Episode 18 - Franz Josef Schrepf on Partnership Ecosystems and Go To Market Strategy

Industrial Growth Institute

Franz Shrepf Lays out the Power of Partnership Ecosystems and the Nearbound Movement - Industrial Growth Institute Podcast Episode #18 with Ed Marsh

Summary

In this episode, Ed Marsh interviews Franz Schrepf, a director of strategic partnerships at StreamYard and a renowned expert on partnerships. They discuss the importance of partnerships in tech revenue growth and how it applies to various industries.

Franz shares his journey from being a Bavarian banker to working in the tech industry in Northern California, and the conversation covers various topics including:

• the power of face-to-face interactions
• personal branding in partnerships
• the importance of partnerships and how they can create a competitive advantage for companies
• the concept of an ideal partner profile and the different types of partnerships that exist.

Franz emphasizes the need for partnerships to be mutually beneficial and aligned with the goals of both companies involved. He suggests that by partnering with market leaders and integrating their products, companies can attract more customers and gain a competitive advantage.

They also discuss:

• Nearbound aims to redefine partnerships as a go-to-market strategy for all departments within a company
• Indirect sales channels, such as value-added resellers, are examples of partnerships that are still relevant
• Sales enablement content plays a critical role in supporting partnerships and sharing the better together story
• Organizational structure for partnerships depends on the type of partnerships a company focuses on, with teams often sitting in marketing, sales, or product departments

Franz closes with the thought that the biggest risk for businesses in the next five years is staying top of mind for customers. However, partnerships present a significant opportunity for companies to leverage existing trust and customer bases to succeed in a rapidly changing landscape.

Takeaways

• Partnerships are a strong trend and a key driver of revenue growth in the tech industry.
• Partnerships leverage trust and recommendations to acquire new customers and access new audiences.
• Partnerships can create a competitive advantage for companies by leveraging shared customers and social capital.
• An ideal partner profile should focus on companies that have a customer overlap and can help achieve mutual goals.
• Different types of partnerships exist, such as marketing partnerships, technology partnerships, and service partnerships.
• The Nearbound movement redefines partnerships as a go-to-market strategy for all departments
• Indirect sales channels, like value-added resellers, are still relevant
• Sales enablement content is crucial for supporting partnerships and sharing the better together story
• The organizational structure for partnerships depends on the type of partnerships a company focuses on
• Staying top of mind for customers is a significant challenge in an era of AI and automation
• Partnerships present a significant opportunity for companies to leverage existing trust and customer bases

Takeaway Quotes from Franz Schrepf

"If you partner with the market leader, all the competitors will want to partner with you as well."
"There is a special magic to being in person."
"Good marketing means being at the right time at the right place."

Check out Franz' website

Franz' TEDx talk

LinkedIn: Franz Schrepf and Ed Marsh

Twitter: Franz Schrepf and Ed Marsh

Instagram: Ed Marsh

YouTube: @ThePartnerShip and @EdMarsh

Show Transcript

Chapters

00:00 The Power of Partnerships in Tech Revenue Growth
09:14 The Magic of Face-to-Face Interactions
25:21 Leveraging Trust and Recommendations in Partnerships
31:12 Creating a Competitive Advantage through Partnerships
43:07 The Importance of Partnerships
45:46 Defining a Partnership and Competitive Advantage
47:25 Uncovering Partnership Opportunities
51:20 Exclusivity and Mutually Beneficial Partnerships
53:24 The Power of Partnerships
57:39 The Nearbound Movement
01:00:44 Partnerships as a Testing Ground
01:01:40 The Role of Sales Enablement Content
01:05:20 Structuring Partnerships
01:19:15 Partnerships in a Changing Landscape
01:21:28 The Opportunity of Partnerships

#PartnershipEcosystems #Partnerships #RevenueGrowth #FaceToFace #PersonalBranding #BookOnPartnerships #PersonalKnowledgeManagement #CompetitiveAdvantage #IdealPartnerProfile #GoToMarketStrategy #Exclusivity #Distribution #ChannelSales #Nearbound #IndirectSalesChannel #ValueAddedResellers #SalesEnablement #SalesEnablementContent #B2BSales #B2BMarketing