Author: Get There

Most partners build custom projects. The leaders build repeatable practices.

The difference between partners who struggle with Agentforce implementations and those who build thriving agentic practices isn’t technical expertise, it’s structured execution. Partners with strategic roadmaps require less day-to-day direction and achieve revenue targets faster than those who approach each agent deployment as a one-off project.

• The agentic era rewards systematic approaches over ad hoc solutions.

While every customer’s business processes are unique, the principles for successful agent development, deployment, and optimization follow predictable patterns. Partners who master these patterns build scalable practices that create consistent value for customers and sustainable growth for their organizations.

Here’s how the most successful agentic partners structure their approach to deliver transformational results while building competitive advantages that extend far beyond individual implementations.

Discovery-driven agent development

The foundation of successful agent implementations lies in understanding not just what customers want to automate, but which processes are genuinely ready for autonomous decision-making. This requires moving beyond generic use cases to customer-specific solutions that address real business constraints.

Customer-specific discovery framework:

1. Business Process Analysis: Map current workflows to identify decision points, exception handling, and interdependencies. Agents excel when business rules are clear and exceptions are manageable.
   Data architecture assessment: Evaluate data quality, accessibility, and governance structures. Autonomous agents need clean, structured data to make reliable decisions.
2. Stakeholder Impact mapping: Identify which roles will be affected by agent deployment and how their responsibilities will change. Successful implementations require buy-in from people whose work will be transformed, not just executives who approve budgets.
3. Taking the 360-degree approach means gathering technical, business, and user perspectives before designing agent solutions. Technical teams focus on feasibility, business leaders emphasize outcomes, and end users understand operational realities. All three perspectives are essential.
4. Risk assessment for autonomous systems involves identifying scenarios where agent decisions could create business problems and designing appropriate safeguards. This includes understanding when agents should escalate to humans and what happens when agents make incorrect decisions.

Discovery isn’t about features, it’s about readiness, risk, and adoption potential.

Need a structured approach to discovery? Get There’s 360-degree discovery framework helps partners avoid costly implementation mistakes by understanding the full business context before agent development begins.

Execution-ready implementation framework

Successful agent implementations follow structured phases that build confidence while minimizing risk. Each phase validates assumptions and creates momentum for the next stage.

• Phase 1: Controlled Pilot (Weeks 1-4) Deploy agents in limited scope with extensive monitoring and human oversight. Focus on validating agent logic, data quality, and basic functionality.
• Phase 2: Monitored production (Weeks 5-12) Expand agent authority while maintaining safety nets. Monitor decision quality, exception handling, and user adoption patterns. Refine agent rules based on real-world performance.
• Phase 3: Autonomous operation (Weeks 13-24) Transition to full autonomous operation with standard monitoring protocols. Focus on optimization, scaling, and integration with broader business processes.
• Phase 4: Continuous improvement (Ongoing) Regular performance reviews, rule refinements, and expansion to additional use cases. Set up regular reviews so agents keep improving in real-world conditions.

Success metrics that predict agent adoption go beyond technical performance:

• Decision quality: Accuracy rates, exception handling effectiveness, and outcome consistency
• User adoption: Training completion, system usage patterns, and feedback scores
• Business impact: Process efficiency gains, cost reductions, and revenue improvements
• Change management: Stakeholder confidence, resistance patterns, and cultural adaptation

Change management for autonomous workflows requires different approaches than traditional software implementations. Employees must trust agents with decisions they previously controlled, which demands transparent communication about agent capabilities, limitations, and oversight mechanisms.

Phased rollouts build trust while proving value at each stage.

Graduated Self-sufficiency for Agentic partners

The most successful agentic partnerships evolve through predictable stages that build partner capabilities while reducing dependence on vendor support. This progression creates sustainable competitive advantages and scalable business models.

• Stage 1: Intensive agent strategy development (Months 1-6) Work closely with customers to identify optimal agent use cases, validate business requirements, and design implementation strategies. High-touch collaboration builds foundational expertise and customer confidence.
• Stage 2: Guided implementation with milestone tracking (Months 7-18) Lead agent deployments with structured oversight and milestone reviews. Focus shifts from strategy to execution excellence, with emphasis on repeatable processes and consistent outcomes.
• Stage 3: Independent scaling and optimization (Months 19-36) Manage agent implementations independently while scaling successful patterns across multiple customers. Develop proprietary methodologies and specialized expertise.
• Stage 4: Strategic agentic advisory (36+ Months) Become trusted advisors for complex agent transformations and ecosystem expansion. Lead industry discussions, contribute to best practices, and influence customer strategic direction.

Advancement criteria between stages:

• Stage 1→2: Successful completion of pilot implementations with measurable business impact
• Stage 2→3: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent agent projects independently
• Stage 3→4: Development of proprietary IP and recognized expertise in specific industry or use case areas

Self-sufficiency isn’t about needing less support, it’s about creating more value independently.

Structured capability development is only possible when the partnership itself is strong. Explore our article on building successful partnerships to see the foundations every thriving collaboration needs.”

Measuring agentic success beyond revenue

Traditional partnership metrics don’t capture the full value of agentic implementations. Successful partners track leading indicators that predict long-term success and customer satisfaction.

Customer Success Patterns for Autonomous AI:

Agent performance metrics: Decision accuracy, processing speed, exception handling effectiveness, and uptime reliability establish baseline functionality.

Business impact indicators: Process efficiency improvements, cost reductions, revenue increases, and customer satisfaction changes justify continued investment and expansion.

Organizational health signals: User adoption rates, training effectiveness, and cultural adaptation patterns determine long-term sustainability.

Partnership Health Metrics in the Agentic Era:

• Strategic Alignment: Frequency of strategic discussions, involvement in planning processes, and influence on customer decision-making
• Value Creation: Recurring revenue growth, expansion opportunities identified, and customer advocacy development
• Competitive Position: Win rates, deal sizes, and customer retention compared to industry benchmarks
• Capability Development: Team certification progress, proprietary methodology development, and thought leadership recognition

The right metrics predict problems before they become visible in revenue reports.

