Speaking The Language Of Revenue In Partnerships With Michael Shen

Speaking The Language Of Revenue In Partnerships With Michael Shen

Partnership leaders spend a lot of time building relationships, recruiting partners, and creating programs. But many struggle when it comes time to explain their impact to the rest of the business. The challenge isn't usually the work itself. It's translating partnership efforts into the language that executives, finance teams, and revenue leaders actually understand. In this episode, Michael Shen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-shen/], Head of Growth at OuterSignal [https://www.outersignal.com/] and former Senior Director of Channel Partnerships at Zapier, joins Tyler Calder [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylercalder/], CMO at PartnerStack [https://partnerstack.com/], to discuss what partnership leaders can learn from growth marketing. Michael shares how his background in paid media shaped his approach to partnerships, why partner teams often get stuck measuring the wrong things, and what it takes to build credibility with leadership teams that care about revenue, forecasting, and business outcomes. They also explore how partner leaders can pressure-test their assumptions, prepare for executive conversations, use experimentation more effectively, and develop stronger business cases for partnership investments. You’ll learn: * Why partnership leaders struggle to prove impact inside the business * How to translate partnership activity into metrics executives actually trust * What growth marketing can teach partner teams about measurement, experimentation, and executive buy-in Jump into the conversation: (0:00) Introducing Michael Shen (2:16) Michael's path from marketing to partnerships (4:17) What paid media teaches you about partnerships (5:20) Translating relationships into business metrics (8:31) Evaluating a partnership program through first principles (10:50) Identifying misaligned partner incentives (13:17) Why partnership teams struggle to prove impact (15:02) Getting clarity from executive stakeholders (17:59) Leading with vision and healthy skepticism (20:49) Escaping the partnership echo chamber (23:32) Where executive skepticism comes from (26:44) Preparing for high-stakes leadership meetings (29:26) Using AI to pressure-test your thinking (33:11) The metrics executives actually care about (37:22) Why partnership leaders should talk to more skeptics (39:19) Building a culture of focused experimentation (42:08) Michael's perspective on AI and growth (45:05) Why every leader should spend time building with AI Resources: Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-shen/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-shen/]  Learn more about OuterSignal: https://outersignal.com/ [https://outersignal.com/]

How To Build Partner Messaging That Speaks To The Right Buyer With Kate DiLeo

Most partner programs spend a lot of time talking about what they do, but very little time thinking about whether their messaging actually speaks to the people they want to recruit, enable, and grow with.  Too often, partner teams inherit the company’s customer-facing narrative and assume it will resonate with partners in the same way. In reality, partners have different incentives, different pain points, and different reasons for buying into a program in the first place. In this episode, Kate DiLeo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katedileo/], brand strategist, author and creator of the Brand Trifecta [https://katedileo.com/]framework, joins Tyler Calder [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/tylercalder], CMO at PartnerStack [https://partnerstack.com/], to talk about how partner leaders can build messaging that actually converts. Kate breaks down why most B2B brands struggle to connect sales, marketing and partnerships around a consistent narrative, how partner teams can create messaging that speaks directly to partner pain points and why understanding the “heart pain” behind partner decisions is critical to building stronger programs. They also get into how partner leaders can use AI tools like Claude to analyze call transcripts, uncover messaging patterns, create tone-of-voice systems, and build partner-facing narratives that feel aligned to the corporate brand without sounding generic. You’ll learn: * Why partner programs need messaging that differs from the corporate narrative * How to identify the real pain points driving partner decisions * Why consistent messaging across websites, decks, and sales conversations improves conversion * How to use AI tools to analyze transcripts and build better partner messaging * What partner leaders should focus on if they want stronger partner buy-in Jump into the conversation: (0:00) Introducing Kate DiLeo (3:48) How Kate accidentally got into brand strategy through sales (6:00) Breaking down the Brand Trifecta framework (7:31) Where most B2B brands get messaging wrong (10:07) Why partner programs need their own narrative (11:55) The difference between customer pain and partner pain (14:18) Workshopping PartnerStack’s messaging live (19:57) Why audience-specific messaging matters (21:14) How partner leaders can translate corporate messaging for partners (23:15) Building tone-of-voice systems and partner ICPs with AI (25:28) What “heart pain” actually means in messaging (27:00) Positioning AI visibility services for agency partners (30:10) The questions partner leaders should ask to uncover real pain points (33:33) Why sales is still humans talking to humans (35:30) Practical AI use cases for partner messaging (38:02) Where partner messaging should show up first (40:00) The one thing every partner leader should focus on improving Resources: Connect with Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katedileo/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katedileo/]Kate’s website: https://katedileo.com/ [https://katedileo.com/]

