expertise. This may include training programs, technical support, and sales support.

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Partner Experience (PX)

PX describes the general impression, level of satisfaction, and engagement that partners have of a company throughout their interactions with the company. The Partner Experience, which can include a variety of factors like communication, support, training, access to resources, marketing and sales enablement, and the general ease of doing business together, is essential for developing strong, long-lasting relationships.

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Partner Loyalty Program

Loyalty Programs reward partners for their level of engagement and commitment to the company. This may include rewards such as discounts, access to exclusive resources or events, or recognition.

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Partner Management Software (PMS)

Partner Management Software is a type of software that helps businesses manage their relationships with their partners. It is also sometimes called partner relationship management (PRM) software. Partner management software provides a range of tools and features that enable businesses to communicate with and support their partners, as well as track their performance and metrics. This can include features such as a private portal for each partner, where they can access documents, campaign materials, market development funds (MDF), opportunities, and deals. Partner management software can also include tools for onboarding new partners, tracking sales, and managing communication and collaboration.

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Partner Manager

A partner Manager is a professional who is responsible for managing relationships with a company's partners, such as resellers, distributors, or system integrators. The partner manager is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to maximize the value of the partnership, including identifying new opportunities for collaboration, supporting the partner in selling the company's products or services, and ensuring that the partner is meeting the company's performance expectations.

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Partner Marketing

Partner Marketing refers to the marketing activities that a company engages in with its partners or affiliates. This may include co-branded marketing campaigns, joint marketing efforts, and the promotion of partner products or services to the company's customer base.

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Partner Marketing Support

Companies may offer partners support to help them market and promote the company's products or services. This may include access to marketing materials, co-marketing opportunities, and support from the company's marketing team.

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Partner Pages

Partner Pages are web pages dedicated to showcasing a company's partners and their offerings.

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Partner Portal

Partner Portal are web-based portals that provides partners with resources and tools related to their partnership with the company. This may include marketing materials, training programs, technical support, and sales support.

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Partner Program

A Partner Program facilitates the collaboration between two or more companies that may include elements such as partner tiers, marketing and sales support (like access to a partner portal), technical support, commissions, incentives and rewards, and collaboration and networking opportunities. It is typically established to achieve common goals and can involve sharing resources, expertise, and information, as well as coordinating activities to improve efficiency and competitiveness. There are different type of partner program for different partner type, such as reseller program, referral program, etc.

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Partner Recruiting

Partner Recruiting refers to the process of identifying and recruiting new partners or affiliates for a company. This may involve activities such as outreach to potential partners, evaluating their fit with the company's Ideal Partner Profile (IPP), and negotiating terms of the partnership

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Partner Recruitment Manager

A Partner Recruitment Manager is a professional who is responsible for identifying and recruiting new partners for a business. The partner recruitment manager may work with other members of the partnerships team and rest of the organization to identify potential partners, reach out to them, and negotiate partnership agreements. The goal of the partner recruitment manager is to expand the business's network of partners in order to grow the business and increase its reach.

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Partner Relationship

Partner Relationship is a business relationship in which two or more businesses work together on a long-term basis to achieve a common goal or objective. Partner relationships may involve the sharing of resources, expertise, or other assets, and they may be structured in a variety of ways.

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Partner Relationship Management (PRM)

Partner Relationship Management refers to the processes and systems that a company uses to manage its relationships with its partners. This can include activities such as onboarding new partners, managing communication and collaboration, and tracking performance and metrics. Partner relationship management is an important aspect of managing partnerships, as it helps to ensure that the partnership is effective and mutually beneficial for both parties.

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Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Software

Partner Relationship Management Software, also known as PRM, offers businesses tools for tracking their sales partners and affiliates and for enabling communication and support from the business to these partners. Each partner has access to a private portal through the PRM software, where they can find documents, marketing materials, MDFs, opportunities, and deals. The software helps businesses manage their partnerships and build strong relationships with their partners.

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Partner Resources

Companies often provide partners with access to a range of resources, such as marketing materials, training programs, technical support, and sales support. These resources can help partners sell and support the company's products or services more effectively.

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Partner Sales

Partner Sales refers to the process of selling a company's products or services through its partners or affiliates. This may involve training and support for the partners' sales teams, as well as marketing and sales efforts targeted at the partners' customer base

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Partner Sales Support

Companies may provide partners with support to help them close deals and drive revenue. This may include access to sales tools, training programs, and support from the company's sales team.

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Partner Success

Partner Success refers to the extent to which a company's partners or affiliates are successful in achieving their goals and objectives. This may include metrics such as sales or revenue generated, customer satisfaction, and other measures of success.

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Partner Success Manager

A Partner Success Manager is a professional who is responsible for helping a company's partners to achieve success by providing support and guidance. The partner success manager may work with partners to develop sales and marketing strategies, provide training and resources, and help to resolve any issues that may arise. The goal of the partner success manager is to ensure that the company's partners are able to effectively sell the company's products or services and achieve their business objectives.

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Partner Tier Development

Partner Tier Development is the process of creating different levels or tiers within a partner program, often based on performance, commitment, or other criteria.

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Partner Tiers

Partner programs often include different tiers or levels of partnership, each with its own set of benefits and requirements. These tiers may be based on factors such as the partner's level of engagement, revenue generated, or expertise with the company's products or services.

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Partner Type

Partner Type refers to the type of business that the partner company is involved in and determines their role in the partnership. There are various types of partners, including distributors, resellers, service providers, and solution providers.

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Partnership Relationship Manager (PRM)

Partnership Relationship Manager (PRM) is a role within a company that is responsible for managing and developing relationships with partners or affiliates. This may include activities such as recruiting new partners, maintaining communication and collaboration with existing partners, and identifying opportunities for partnership growth and development.