The competitive edge in an Agent-First world

In the agentic era, technical expertise is expected. What defines winners is the ability to turn agents into business transformation engines.

Developing specialized expertise means choosing specific industries, use cases, or technical approaches where you can build recognized authority. Generalist approaches work in emerging markets, but specialization creates premium positioning as markets mature.

Creating proprietary methodologies involves documenting your successful approaches and turning them into repeatable frameworks that maintain quality and consistency across customers.

Building deep customer relationships means becoming trusted advisors for digital transformation rather than implementers of specific technologies. Customers need partners who understand their business challenges and can guide them through complex organizational changes.

The most successful agentic partners combine technical competency with business strategy expertise, creating value that extends far beyond individual agent implementations to encompass broader digital transformation initiatives.

That’s where Get There helps partners stand apart.
Ready to build your agentic practice? Get There’s partner-specific strategic roadmapping service helps Salesforce partners develop sustainable competitive advantages through structured capability development and proven implementation frameworks.

• Get There Group specializes in helping Salesforce partners build scalable agentic practices that create lasting competitive advantages. Learn more about our strategic roadmapping services – Get in touch.

ISV and SI Partners who treat Agentforce like “just another Salesforce product to sell” risk missing the biggest transformation since Salesforce’s core CRM offering launched. This isn’t about adding AI features to your service portfolio, it’s about fundamentally reshaping how businesses operate through autonomous decision-making.

The stakes are significant. According to IDC’s latest research, over 22% of Salesforce partners’ revenue already comes from AI-specific activities, with the former Einstein AI as an add-on generating $6.87 for every $1 of Salesforce revenue, the highest ratio across all technology categories.

Partners are expecting 39% growth in AI headcount over the next 12 months.

Yet for all this momentum, most partners approaching Agentforce are making a critical error: they’re focusing on technical readiness while ignoring business strategy fundamentals.

Where most advisors focus on enablement paths and product training, Get There works with executives to build the strategy, structure, and culture shifts that turn technical adoption into revenue growth. Because in the agentic era, business readiness, not technical competency, predicts partnership success.

Beyond technical readiness: The business strategy gap

The shift from AppExchange to AgentExchange represents more than a technology evolution. Traditional apps extend Salesforce functionality; agents replace human decision-making in business processes. This distinction changes everything about how you approach partnerships, customer conversations, and value creation.

The four pillars of agentic readiness:

• Market understanding: Which customer business processes are ready for autonomous AI, and why will those specific processes deliver measurable ROI?
• Value proposition clarity: How do agents create different economic value than traditional software implementations?
• Delivery capability: Are your teams structured for ongoing agent optimization rather than one-time implementations?
• Leadership commitment: Is your executive team prepared for the investment and cultural shift required?
  Partners who demonstrate competency across all four areas require less ongoing support from Salesforce and achieve revenue targets faster.

Need to benchmark where you stand? Get There’s readiness framework helps identify strategic gaps before they become costly mistakes. Get in touch.

Market understanding in the agent economy

The agentic era demands sophisticated market analysis. You need to understand which organizations have business processes mature enough for autonomous AI intervention.

Quick diagnostic checklist for agent-ready customers:

• Process standardization Business rules are clearly defined with manageable exceptions. Highly variable or relationship-dependent processes aren’t suitable for early agent implementations.
• Data quality and accessibility Clean, structured data enables reliable autonomous decisions. Companies with siloed systems or poor data governance will struggle regardless of enthusiasm.
• Change management maturity Employees must trust autonomous systems with decisions they previously controlled. Poor change management track records create adoption barriers technical solutions can’t solve.

Use case validation means distinguishing between AI that impresses stakeholders and AI that transforms operations. Successful implementations solve specific, measurable business problems rather than demonstrating technological capabilities.

Competitive positioning requires focusing on business outcomes rather than features. Compete on your ability to identify the right use cases, manage organizational change, and deliver measurable results—not agent capabilities.

Resource allocation for sustained growth

IDC research shows 34% growth in partner AI headcount with 39% expected growth ahead. But rapid hiring without strategic planning creates more problems than it solves.

• Skills gap analysis: The most in-demand roles are AI solution architects, business analysts, and data architects positions that bridge technology and business strategy rather than pure technical implementation.
• Investment planning: Agentic partnerships require different resource allocation. Agents need ongoing optimization, performance monitoring, and business process refinement. This creates recurring revenue opportunities but demands different team structures.
• Repeatable delivery models: Develop frameworks that apply across customers and use cases while maintaining quality. Partners with proprietary methodologies command higher margins and build stronger relationships.

The goal isn’t hiring AI specialists quickly, it’s building capabilities that scale with demand while maintaining quality differentiation.

Leadership commitment assessment

Leadership commitment often determines the difference between successful transformation and expensive failed experiments.

• Genuine pivot or channel experiment? Is your leadership prepared for long-term investment in agent expertise, or seeking quick wins for quarterly reports? Agent partnerships require sustained investment in new capabilities and customer engagement models.
• Realistic expectations: Success requires honest conversations about timelines, investment requirements, and competitive landscape. Customer adoption of autonomous AI is still early-stage, demanding patience and strategic thinking.
• Accountability metrics: Establish clear progress measures beyond revenue targets. Track customer AI maturity progression, agent adoption rates, and business process improvements—leading indicators that predict long-term success.

Leadership teams that understand these realities and commit appropriate resources consistently outperform those treating Agentforce as an add-on activity.

The strategic advantage of comprehensive readiness

The agentic era rewards partners who understand that selling autonomous AI requires different skills, processes, and customer relationships than traditional software partnerships. Technical competency is table stakes. Strategic business readiness separates market leaders from the competition.

The question isn’t whether your organization can learn Agentforce features. It’s whether you’re prepared to help customers transform how work gets done and build partnerships that create value in an agent-first world.

Ready to benchmark your readiness? Get There’s framework helps Salesforce partners close strategy gaps and accelerate Agentforce success with results including ~$15M uplift and 16x ROI.

