Why partnerships lead to pipeline

At ELG Insider we eat, sleep, and breathe Ecosystem-Led Growth, so it’s never a bad idea to step back and share simple, clear summaries of why it’s powerful from external folks.

GTMnow is GTMfund’s media platform for go-to-market leaders and one of the most trusted sources of insight and advice from experienced GTM operators, and this is their expert overview of why partner ecosystems lead to pipeline in outbound:

It builds trust at scale: Ecosystem-led approaches are built on the principle of operationalizing trust through partnerships. By integrating partners into your go-to-market strategy, you create a scalable way to build credibility with potential customers.
It’s unique to your company: Your ecosystem is a distinctive asset that no other company has. It’s built on your specific partner relationships, technical integrations, and market positioning, making it a highly tailored advantage.
It’s scalable and efficient: As you expand your ecosystem, opportunities grow exponentially. The unit economics of this approach are often superior.

TACTICS

How to build your ecosystem-led approach to outbound

Last week, GTMnow hosted “The Future of Outbound: An Ecosystem-Led Approach,” a live discussion with three GTM leaders at the forefront of driving revenue through outbound taking an ecosystem-led approach: Andrew Ermogenous of Atlan, Eric Smith of Pattern, and Alex Poulos of Crossbeam, moderated by GTMnow’s Sophie Buonassisi.

After the event (which you can watch on demand), GTMnow extracted seven tactics as inspiration and practical guidance on how to operationalize an ecosystem-led outbound approach.

7 tactics to operationalize an ecosystem-led approach for outbound

1. Dedicated SDRs for ecosystem partnerships

These SDRs are not just making calls; they are embedded within the partnership team, participating in partner QBRs, strategy sessions, and leveraging partner data to refine their outreach. They prioritize high-fit accounts that align with both their company’s and partners’ value propositions. This specialized role ensures that outreach is rich in relevance and more likely to resonate with prospects who are already engaged with the ecosystem. Greater resonance, greater pipeline generation.

2. Set up a “Funnel GPS Call” — a call to unify sales, marketing, and partnerships

Atlan runs “Funnel GPS Calls,” which are cross-functional meetings that bring sales, marketing, and partnerships together to review the pipeline and align on strategy.

It’s more than just a status update — these calls are used to identify what’s working, troubleshoot what’s not, and make real-time adjustments to tactics. The goal is unified action toward shared pipeline goals.

3. Give each BDR a small target list of high-conviction accounts

Pattern assigns each BDR a small, curated list of 50 high-conviction accounts, chosen based on data from ecosystem insights. This tight focus allows reps to dive deeper into each account, using tailored strategies rather than spreading their efforts too thin across a broad list. A focused approach empowers BDRs and sales reps to be more strategic and creative in their outreach.

4. Embed ecosystem data into the CRM

Often being the source of truth, having data that doesn’t reside in the CRM can deprioritize it. Integrating ecosystem data directly to the CRM streamlines outbound efforts while showcasing its value.

Sales teams use Crossbeam to pull partner overlap data directly into their CRM. This setup gives reps immediate visibility into which partners are already working with their target accounts, what tech stack the accounts use, and other key data points that make outreach more relevant.

5. Leverage partner intent signals to time outbound

Partner intent signals — like changes in tech stack or recent customer acquisitions - provide actionable insights that tell you when an account is ready for engagement. These signals help reps identify high-priority targets and tailor their outreach to match the account’s current context.

Signals from partners allow reps to strike when the timing is right, making outreach more relevant and increasing the chances of a positive response. It’s data-driven targeting that turns the coldest of cold calls into a strategic conversation.

6. Sponsor partner Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs)

Participating in partner QBRs lets your team gather valuable insights on mutual customers, spot challenges, and identify new opportunities for collaboration. It’s an inside look at what’s working and what needs attention, directly from the partner's perspective. QBRs provide direct access to data and discussions that can inform outbound efforts.

7. Segment daily contributors vs. strategic partners

Not all partners play the same role. Some are “daily contributors” who provide quick wins through immediate support, introductions, or referrals. Others are “strategic partners” involved in long-term initiatives like co-selling and co-marketing. Recognizing these distinctions helps you engage partners effectively based on what they bring to the table and how you can in turn best support them.

Segmenting partners allows you to maximize both short-term impact and long-term growth. Daily contributors keep the pipeline moving, while strategic partners help drive bigger, more integrated opportunities.

A SPECIAL FAVOR

Future of Revenue survey

As a GTM leader, your experience and insights are crucial to understanding the direction of revenue strategies in our industry.

We’ve partnered with Pavilion to survey GTM leaders, and we’d love it if you could take 7 minutes to share your thoughts.

Your input is anonymous, and you’ll get early access to the report before its big reveal this fall.

Share your experience here.

STUFF YOU CAN'T MISS

October 1-3: RevCon - TODAY: RevGenius partnered with Common Room, Sigma, Avoma, The Juice, and many more to bring you a 3-day virtual conference to reunite your sales, marketing, RevOps, and CS leaders behind to learn and discuss about the future of SaaS. Save your spot here.

October 9: The Next Era of Ecosystem Technology: 360Insights and GTM experts like Hannibal Scipio (Forrester), Cody Sunkel (Partner Fleet), Maisa Fernandez (ServiceNow), Kevin Linehan (Crossbeam) and many more, will dive into how ecosystem orchestration is reshaping go-to-market strategies. Save your spot here.

October 14-16: GTM2024: Join Pavilion at The Fairmont in Austin, TX to get ahead on your 2025 GTM strategy, learn about market trends, and boost your GTM strategy. Get your ticket here.