Insights

Strategic Partnerships Aren’t Just About Sales. They’re About Solving Real Clients’ Problems

Author: Sharon Loh

Most strategic partnerships start with enthusiasm and fizzle out slowly. Not because companies are too busy, but because they start with a tactical question: “How do we make money together?” When strategic partnerships focus on revenue, they miss what clients need.

The difference matters more than you think.

Why Traditional Partnerships Fall Short

Partnerships that focus only on sales or revenue look good in C-suite meetings but they don’t deliver value to clients. When clients do not see value, partnerships don’t last.

Today, business leaders want strategic partners who understand emerging technologies and build relationships that last. They’re not just looking for partners to increase sales. Instead, they want partnerships that solve real clients’ problems, by identifying gaps in current solutions and creatively bringing in other partners to solve problems when needed.  

In this video, Patrick Tang, our VP, Global Strategic Partnership, flips the script on developing strategic partnerships. He focuses on partners’ motivations, goals, and making sure every partner’s voice is heard in creating partnerships that deliver client value.

Timestamps

00:19 Patrick’s background and current role

01:59 Challenges in setting up strategic partnerships

04:05 Key steps to address these challenges

06:32 Key trends that are shaping strategic partnerships

09:00 Three key takeaways for anyone thinking of strategic partnerships

Strategic Partnership Framework

Here’s how Patrick builds partnerships that work:

Start with empathy: Understand your partners’ objectives, challenges, perspectives and identifying the right people to work on a pilot or proof of concept. It’s not what they say in meetings but what drives their decisions.

Set Clear Expectations Upfront: Define success metrics, conflict resolution processes, and regular check-in cadence before you start working together.

Design A Cohesive Experience: Your clients shouldn’t feel like they’re dealing with multiple companies. The experience needs to feel organic, and your clients do not feel like they are being passed between vendors.

Insights from Patrick

“Companies are moving away from thinking about partnerships as isolated deals and towards building entire ecosystems. This means creating networks of partners that can deliver broader solutions and value to clients. This also means that more companies must consider multi-party agreements and more complex commercial models. The strength of a company’s partnerships and ecosystems is becoming a significant priority for C-suite executives.”

“Partners today need to focus on the right mindset, breaking down internal barriers, ensuring differentiated value, managing partnership complexities, moving quickly, and ensuring a cohesive customer experience. Getting this right is key to a successful strategic alliance.”

“Strong partnerships drive sustainable business outcomes. While AI is the future, it needs to be powered by strategic partnerships. AI without alignment is just artificial; we bring human intelligence to the partnership.”

Watch this video as Patrick shares more tips on strategic partnerships. Let’s connect if you are looking to expand your partnership ecosystem.