Get There Group specializes in helping Salesforce partners develop business strategies that accelerate partnership success.

Speak to us to learn more about our Agentforce readiness assessment.

Partner account managers are managing increasing workloads alongside complex oversight requirements. They’re supporting Partners who need guidance across multiple areas, managing relationships that span various stages of development, and working to drive partnerships toward sustainable growth.

The challenge is multifaceted, involving organizational processes, resource constraints, Partner readiness levels, and market dynamics.

• While there are many factors that influence partnership success—some within your control and others external, there are proven frameworks that can help maximize the productivity and impact of your partner account manager. 

After working with hundreds of partner organizations, we’ve identified five frameworks that consistently improve account manager productivity while accelerating partner performance. These aren’t theoretical models; they’re practical approaches that help transform partnerships from resource-intensive relationships into strategic assets that drive mutual success.

Framework 1: Business readiness assessment (Not just technical readiness)

The problem: Most partner programs focus heavily on technical enablement: product training, certification paths, and feature demonstrations. Partners launch with product knowledge but no clear business strategy, leading to constant requests for guidance, poor market positioning, and missed revenue targets. Technical readiness doesn’t predict partner success, business readiness does.

The framework: Implement a comprehensive business readiness assessment that evaluates:

• Market understanding: Does the partner truly understand their addressable market, competitive landscape, and differentiation points?
• Go-to-Market clarity: Do they have a defined target customer profile, use cases, and value proposition?
• Resource allocation: Are they properly staffed and funded for partnership success?
• Leadership commitment: Is their executive team genuinely committed to the partnership, or is it just another channel experiment?

Implementation: Before any partner moves from launch to growth phase, consider implementing a structured business assessment. Partners who can clearly articulate their strategy typically require less ongoing guidance and are better positioned for sustainable success.

Result: Partners with validated business strategies typically require fewer ongoing support requests and achieve revenue targets faster than those who skip this assessment, allowing account managers to focus their time more strategically.

• Strong frameworks don’t exist in isolation — they thrive in the context of trust and communication. If you want to dive deeper into what makes a partnership successful, read our guide on they key to building successful partnerships.

Framework 2: Partner-specific strategic roadmaps (Not generic playbooks)

The problem: Generic partner playbooks create generic results. One-size-fits-all approaches ignore the fundamental differences between partners’ markets, capabilities, and business models. Account managers spend countless hours providing custom guidance because standard playbooks don’t address partners’ specific challenges and opportunities.

The framework: Create detailed, partner-specific strategic roadmaps that include:

• Discovery-driven insights: In-depth analysis of the partner’s business model, target customers, and competitive positioning
• Execution-ready initiatives: Specific actions tailored to the partner’s market and capabilities
• Risk assessment: Identification of potential challenges and pre-planned mitigation strategies
• Success metrics: Clear, measurable outcomes that align with both partner and vendor objectives

Implementation: Invest in comprehensive discovery processes that go beyond surface-level conversations. Interview the partner’s customers, analyze their existing collateral, and understand their industry dynamics. Use this intelligence to build roadmaps that partners can execute independently.

Result: Partners with strategic roadmaps demonstrate stronger partnership performance and require less day-to-day direction because they have clear, actionable plans for growth.

Framework 3: Cross-functional discovery process (The whole business view)

The problem: Most partner interactions focus on a single department—usually sales or business development. This narrow view creates blind spots that lead to partnership failures and increased management overhead. Account managers discover critical gaps in partner capabilities or commitment only after problems emerge, requiring extensive damage control and additional resources.

The framework: Implement a 360-degree discovery process that includes:

• Partner team interviews: One-on-one conversations with key stakeholders across functions (sales, marketing, product, finance, leadership)
• Customer voice: Direct interviews with the partner’s existing customers to understand their experience and unmet needs
• Investor/advisor perspectives: Insights from external stakeholders who influence partner strategy
• Internal team input: Feedback from your own account executives, solution engineers, and support teams

Implementation: Structure discovery as a collaborative process, not an interrogation. Frame it as partnership optimization rather than evaluation. Use insights to identify potential friction points before they impact the relationship.

Result: Comprehensive discovery significantly reduces partner-related escalations and creates stronger alignment between partner capabilities and market opportunities.

Framework 4: Structured success measurement (Beyond revenue metrics)

The problem: Most partner programs measure success using lagging indicators like quarterly revenue or deal registration volume. By the time these metrics show problems, it’s too late for proactive intervention.

The framework: Develop predictive success indicators that signal partner health before problems emerge:

• Business strategy maturity: Can the partner articulate their differentiation and target market?
• Market engagement quality: Are they pursuing the right opportunities with appropriate deal sizes?
• Self-sufficiency indicators: How often do they require support for routine activities?
• Customer success patterns: Are their customers achieving measurable outcomes?

Implementation: Create simple scoring systems that account managers can update monthly. Focus on leading indicators that predict future performance rather than historical results.

Result: Early intervention based on predictive indicators can prevent many partnership challenges and allows account managers to focus resources on the highest-potential relationships.

Framework 5: Graduated self-sufficiency model (Structured partner development)

The problem: Many partnerships remain in a high-touch support model indefinitely because there’s no structured path toward greater partner self-sufficiency. Account managers become permanent consultants rather than strategic enablers, never achieving the goal of more efficient partnership management.

The framework: Create clear stages of partner development with defined self-sufficiency expectations:

• Stage 1 – Launch partners: High-touch support with weekly check-ins and detailed guidance
• Stage 2 – Growth partners: Bi-weekly strategic reviews with reduced tactical support
• Stage 3 – Industry partners: Monthly business reviews focused on market expansion
• Stage 4 – Strategic partners: Quarterly strategic planning with full partner autonomy

Implementation: Define specific criteria for advancement between stages. Partners must demonstrate competency in areas like customer acquisition, deal management, and strategic planning before moving to lower-touch support models.

Result: Mature partners require less direct oversight while maintaining strong performance levels, freeing account managers to focus on developing emerging partnerships and providing strategic value where it’s most needed.

