Experiencing the difficulty of initial sales conversations firsthand gives technical team members a newfound respect for the sales process and fosters better inter-departmental collaboration and appreciation for supporting functions.
For a new evangelism function, initial KPIs should be qualitative and focused on creation, such as establishing peer groups and launching community activations. Hard revenue metrics are unrealistic until a foundation is built over at least a year.
The most effective partner engagement mirrors how personal relationships form. Invest in creating low-pressure social environments to build genuine connection and trust first. The business conversations will follow naturally and more effectively.
Don't wait for your next role to be assigned. Instead, identify unmet business needs, propose new initiatives, and create your own position. This is the path to maximum impact and accelerated career growth within an organization.
Effective evangelism isn't a quick hire. It requires an internal employee with deep product knowledge, established partner relationships, and executive trust to be given a multi-year runway to build a community from the ground up.
To avoid conflict, build a community with a primary focus (e.g., go-to-market) while creating dedicated channels like tech boot camps or feedback surveys to engage technical stakeholders. This ensures both crucial voices are heard without dilution.
Don't just pick one platform like LinkedIn. A robust community strategy caters to all partner preferences by delivering content via video, audio, and text across multiple channels to maximize engagement with the entire audience.
When a partner requests a specific integration, dig deeper to find the root problem. They may actually need a more flexible, scalable solution like an open API, which benefits your entire platform and partner ecosystem long-term.