If you’re responsible for building partnerships or sales, you’ve probably heard a thousand pitches about “accelerating pipeline” and “unlocking new revenue streams.” Most of them are fluff. But if you’re actually trying to find partnerships that don’t waste your time (or your prospects’), you need solid tools and some honest tactics. This guide is for you.
Here’s how to actually use Partnered to cut through the noise—find real partner opportunities, speed up deals, and avoid getting stuck in endless “let’s circle back” meetings.
Step 1: Get Your Data (and Partners) in Order
Partnered is only as useful as the data and relationships you put into it. Before you start clicking around, do these two things:
- Sync your CRM: Connect Salesforce or HubSpot. If your CRM isn’t up to date, fix that first. Garbage in, garbage out.
- Invite real partners: Don’t just add every company you’ve ever met at a conference. Focus on partners who are actually willing to collaborate and share pipeline info—not just swap logos.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure who counts as a “real” partner, look for folks who’ve already sent you a lead, referred you to a customer, or closed a deal with you. Everyone else is just window dressing.
Step 2: Use Account Mapping—But Don’t Drown in Overlap
Account mapping is the heart of Partnered. It helps you see which customers or prospects you and your partners have in common. Here’s how to make it actually work:
- Upload or sync your account lists.
- Pick a partner (or a small group—don’t map with everyone at once).
- Run the overlap report. Partnered will show matches between your accounts and theirs.
What to focus on: - Accounts where you’re both working active deals (not just “maybe someday” prospects). - Accounts where one of you is a current customer and the other is trying to break in.
What to ignore: - Overlaps that are just cold leads for both sides. - Vanity overlaps (big-name companies nobody’s actually talking to).
Reality check: You’ll see a lot of overlap that isn’t useful. The magic comes from focusing on the small percentage that actually turns into introductions or warm insights.
Step 3: Turn Overlap into Action—Request Warm Intros
Seeing overlap is nice, but nothing matters unless you actually ask for help. Use Partnered’s intro request features to:
- Request introductions: Ask your partner to connect you to someone they know at the account.
- Share context: Don’t just say “intro pls.” Give a sentence on what you’re trying to accomplish. Make it easy for your partner to help you.
- Track status: Partnered lets you see if the intro was made or if it’s still pending. Don’t nag, but do follow up if things stall.
What works: - Be specific and respectful of your partner’s relationship. If you know who they know, ask for that person. - Offer to reciprocate. The best partnerships are two-way streets.
What doesn’t: - Generic “can you intro me to someone at Acme Corp?” requests go nowhere. - Spamming every partner with requests. You’ll just get ignored.
Step 4: Share (and Get) Deal Intelligence—But Respect Boundaries
One of the real values of Partnered is getting early insight into what’s happening on your partner’s side. But this only works if you’re careful and trustworthy.
- Share updates selectively: Use the platform to flag when a deal is heating up, when timing is right, or when you’re running into blockers.
- Ask for specific info: “Is Acme Corp happy with your product?” is better than “Tell me everything you know about Acme.”
- Respect NDAs and privacy: If your partner says they can’t share something, drop it. Burning trust kills partnerships fast.
Reality check: Don’t expect partners to hand over their whole pipeline. Focus on what helps both of you close deals faster—like sharing timing, blockers, or key contacts.
Step 5: Track Real Results—Not Just Activity
It’s easy to feel busy in Partnered, especially if you’re mapping lots of accounts and pinging partners. But what matters is closed revenue, not “number of overlaps.”
- Measure intros that converted: Track which introductions actually led to meetings, opportunities, or deals—not just emails.
- Look for patterns: Are some partners always willing to help? Are others just taking without giving? Adjust your effort accordingly.
- Cut dead weight: If a partnership isn’t producing real results after a quarter or two, move on. Don’t keep feeding the beast just to look “strategic.”
Pro tip: Keep a simple spreadsheet or dashboard outside Partnered with two columns: “Intros requested” and “Deals won.” If the latter is always zero, you’re just spinning your wheels.
Step 6: Rinse and Repeat—But Don’t Overcomplicate
Don’t get trapped in “partnership theater”—all talk, no results. The companies who get the most out of Partnered do a few things well:
- Prioritize a handful of real partners over building a massive, shallow network.
- Keep your data clean: Regularly update your CRM and Partnered connections.
- Focus on action: Every week, log in, check for new overlaps, request a couple intros, and share useful info. Then get back to selling.
Ignore the urge to automate everything, or to build endless dashboards. The point is to find the next best opportunity—not to win at spreadsheet Olympics.
Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t
What actually works: - Having a clear “give and get” with each partner. - Focusing on active deals, not wishful thinking. - Being specific with requests and communication.
What doesn’t: - Adding dozens of partners and hoping magic happens. - Treating Partnered like a CRM replacement. It’s not. - Hoarding info—if you don’t share, you won’t get much back.
What to ignore: - Hype about “network effects” or “ecosystem flywheels.” At the end of the day, it’s still about people helping people close deals.
Keep It Simple—and Iterate
Partnered can be a real asset if you use it to find focused, actionable partner opportunities and actually act on them. Don’t get lost in features or overthink your strategy. Connect your data, map accounts with a few real partners, ask for help, and track what works. If it isn’t moving the needle after a couple cycles, try something else. The best partnerships grow from small wins—not endless planning.
Go make something happen. Then come back and tweak your process. That’s how you accelerate revenue—without the B.S.