The ultimate goal: Structured self-sufficiency that scales

The most effective partner account management focuses on developing partnerships that can operate with greater independence while maintaining strong strategic alignment. This isn’t about creating fully autonomous partners, successful partnerships require ongoing collaboration and shared strategic planning.

Instead, it’s about building partner capabilities in areas where they can be self-sufficient, allowing account managers to focus their expertise on high-value strategic activities.

When these five frameworks work together, they create a predictable path toward more efficient partnership management:

• Months 1-3: Intensive business strategy development and foundational support
• Months 4-9: Structured guidance with milestone-based progress tracking
• Months 10-18: Graduated self-sufficiency development with targeted support
• 18+ Months: Strategic partnership management focused on growth opportunities and market expansion

Partners who progress through this development become program advocates, requiring less intensive day-to-day management while delivering consistent results and providing valuable market insights.

The compound effect: How these frameworks work together

These frameworks aren’t standalone solutions—they create a compound effect when implemented together:

1. Business readiness assessment identifies partners worth investing in
2. Partner-specific roadmaps provide clear direction for growth
3. Cross-functional discovery prevents surprises and builds stronger relationships
4. Structured success measurement enables proactive intervention
5. Graduated autonomy models create a path to self-sufficiency

The result is a partner ecosystem that scales efficiently, performs predictably, and requires less management oversight over time.

Implementation priority: Start here

Rather than implementing all five frameworks simultaneously, consider starting with business readiness assessment, it often provides the highest immediate impact and creates the foundation for other improvements.

Consider focusing on launch-stage partners first. These relationships are forming their expectations about partnership support and collaboration. Establishing effective patterns early can improve partnership efficiency throughout the relationship lifecycle.

Remember: The goal isn’t to minimize partner support, it’s to provide the most effective type of support that builds sustainable partnership success. When partners have clear strategies, defined roadmaps, and predictable success metrics, account managers can focus on strategic guidance rather than reactive problem-solving.

The most successful partner programs build structured self-sufficiency from day one while maintaining strong strategic collaboration. Account managers can focus on high-value activities, partners achieve better results, and programs can scale more effectively without overwhelming the team

You’ve nailed the idea. Customers are excited, early adopters are on board, and investors are paying attention. Growth feels inevitable until it suddenly isn’t. Internal operations can’t keep up. Marketing spins its wheels. Sales don’t convert like they used to. What happened?

The answer, more often than not: is that there was no real plan.

Scaling isn’t just about doing more. It’s about doing the right things, in the right order, at the right time. Without a clear strategy, scale can become a fast track to chaos.

Growth without strategy is expensive and often invisible

The danger isn’t always loud, it creeps in quietly and you may start to see the following themes:

• High customer churn despite good initial acquisition
• Bloated hiring that spreads teams thin but delivers little
• Tech stacks piling up without clear ROI
• Sales teams chasing everything but closing little

These issues are costly, but worse, they’re often seen as “growing pains” instead of red flags. Companies convince themselves it’s temporary, that they just need more time, more leads, more people.

But behind every misfire, there is often a lack of clarity,  no clear or defined audience, no shared understanding of value and a roadmap to get from here to there.

Product-market fit doesn’t equal go-to-market readiness

One of the most common mistakes we see is assuming that early traction means you’re ready to scale – early excitement doesn’t equal real demand. You need evidence and commitment from potential customers that see value in your offer, not just hope.

For example, one AI automation startup found this out the hard way. They’d secured funding and a handful of big-name logos, but lacked a clear commercial strategy. Within months, their growth stagnated. Marketing campaigns didn’t land, sales were misaligned, and the product team kept building features without user input.

We stepped in to build a unified Go-To-Market plan, which defined their ‘Ideal Customer’, set a realistic growth model, refined their market positioning, and improved sales rigour. This saw their sales pipeline double within three months, and cost of acquiring new customers drop by 37%.

Before you chase scale, it pays to get the foundations right. Our blueprint for a successful market launch breaks down how to structure your offering for impact.

Misaligned teams multiply the mess

Without a clear strategy, teams often unknowingly start to solve multiple, disconnected problems. Sales wants to close deals, product wants to ship features, and marketing wants to tell a story. But when they’re not rowing in sync, progress stalls, or worse, reverses.

That’s where planning matters most. It doesn’t just outline what to do, it creates shared language, shared goals, builds engagement and clarity across the business. Alignment isn’t a buzzword; it’s what turns potential into performance.

Scaling prematurely kills speed in the long run

Speed matters, especially in fast-moving markets. But speed without direction is just motion. And motion without meaning burns resources, morale, and brand credibility.

• Planning doesn’t just slow you down, it accelerates what matters and cuts the noise.

It lets teams say no to distractions and yes to what actually moves the needle.

An example of one of our clients, a healthtech startup, came to us after their Series A funding. They were growing but inefficiently. We ran a two-week strategy sprint that realigned the leadership team, mapped market opportunities, and set a clear GTM sequence. The result? A six month time-to-revenue acceleration and a 22% lift in sales close rates.

The real cost of scaling without a plan

Scaling without strategy often looks leads to:

• Misfiring campaigns that waste budget
• Top talent walking out, frustrated and not engaged
• Product development driven by guesswork, not insights that doesn’t deliver on value to the customer
• Sales chasing the wrong type of deals

These aren’t just bumps, they’re business risks.

So, what do successful companies do instead?

• They define strategy early. Even if it’s light-touch, they create a directional roadmap.
• They validate before they accelerate. Market/ staff/ customer insight drives decisions, not gut feel.
• They align teams fast. From marketing to sales to product, everyone is accountable to the same outcomes.
• They revisit and refine. Strategy is living, not locked away.

When do you to tackle this internally — and when do you call in support?

Some teams can navigate this phase on their own, especially if they’ve got strong internal alignment, experienced leadership, and time to test and iterate. But if growth feels reactive, or there’s tension between departments, bringing in an outside perspective can save serious time and cost.

A typical GTM strategy engagement can take between four to six weeks, from insight gathering and market validation through to sequencing, team alignment, and activation. It’s fast, focused, and designed to create immediate clarity.