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Partnerships

Partnerships refer to any formal or informal relationship between two or more companies that involves cooperation and collaboration. These relationships can be strategic or more casual, and may involve a variety of activities such as marketing, sales, research and development, and other forms of collaboration. Partnerships are collaborative business relationships, not transactional relationships.

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Product Partner

Product Partners are companies that integrate its products or services with those of a SaaS company in order to offer a more comprehensive solution to customers. Product partnerships can take various forms and can be beneficial for both the SaaS company and its product partners by allowing them to leverage each other's strengths and resources in order to offer a more comprehensive solution to customers. Product partnerships can also help SaaS companies to differentiate themselves in the market and to expand their reach by partnering with companies that have established customer bases.

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R + K > 1

R + K > 1 is a metric used to evaluate if growth is driven by both retention (R) and virality (K), as opposed to solely payed marketing.

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Referral Partner

Referral Partners refer potential customers to a company in exchange for a commission or other form of compensation. Referral partners may include other businesses, individuals, or organizations.

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Referral Program

Referral Programs are programs offered by a company that rewards partners for referring potential customers to the company. The partner referral program may offer incentives, such as discounts, access to exclusive resources or events, or recognition, to partners who successfully refer customers to the company. The goal of a partner referral program is to drive customer acquisition and revenue for the company.

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Reseller

Resellers purchase products or services from a company and then sell them to their own customers. They may offer additional value-added services such as installation, support or training

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Reseller Pricing

Reseller Pricing means, partners purchase the company's products or services at a discounted price and resell them to end customers at a markup. The partner's revenue is the difference between the discounted price they pay and the price they charge to end customers.

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Reseller Program

Reseller Programs are framework conditions offered by a company that allows partners, such as resellers or distributors to resell the company's products or services to customers on behalf of the company. The partner reseller program may include resources and support to help partners sell and support the company's products or services, such as marketing materials, training programs, technical support, and sales support.

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Retention

Retention refers to the proportion of users or customers that continue using a product or service over a specified time period.

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Runway

The duration (typically in months) for which a business can continue functioning until it depletes its financial resources.

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Scope of partnership initiative

The range of activities and advantages a partnership aims to provide. The scope can be determined by the products and services generated, the geographic coverage of the partnership, its duration, and/or the level of organizational involvement.

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Service Partner

Service Partners are a category of partners that provide adherent services for the products or services of another company. These partners might be responsible for helping customers troubleshoot problems, providing maintenance and repair services, or offering training and education on how to use the products effectively

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Service Provider

In contrast to a Service Partner a service provider generally operates on a transactional basis. They offer a service that the client purchases. The relationship is typically based on the exchange of service for payment. This relationship might not involve a deep understanding of the client's overall business objectives.

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Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM)

Serviceable Addressable Market is the segment of the Total Addressable Market that can be served by a company's products or services. It is the part of the total market that can realistically be reached by a company.

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Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM)

Serviceable Obtainable Market, also known as share of the market, is a realistic revenue opportunity that a company can expect to achieve among its addressable market. It reflects the short-term sales potential of a product or company.

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Short-Term Incentive Program (SPIFF)

SPIFF is a short-term incentive program designed to motivate salespeople to sell a specific product or service.

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Stakeholder (external)

An External Stakeholder is an individual or group outside an organization that has an interest in or can be affected by the organization's activities, decisions, or projects. External stakeholders can include customers, suppliers, partners, competitors, regulators, and the community in which the organization operates. While they may not be directly involved in the organization's daily operations, they can still be influenced by its actions and decisions, and their feedback and interests can impact the organization's strategies and success.

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Stakeholder (internal)

An Internal Stakeholder is an individual or group within an organization that has a direct interest or involvement in the organization's activities, decisions, or projects. Internal stakeholders typically include employees, managers, executives, and shareholders (in the case of a company). They are directly affected by the organization's performance, policies, and overall success, and often contribute to its operations and decision-making processes.

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Stakeholder Alignment

Stakeholder Alignment is the the condition or process of achieving a shared vision, goals, and operational consensus among stakeholders to effectively carry out the partnership's mission and value proposition.

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Strategic Alignment

The harmonization of corporate strategy and partnership strategy, both internally and potentially with joint customers or, in some cases, suppliers.

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Strategic Alliance

Strategic Alliances are partnerships between two or more businesses that is formed to achieve a specific goal or objective. Strategic alliances can be long-term or short-term, and they may involve the sharing of resources, expertise, or other assets.

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Strategic Fit

The extent to which partnership partners are in sync to achieve the long-term objectives of the partnership or create a competitive advantage for each organization. The goals of each partner may vary significantly, but the degree to which the partnership allows each partner to attain its goals is a strong indicator of strategic fit and a sustainable, successful partnership.

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Strategic Partner

Strategic Partners work closely with a company to develop and implement joint initiatives, such as marketing campaigns or new products or services. These partnerships are often based on mutual benefit and a long-term relationship

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Subscription Pricing

Subscription Pricing means, partners pay a recurring fee to access the company's products or services. The fee may be based on the number of users, the amount of data processed, or other factors.

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Supplier Relationship

A Supplier Relationship is a transactional business relationship in which one business (the supplier) provides goods or services to another business (the customer). Supplier relationships can be long-term or short-term, and they may involve infrastructure, features, finished products, or services.

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System Integrator (SI)

System Integrators (SIs) are companies that provide consulting and integration services to help businesses implement and use new technology systems. They might work with hardware, software, or both, and may be responsible for integrating the technology with existing systems and processes within a business

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