For security-conscious organizations, using external LLMs to process confidential data poses inherent risks. Building a walled-off, in-house LLM provides a secure alternative for internal knowledge management and AI tooling, as AvePoint did with its "Chat AVPT."
For partners who resist engaging beyond simple reselling, use data as proof. AvePoint leverages cohort analysis to demonstrate that partners who complete specific certifications or use marketing kits achieve significantly larger deal sizes or close more deals.
Partner marketing shouldn't be a siloed campaign function. To truly activate partners, it must be integrated with partner enablement, program design, and product marketing. A campaign is pointless without the underlying infrastructure to help partners succeed.
Traditional partner programs based on revenue are a lagging indicator. AvePoint transitioned to a points-based system to reward proactive engagement—like taking trainings or co-marketing. This encourages a healthier long-term relationship, not just a transactional one.
By undergoing the rigorous process of preparing its own internal environment for Microsoft Co-pilot, AvePoint gained invaluable hands-on experience. This "dogfooding" approach makes their subsequent client implementations faster, more accurate, and more credible.