The right partner doesn’t replace your team, it simply helps amplify their potential and ensures their time is utilised more effectively.

Your next move

If your growth feels messy, instead of manageable, you’re not alone. Scaling without a plan is common, but also preventable.

At Get There, we help ambitious teams transform early traction into scalable, sustainable growth. We specialise in quickly building practical strategies that align teams and drive results without slowing you down.

Movement without momentum won’t get you far – together we’ll create a plan that drives it.Need help aligning your next phase of growth? Get in touch to see how we can help turn your vision into outcomes that scale.

Imagine setting off on a road trip with friends but there is no agreement on the destination. You might have a reliable car,enough fuel and in-car navigation, but without a clear plan how will you know if you’ve arrived successfully? It is highly likely you’ll end up lost, frustrated, wasting time and money as well as being in a place no one actually wanted to go.

Business strategy works the same way – without a shared destination and plan, even the best ideas won’t carry a company far.

Approximately nine in ten organisations struggle to execute their strategy fully and many that do only partially deliver. The 2025 State of Strategy Execution Report paints a clear picture: most plans fail not because they aren’t well designed, but because execution breaks down.

The cost of this failure isn’t just missed targets on a spreadsheet. It’s watching competitors surge ahead while your team misses out on opportunities and burns through resources on initiatives that go nowhere. It’s the CEO explaining to investors why revenue projections fell short again and its customers going with a competitor because unlike you, they offer the right product for the right price at the right time

• This isn’t just bad luck. Companies trip up on predictable pitfalls that successful businesses have learned to avoid.

Why strategies often fall flat

Unclear direction drowns teams in confusion

Teams can’t work together if they don’t head towards the same destination. When high-level strategy isn’t linked to day-to-day work, it creates confusion and misaligned priorities. Goals that are vague or constantly changing leave people guessing what they’re actually supposed to achieve.

For example, take the CEO of a Healthcare Service provider, who was planning to launch an industry-specific app without any formal business strategy. Development was already underway with an external partner and their budget was burning up rapidly.

More importantly the company’s team had no clear plan for pricing, market positioning, competitive differentiation, or even who their ‘Ideal Customer’ was going to be. Everyone was working hard, but nobody knew if they were building the right product, whether there was a demand for it and what problem it solved for customers.

Nobody owns the outcome

Without clear ownership, critical tasks slip through organisational cracks, often with staff thinking someone else was completing it or doubling up on the same task. Strategies flounder when no-one is directly accountable for results – plans turn into wishful thinking instead of committed action.

Poor communication keeps the best ideas locked away

Even brilliant strategies fail if they’re kept secret in executive boardrooms. Employees remain unaware of overarching objectives or their individual roles when communication breaks down. Staff who don’t understand the strategy or why it matters, either can’t help deliver it or aren’t engaged because they don’t understand the story.

Tunnel vision ignores critical blind spots

Chasing a single big idea while ignoring everything else (especially something that keeps the lights on or has been profitable in the past) often backfires.

Leaders frequently focus on one element of a strategy – say, a new technology that is the flavour of the month but neglect how it fits with competitors, existing capabilities, or market realities. The result? Solutions that look good in isolation but aren’t holistic or don’t take into consideration what happens now, often crumble when they hit the real world.

Rigid plans shatter when markets shift

The world moves on, and markets continue to evolve. Companies that set strategy in stone watch it become outdated fast. Businesses must continuously improve and reinvent their value proposition or risk losing ground.

• Plans that can’t adapt quickly to change, often collapse and/or fail spectacularly.

What successful companies do differently

The DNA of thriving companies includes efficient resource alignment, sharp and ongoing customer focus, continual learning and adaptable/ repeatable capabilities. These businesses treat strategy as a living guide, not a dusty document gathering cobwebs in filing cabinets.

Set a clear, shared vision that energises everyone

Successful companies establish a clear, compelling direction supported by specific, measurable goals. Everyone from the CEO to the newest team members knows the goals and reasons behind them.

At Get There, we recently worked with a newly-appointed Vice President of Global Partnerships who needed to significantly increase revenue from their key strategic technology partnerships.

• The challenge? No formal partnership Go-To-Market strategy existed, and the team was taking an opportunistic approach to establishing and nurturing complex partner relationships.
• The outcome: We developed a comprehensive framework that aligned the entire organisation around clear, realistic objectives and measurable outcomes for how they could measure impact and success.

Communicate relentlessly and break down silos

Successful companies don’t hide plans in executive offices. Effective leaders explain strategy through every channel. They get departments and teams talking to each other and constantly reach out and iterate with staff and customers to test their approach.

Cross-team collaboration should become the norm, with insights and ideas flowing freely. When staff understand how their work connects to bigger goals, their engagement soars.

Case study: An In-Market Partner case study shows this in action. We worked with Salesforce to identify high-growth potential ISV Partners needing additional guidance in how they grew their businesses, to ensure partnership goals were achieved. In addition to working with Partners’ leadership teams, we ensured the resulting business strategies were clearly communicated to the rest of each Partner’s teams. This made sure that staff felt involved, with each person clearly understanding how they contributed to the company’s overall success.

We also set up clear communication processes, and regular feedback loops to ensure everyone was kept up-to-date, which in turn provided peace of mind for management.

The result? Partners reported that Get There “gave us a validated and clear direction exactly when we needed it.”

Create bulletproof accountability systems

Every strategic priority should have a named owner. Smart companies assign clear responsibility/ accountability for each goal and define exactly how success will be measured. They set decision rights, tie them to incentives, and track progress with regular reviews.

• Plans become sets of concrete tasks with real names and accountability attached.

Turn strategy into action with military precision

Good companies split goals into specific projects with deadlines. They create detailed action plans that map each initiative to people and timelines. They also hold short, regular check-ins to keep everything on track and quickly adapt to feedback and key learnings

• As Peter Drucker said, “Half of strategic planning is strategic thinking; the other half is strategic acting”.