Defining Ideal Partners for Tech Growth with Kelly Sarabyn

Building strong, scalable technology partnerships can feel overwhelming, especially when trying to get buy-in from internal teams and partners.  In this episode of Get It, Together, Tyler Calder [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/tylercalder], CMO at PartnerStack [https://partnerstack.com/], talks with Kelly Sarabyn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-sarabyn/], Director of Technology Partnerships at HubSpot [https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubspot/], to explore how she successfully scaled their technology partner program. Kelly shares her insights on leveraging AI, defining your ideal partner profile, and the critical steps to building strong, repeatable partnerships. You’ll learn: * How to operationalize a technology partnership program for long-term success * Key metrics and processes to track technology partner performance * Why aligning internal stakeholders is essential before externalizing a partnership program Jump into the conversation: (00:00) Meet Kelly Sarabyn (02:12) Kelly’s career origin story (07:02) When to launch your program (13:22) AI insights from call transcripts (16:53) How to stand out to account executives (22:11) Sequence for aligning internally (27:15) Essential tools in the partner tech stack (33:59) How to measure program success (38:45) Key takeaways from HubSpot’s program (40:55) The future of partnerships and AI Resources: Connect with Tyler on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/tylercalder [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/tylercalder]  Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-sarabyn/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-sarabyn/]  HubSpot on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubspot/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubspot/]

A Playbook For Building A Partner Revenue Plan That Gets Funded With Amy Henderson

Channel leaders are often asked to prove that partnerships deserve real investment, but many programs still rely on activity, optimism, and partner volume instead of a credible revenue plan. In reality, partner leaders need to connect strategy to revenue in a way that earns trust from the CFO, CRO, and the rest of the executive team. In this episode, Amy Henderson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-henderson-4b8a998/], VP of Client Relations at Channelnomics [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-2112-group/], joins Tyler Calder [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/tylercalder], CMO at PartnerStack [https://partnerstack.com/], to talk about what it takes to build real credibility as a channel leader. Amy walks through how partner teams can tie their plans to real financial inputs, assess partner capacity, recruit against actual revenue gaps, and help partners drive new business. They also get into why over-recruiting creates problems, where partner programs tend to break down, and what it takes to build a plan that leaders will back. You’ll learn: * Why channel leaders need to earn credibility as revenue leaders * How to audit partner capacity and recruit against real revenue gaps * Why partner enablement must teach partners to hunt, not just get certified Jump into the conversation: (0:00) Introducing Amy Henderson (3:48) Why the gap between channel strategy and channel revenue hurts credibility (6:29) What executive teams need to see from partner leaders (11:54) Starting with hard inputs like targets, budget, MDF, and success metrics (13:51) How to run a capability and capacity audit on existing partners (17:29) Why mature programs recruit to revenue gaps instead of over-recruiting (21:54) What partners actually care about during recruitment (23:53) Why partner teams need to teach partners to hunt, not hope (26:14) How incentives and comp plans can push partners toward net-new logos (29:19) Turning partner strategy into repeatable workflows (31:31) The most common reason partner programs fail (34:39) Why partner activities need to map to pipeline, bookings, and revenue (36:13) The one thing channel leaders should focus on heading into 2026 and 2027 Resources: Connect with Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-henderson-4b8a998/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-henderson-4b8a998/]  Email Amy here: amy.henderson@channelnomics.com  Channelnomics website: https://www.channelnomics.com/ [https://www.channelnomics.com/]

Turning Creators into Revenue Drivers with Fiona Turko

Influencer and creator partnerships have become a powerful tool for driving real revenue. However, making these programs successful requires strategy, deep relationships, and a clear understanding of key success factors. In this episode, Fiona Turko [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenfionaturko] (Creator Partnership Lead at Gamma [https://gamma.app/]) joins Tyler Calder [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylercalder/] (CMO at PartnerStack [https://partnerstack.com/]) to explore influencer and creator marketing in B2B. With experience at companies like Zapier and Jobber, Fiona shares her approach to identifying high-value partners, building long-term relationships, and structuring programs that go beyond transactional deals. You’ll learn: * The difference between creators, influencers, and ambassadors * How to structure compensation models that motivate creators * Why nurturing relationships is critical for a successful creator program Jump into the conversation: (00:00) Introducing Fiona Turko (02:10) Fiona's journey from agency to startups (05:05) B2C vs B2B in influencer programs (08:25) Defining creator, influencer, and ambassador (11:10) Building influencer loyalty at Jobber (13:30) The importance of nurturing partner relationships (17:40) Tools for managing influencer and creator programs (20:45) Always-on vs campaign-based influencer strategies (23:00) Metrics for measuring influencer success (26:30) How to handle low-performing partners (29:40) The role of AI in creator partnerships (32:15) Onboarding creators efficiently (34:40) Managing video creation and revisions (36:50) LinkedIn as an emerging creator platform (39:00) Hosting in-person events for creator engagement (42:10) Building long-term creator partnerships (47:30) The importance of authenticity in influencer marketing Resources: Connect with Fiona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenfionaturko [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenfionaturko]Gamma website: https://gamma.app/ [https://gamma.app/]