B2B partnerships have long been an underutilized lever in go-to-market (GTM) strategies. While traditional partner marketing has existed for decades, many companies have struggled to make it a
repeatable, scalable growth engine. In our latest episode of
GTM Innovators, we sat down with
Jenn Steele, CEO of SoundGTM, to explore
how businesses can unlock the true power of B2B partnerships.
From her early days in
IT leadership to marketing leadership at HubSpot, Amazon, and more, Jenn has seen firsthand why many companies
fail at partnerships—and how a fresh approach can turn them into a
high-impact GTM channel.
In this blog, we’ll dive into three of the key themes covered in our conversation:
- How B2B partnerships have evolved and why traditional approaches fall short
- The role of partnerships in demand generation and pipeline acceleration
- How to successfully build and scale a thriving B2B partner ecosystem
These insights are just the beginning—
be sure to check out the full episode for even more takeaways!
The Evolution of B2B Partnerships in GTM Strategies
For years, B2B partnerships have been seen as an
add-on rather than a core GTM motion. Many organizations rely on rev-share models, referral agreements, or channel partnerships
without a clear strategy for tracking success.
As Jenn points out in our conversation, the challenge has always been
attribution and enablement.
Who gets credit for a deal? How do you ensure partners are truly engaged? And perhaps most importantly—
how do you know if partnerships are actually working?
These pain points have led many companies to
deprioritize partnerships in favor of direct sales and traditional demand generation tactics. But in today’s world—where buyers trust recommendations from peers and industry experts more than they trust direct outreach—
partnerships can no longer be ignored.
Companies that rethink partnerships
not as a transactional model, but as an extension of their GTM motion, are unlocking entirely new revenue streams. But success in this area requires
integrating partnerships into broader demand gen efforts—which brings us to our next key theme.
The Intersection of Demand Generation and B2B Partnerships
If you ask most marketing and sales leaders where they focus their
demand generation efforts, they’ll talk about inbound content, paid ads, outbound sales, and ABM. What’s often
missing from the conversation? B2B partnerships.
Yet,
the most effective demand gen strategies don’t operate in silos—they integrate
partners, ecosystems, and co-marketing initiatives to create more organic, trust-driven engagement.
Jenn highlights how modern GTM teams are blending partnerships into their
top-of-funnel and mid-funnel strategies by:
- Leveraging co-marketing efforts – Running joint webinars, collaborative content campaigns, and ecosystem-driven events that expose new audiences to your brand.
- Tapping into partner networks – Using industry influencers, consultants, and trusted advisors to drive warm introductions and qualified referrals.
- Integrating partnerships into outbound sales – Arming BDRs and sales teams with partner-sourced leads to increase trust and conversion rates.
The key takeaway?
Partnerships are not just about pipeline contribution—they’re an accelerant for demand generation.
Businesses that integrate partnerships
directly into their GTM motion are seeing
higher ROI and lower acquisition costs compared to traditional paid channels. But for partnerships to work at scale, companies need
the right strategy, tools, and processes—which leads us to our final theme.
Building and Scaling B2B Partner Ecosystems
Creating
a successful B2B partner program is about more than just signing agreements—it requires
intentional strategy, enablement, and measurement.
Jenn breaks down some of the key principles for
building and scaling a partner ecosystem that actually delivers results:
- Start with value alignment – The best partnerships are mutually beneficial. Ensure your partners have a strong incentive to advocate for your solution.
- Enable partners like an extension of your sales team – Provide training, content, and easy-to-use resources so they can confidently pitch and position your offering.
- Track performance with clear attribution – Use technology and AI-driven insights to understand which partners are driving the most impact—and reward them accordingly.
- Automate and streamline processes – Instead of manually tracking referrals and commissions, invest in platforms that automate tracking, reporting, and payments.
For years, companies have struggled to make partner ecosystems work at scale—but
modern tools and AI-driven insights are changing the game. Companies that treat partnerships
as a core revenue channel rather than a side initiative are winning in today’s market.
Want the Full Insights? Watch the Episode Now!
B2B partnerships are undergoing a
major transformation, and companies that adapt will unlock
new opportunities for growth, demand generation, and revenue expansion.
In our conversation with
Jenn Steele, we covered
even more insights on how to build, track, and scale B2B partnerships effectively.
📢
Don’t miss the full episode of GTM Innovators—
Watch/Listen Here: Rethinking B2B Partnerships: Jenn Steele’s Approach to Modern GTM
What do you think about the future of B2B partnerships? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s continue the conversation!