Case study: An Early Stage business that Get There worked with needed urgent funding approval but lacked the necessary formal strategy documentation. Working under tight time pressures, we developed a complete business strategy including competitive analysis, market positioning, and three-year financial projections. Outcome: The CEO secured investor approval, as well as favourable outcomes including reduced projected build costs by 40%, and cutting time to market by over three months.

Adapt and learn at lightning speed

Winning teams treat strategy as an ongoing process, not a one-time event. They review results regularly (weekly/monthly) and pivot fast when needed¹¹.

If a product isn’t selling or markets shift, they adjust immediately. This agility keeps strategy relevant no matter how quickly the outside world changes.

Your next move

The difference between strategies that deliver and those that gather dust comes down to five fundamentals: clarity, communication, accountability, action, and adaptability.

The companies we work with don’t just understand these principles – they live them. They’ve seen revenue growth, faster time-to-market, and teams that know what is expected of them and exactly how their work drives business results.

Don’t let your next strategy gather dust. Partner with us to turn plans into outcomes that scale.

Get There specialises in turning strategic plans into measurable results. As a direct result of our team’s input, our clients’ businesses are in better shape, more successful, and able to bring innovative new products and services to market more efficiently than ever before.

Imagine you’re building a treehouse with your best friend. You trust them to hold the ladder steady, you respect their design ideas, and you communicate clearly about who gets to be the lookout. That kind of teamwork – built on trust, respect, and communication – is the secret to any successful partnership, even in business.

We’ve seen firsthand how strong partnerships can fuel incredible success stories. But just like that perfect treehouse, building a thriving partnership takes more than just good intentions.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the key ingredients – the trust, the plan, the focus – that will help you build a partnership that delivers real results.

Trust, respect, and communication: The cornerstones of partnership

Any successful partnership needs a solid base built on trust, respect, and open communication.

• Think of trust as the glue that holds everything together. When you trust your partners to deliver on their promises and have your best interests at heart, you can work together with confidence.
• Respect goes hand-in-hand. It’s about valuing each other’s expertise and perspectives, even when you disagree.
• And open communication? That’s the constant dialogue that keeps everyone on the same page. Without these cornerstones, any partnership can become shaky.

According to a Frost & Sullivan report, companies that engage in strategic partnerships achieve revenue growth at a rate that is 3x higher than those that go it alone.

Have a shared plan (Not just shared goals)

Imagine building your treehouse without a plan. It might be fun at first, but things will most likely get messy once you’ve got started. The same goes for partnerships. A clear strategic plan acts as your blueprint, outlining the “why” and “how” of your collaboration.

Your strategic plan should address a few key questions:

• What market need are we solving together? What problem are you uniquely positioned to tackle by combining your strengths?
• What’s our true value proposition? How does your partnership offer something more valuable than either of you could alone?
• Who are we targeting? Ensure you’re both paddling in the same direction.
• How will we achieve success? Map out the concrete steps you’ll take to reach your goals.

Having a documented plan keeps everyone focused on the big picture and ensures you’re aligned on what success looks like.

Speaking of focus…

Maintaining focus

Distractions (or the ‘butterfly effect’) happen, but in a partnership, they can be a major source of frustration for everyone involved. If you’re constantly chasing shiny objects or your goals aren’t clear, it can lead to wasted resources and disappointed partners.

That’s why maintaining focus is critical. This means having shared, measurable objectives. Think of it like having a shared vision board – it keeps everyone motivated and working towards the same exciting outcome. But you also need someone to nurture the relationship and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Building a stronger partnership

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” It’s one of those famous quotes that every entrepreneur likes to throw around. But it’s the truth, both in business and in partnerships.

• Being consistent in how you approach tasks, communication, and decision-making are the secret ingredients you need to build trust and keep things running smoothly.

Here’s where thorough planning comes in: taking the time to map out strategies, define roles, and establish clear timelines ensures everyone knows what to expect and when. This methodical approach might seem a little less exciting than just hammering away, but it prevents misunderstandings and keeps the project – and the partnership – on track.

Sharing the responsibility

Achieving success requires clear accountability. No, this doesn’t mean finger-pointing – it’s about openly communicating needs and expectations.

If you need something from your partner, be clear about it, explain why it’s important, and set a reasonable deadline. The same goes for them. Open communication and follow-through build trust and ensure everyone feels invested in the partnership’s success.

Go beyond just showing up

Partnerships are a two-way street. Sure, showing up and doing your part is important, but going the extra mile can make a real difference.

• A proactive partner is someone who anticipates needs, shares good news (landing a new client, or a new use case for their offering), and actively seeks opportunities to collaborate.

It strengthens your bond, highlights the partnership’s achievements, and might even attract new opportunities.

Greater than the sum of its parts

There’s power in working together. Collaborating with other partners within your ecosystem allows you to achieve so much more than you could on your own.

Think of it like this: a product company might have amazing technology but struggle to reach a specific target market. Partnering with a service provider with deep, relevant market expertise would allow them to gain valuable insights and connections.

The road to results

Setting unrealistic expectations can be a major roadblock in any partnership. While aiming high is important, so is being grounded in reality.

This means setting achievable goals with clear timelines. Partnerships built on unrealistic projections lead to disappointment and frustration when those lofty goals aren’t met.

Focus on breaking the bigger picture down into realistic milestones and celebrating each accomplishment. You’ll start to build momentum and keep both partners motivated. After all, exceeding well-defined, achievable goals is far more rewarding (and sustainable) than chasing after an impossible dream.

Final Thoughts

Building a successful partnership takes trust, communication, planning, and a shared vision. You may have all of this buttoned down, but if you don’t, or you feel it could be worth getting an independent, expert opinion, please reach out to us.

Having a good product offering isn’t enough. It needs to be exceptional. Customers are bombarded with choices, and your product or service needs to stand out to capture their attention and loyalty.

But what exactly makes for a good offering? Is it being a “jack of all trades” or should you specialise in one area? The market is filled with thousands of different business models — and that makes everything a confusing mess.

Don’t worry; in this article, we’ll explore the key ingredients that transform an idea into a compelling solution that resonates with your target market.

