Model 3: Strategy Model
Define your partnership strategy with compelling value propositions, go-to-market motion planning, and portfolio management. Turn economic insights into strategic action.
This guide is Model 3 of the 5-model Partnership Architecture Framework. It translates economic insights into external-facing strategy and portfolio management.
With the economics understood from Model 2, this model focuses on the external-facing strategy. It's about defining the value proposition for both partners and customers and deciding where to focus your efforts for the highest yield.
The strategic challenge: Most partnership programs lack clear strategic positioning:
- They can't articulate why a partner should work with them vs. competitors
- They don't have a compelling "better together" story for customers
- They spread resources thin across too many partners
- They lack a framework for prioritizing which partnerships to pursue
This model provides the strategic frameworks to solve these problems.
Why Strategy Matters: Beyond Random Acts of Partnership
The "Spray and Pray" Approach
What it looks like: Recruiting any partner who expresses interest, without strategic criteria. "Sure, let's partner!" becomes the default response.
Result:
- 50 partners signed, 5 actually active
- No clear value proposition for any of them
- Resources spread too thin to enable anyone properly
- No measurable impact on business goals
The missing piece: Strategic focus on which partnerships create competitive advantage and drive business objectives.
Moving to Strategic Focus
The difference between scattered partnership efforts and strategic ones isn't complexity. It's clarity. Strategic partnerships start with three foundational questions:
-
Which partners align with our business objectives? Not every potential partner deserves your time. Focus on those who help you achieve specific goals (enter new markets, improve win rates, reduce costs).
-
What's the compelling value exchange? Partners need clear reasons to invest effort. Customers need to understand why the combined solution beats standalone alternatives. You need quantifiable business impact to justify the investment.
-
How do we allocate resources for maximum impact? Not all partnerships perform equally. Your best partners should receive disproportionate attention and support.
This model provides the frameworks to answer these questions systematically, transforming partnership programs from reactive relationship-building into strategic business drivers.
Loading...