The power of simplicity: Do one thing and do it well

Ever been in a restaurant that has a menu with hundreds of dishes. It’s overwhelming, right? This ‘choice paralysis’ also goes for your solution offering. When you try to be everything to everyone, you risk diluting your message and failing to connect with any specific customer segment.

A good solution offering excels at doing one thing brilliantly. It solves a specific problem your target customer faces in a clear and effective way.

This laser focus means you give:

• Clarity: Customers instantly understand what your offering does and how it benefits them.
• Expertise: Focusing on a specific area allows you to develop deep expertise, making your solution more effective.
• Focus: Resources are directed towards perfecting your core function, resulting in a more polished and reliable product offering.

Unearthing your unique selling proposition for market launch strategy

So, you’ve nailed simplicity, but what sets you apart? Every good solution offering has a unique selling proposition (USP) — that key ingredient that makes you stand out from the competition. It could be a unique product feature, unbeatable value, or superior customer experience.

• Identifying your USP requires a deep understanding of your target market and their needs.

Research your competitors, talk to customers, and identify the gap you can fill. Your USP is your secret weapon, the reason why customers will choose you over the rest.

The art of messaging

Simplicity and uniqueness are powerful, but they can’t work their magic if no one understands them. Clear and concise messaging is critical for effectively communicating the value proposition of your solution offering. But here are some common mistakes that everyone makes.

• The first, and probably most common is the “And” trap. Resist the urge to list every single feature your offering possesses (i.e. ‘we do this, and this, and this…’). Focus on the most compelling benefits that resonate with your target audience.
• Many businesses also overload with jargon. As tempting as it might be, avoid technical language that alienates potential customers. Use clear, concise language that everyone understands.
• Finally, focus on value, not features. Don’t just tell customers what your product offering does; tell them how it will benefit them.

The commercialisation challenge

Having a great idea is just the first step. Transforming that idea into a real-world solution offering requires careful commercialisation. There are several key considerations to take into account here:

• Scope: Define the exact parameters of your solution offering. What will it do, and what won’t it do? What are its core features? How will it be delivered (e.g., consulting services, software as a service)? Once you have this foundation laid, you’ve got a starting point. 
• Go-to-Market strategy: How will you reach your target market? This involves considering channels (online, offline, partnerships), pricing strategy, and marketing tactics. Remember, something that works for your competitors might not work for your business. You need to consider what will work best in the context of your business, what you offer, and who you are targeting.
• Driving adoption: Once your offering is out there, how will you encourage widespread use? Consider how customers can trial what you have to offer, customer education programs, and loyalty initiatives. There’s a wide variety of strategies that can drive more customers to you.

Commercialisation can be a complex process, so think carefully about how your offering will be structured, resourced, and operationalised to ensure a smooth and successful launch.

Turning value into revenue: Monetisation in your market launch strategy

Ultimately, a good product offering needs to be financially sustainable.  This means understanding your value proposition and developing a clear strategy for monetisation.

Don’t undervalue what you do. Always make sure to conduct thorough market research to understand your true worth and be confident in your pricing strategy. Proper research will give you a good idea of where the sweet spot is for your offering.

Now that you know your value, be bold with how there is clearly an argument for gaining ‘mind share before market share’. While gaining market awareness is important, don’t undervalue your product offering to the point of commoditisation. This can erode your brand value in the long run.

• By way of example, we developed a new Product Business Plan for a software company that had initially planned to not charge customers for integrating their product with the CRM vendor.

They’d invested a considerable amount of money in developing the integration (which they’d need to keep investing in as they add more features) – let alone the ongoing investment needed to continue to build new features, as well as motivating the Vendor’s sales team to promote their offering.

In the process, we helped them devise a pricing strategy that enabled them to get in market quickly, as well as plot a path to recovering the ‘sunk’ development costs, and think about how to fund and scale the product business.

Final thoughts

Your offering can make or break your business. The Get There team has successfully guided numerous companies — from pre-revenue startups to large-scale multinationals — through solving these challenges.

We can help you stand out from the crowd, streamline your value to your target customers, or create sustainable, scalable revenue streams.

In a world dominated by information overload, clarity is king. This is especially true for businesses trying to capture attention in a crowded marketplace. You’ve got a fantastic idea, a product or service that could revolutionise your industry. That’s a great start.

But how well can you explain it? Can you articulate your – what you do and why it matters – in a way that resonates with your target audience? Will your target audience remember what you do? Or will they trip over their words trying to explain it themselves?

The answer to the problem, more often than not, lies in simplicity. Ditch the jargon, the technical speak, and the convoluted sentences. Focus on crafting a clear, concise message that cuts through the noise and grabs attention.

Let’s take a closer look.

The curse of gobbledegook: Why simplicity matters

The tech world is notorious for its love affair with complex language. Scroll through many websites and social media feeds, and you’ll find a plethora of articles and posts that sound impressive but leave you scratching your head:

• “We’ve leveraged our next-generation, cloud-agnostic data wrangling algorithms to synergise your disruptive content across all touchpoints.”
  • (Translation: We’ve used some fancy new software to organise your data and make it work better across different platforms.)
• “Our intuitive, gamified user experience offers seamless frictionless onboarding.”
  • (Translation: Our app is easy to use and fun, and getting started is a breeze!)
• “We disrupt the legacy enterprise collaboration paradigm with our AI-powered, blockchain-enabled synergy engine.”
  • (Translation: Our product offers a better way for businesses to work together more efficiently.)

This tendency to overcomplicate can be detrimental to businesses. When you lose your audience in a maze of jargon, you lose the very people you’re trying to connect with.

Here’s why simplicity matters:

• A clear message ensures everyone – potential customers, partners, investors, even recruits – understands your value proposition.
• Simple messages are easier to remember and leave a lasting impression.
• By honing your message to its core, you amplify its impact and reach a wider audience.

Think about it: wouldn’t you rather be known for one thing you do exceptionally well than forgotten because of a confusing jumble of features and functions?

Start simple, scale smartly, build a strong reputation

Even established companies can ‘lose their way’, becoming bloated in their messaging, and straying from their focus. Establishing a strong reputation for something specific is invaluable. Being known for “the CRM enhancement that gets you to market faster” or “the AI-powered marketing tool that drives real results” is a powerful starting point.

This doesn’t mean you can’t expand your product or solution offerings later. As you grow, you can add new features, target new industries, and explore new markets. However, building a strong foundation based on clarity and simplicity is crucial for initial success.

The shark tank pitch challenge: Ten words to success

The focus on clear communication is even more important when forging strategic partnerships. Imagine going on Shark Tank with a tech titan like Marc Benioff or Satya Nadella. The doors open to your dream opportunity – a chance to pitch your business.

You only have one shot at pitching your business to them. Could you do it in ten words or less? Could you explain your company’s value proposition in a way that would spark their interest and prompt them to say, “Cool, tell me more about it”? Despite it seeming difficult, this exercise will help you refine your message.

If you can’t explain your “special sauce” – your unique value proposition – and the combined benefit your partnership offers customers in a clear, concise way, you may lose a valuable opportunity.

Here are some tips for crafting your very own Shark Tank pitch

• Focus on the problem you solve. What pain point are you addressing for your target audience?
• Highlight your unique value proposition. What sets you apart from the competition?
• Keep it simple and clear. Use plain language that everyone understands.

If you think you’ve got it nailed, test your elevator pitch with friends, family, and colleagues. Get their feedback and refine your message until it’s clear, concise, and impactful.

The power of storytelling

While simplicity is key, that doesn’t mean your communication needs to be dry and uninspiring. Think about Apple. When they first launched the iPod, it came with 5GB of storage. Instead of marketing it with tech jargon, they used something far more relatable: “1,000 songs in your pocket”.

It’s punchy, interesting, and memorable. Use storytelling to make your message more engaging. Weave a narrative that explains the problem you solve, the impact you create, and the value you deliver. People connect with stories, and a well-crafted narrative can make a complex concept more relatable and memorable.

Clarity is your competitive advantage

The ability to communicate clearly and concisely is one of the most powerful competitive advantages in an age of information overload. Don’t lose your audience in a maze of jargon. Focus on simplicity, craft a compelling message, and become famous for one thing you do exceptionally well.

Remember, the simpler and clearer your message, the easier it is for people to understand your value and become advocates for your business.

Business partnerships hold immense potential – access to new markets, increased revenue streams, and accelerated growth. But building a successful partnership is much more than simply agreeing on “what” you want to achieve. The real key lies in the “how” – the specific actions you’ll take to turn that vision into reality.

What does that even mean? In this article, we’ll look at the “how” of partnerships and why it’s an often-overlooked, but critical element to consider.

The challenge

Let’s face it, the “what” of a partnership is often straightforward. Make a new product, expand your customer base, and increase market share – these are all common goals. However, translating these aspirations into concrete actions can be messy.

• Getting alignment: Not all partners agree on how to achieve the “what.” Differing opinions on marketing strategies, sales approaches, and even success metrics can create friction. This friction is what could ultimately cause a partnership to fall apart in the future. 

• Staying committed: The patience factor. Building trust and a sustainable partnership takes time. Partners who get frustrated by slow initial results might misinterpret this as a sign of failure, overlooking the long-term potential and calling it quits early on.

• Get real: The biggest mistake is not setting realistic goals in your partnership. We all have huge ambitions, but Moonshot targets that lack a clear roadmap for achievement ultimately lead to disappointment and discouragement.

Focusing solely on the “what” without a well-defined “how” recipe sets the stage for frustration and missed opportunities.

Setting realistic goals and timelines

We believe in a pragmatic approach to partnership building. The first step is establishing realistic goals and objectives. Shooting for the stars may be inspiring, but setting unattainable targets demotivates everyone involved.

Here’s why realistic goals matter:

• Achievable milestones create a sense of accomplishment and fuel continued effort.
• Realistic goals allow for adjustments based on market changes and learnings.
• They shift the focus from short-term wins to sustainable, long-term growth.

Imagine a business that is aiming to quadruple its revenue in three years. While this is an ambitious target, there is no plan that details specific actions – resource allocation, investment decisions, and a sales strategy. This aspiration needs a roadmap – a step-by-step plan with clear milestones and measurable progress points.

The power of incremental growth

Sustainable partnership success comes from taking a measured approach. Think crawl, walk, run – a series of achievable phases that allow for learning, adaptation, and continuous improvement.

This phased approach can be applied to:

• Marketing: Refine your messaging and target audience based on results.
• Sales: Identify the most effective sales strategy for your partnership offering.
• Customer Success: Develop exceptional customer service processes that ensure satisfaction that results in advocacy.

Your partnership will be strengthened and its potential will be unlocked by continuously improving these phases. This measured approach can also benefit your own business, informing future product development, pricing strategy, and market research based on partnership experiences.

Communication is underestimated

Successful partnerships thrive on open communication. Clearly convey to your partners how your combined offerings deliver value to customers. This helps them understand the bigger picture and identify areas where they can further contribute to your shared success.

But, there’s one element that’s often overlooked in partnerships — governance. Shared goals, milestones, and metrics are crucial for a successful partnership, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle. 

• Just like meticulously crafted business plans that end up gathering dust on a shelf, a well-defined partnership strategy can fall flat without proper governance.

Regular reviews, clear accountability assigned to leadership on both sides, and a mechanism for course correction are essential. Without this governance structure, even the most detailed “how” can become irrelevant, leading to the same fate as those unused plans – gathering dust and failing to deliver on their promise.

Building a partnership ecosystem for growth

When choosing partners, focus on those companies that align with your vision and are committed to working collaboratively.  Don’t just focus on the “what” – dig deeper and explore the “how”. Define clear goals, establish a roadmap for achieving them, and prioritise continuous improvement.

Remember, strong partnerships are built on shared goals, clear communication, and a commitment to working together towards a common future. A partnership can be transformed from a fleeting hope to a powerful engine for growth and success by focusing on the “how.”