Overview
You build and manage the partner channel for Ex-Colega's ERP platform in Southeast Asia. You're recruiting systems integrators, implementation consultants, and technology partners who can resell or refer the product. You spend most of your time prospecting for new partners, training them on the platform, and trying to get them to actually close deals with it instead of competing solutions.
Role Snapshot
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Role Type | Partner Account Manager (Channel Sales) |
| Sales Motion | Outbound partner recruitment + enablement |
| Deal Complexity | Strategic - building multi-year partner relationships |
| Sales Cycle | 3-6 months to activate a productive partner |
| Deal Size | Partners source $50K-500K deals (you're measured on partner-influenced revenue) |
| Quota (est.) | $2-4M in partner-sourced revenue annually |
Company Context
Stage: Unknown (likely Series A/B based on 169 employees)
Size: 169 employees
Growth: Actively building out channel presence in SEA - this is likely a new or expanding program
Market Position: ERP is a crowded category with established players like SAP, Oracle, NetSuite. They're positioning as the tailored, service-heavy alternative.
GTM Reality
Pipeline Sources:
- 5% Inbound - occasional partners reaching out after hearing about the product
- 85% Outbound - cold outreach to consultancies, SIs, and implementation firms
- 10% Referrals - other partners or customers suggesting potential partners
Partner Types You'll Recruit:
- Regional systems integrators (10-100 person consulting firms)
- Implementation specialists who work with mid-market manufacturing/retail companies
- Technology partners who have complementary products
Support Structure: You're likely one of the first (or only) partner people in SEA, reporting to Sean who runs partner acquisition for JAPAC.
Competitive Landscape
Main Competitors: SAP Business One, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Odoo, local ERP vendors
How They Differentiate: Customization and hands-on implementation support vs. out-of-box platforms
Common Objections:
- "We already have partnerships with SAP/Oracle/NetSuite"
- "Our clients ask for established brands"
- "What's your market share? How many successful implementations in SEA?"
Win Themes: Better margins for partners, more flexible platform, dedicated support, ability to customize without massive dev work
What You'll Actually Do
Time Breakdown
Partner Prospecting (40%) | Partner Enablement (30%) | Deal Support (20%) | Internal (10%)
Key Activities
- Partner Prospecting: Cold calling and emailing implementation consultancies, attending regional tech conferences, asking existing partners for referrals. You're building lists of consultancies who work with your ICP and pitching them on adding Ex-Colega to their service portfolio.
- Partner Onboarding: Once a partner signs, you train them on the platform, walk through deal registration, help them position it vs. competitors. Most partners are juggling multiple vendor relationships - you're fighting for mindshare.
- Deal Support: When partners have active opportunities, you join calls to help with demos and technical questions. You're essentially acting as their internal sales engineer and deal coach.
- Pipeline Reviews: Weekly check-ins with partners to review their pipeline, push deals forward, and figure out why they're not registering more opportunities. Many partners will commit to revenue targets they won't hit.
The Honest Reality
What's Hard
- Most partners already have established relationships with bigger ERP vendors and don't want to risk client relationships on an unknown platform
- You'll recruit partners who get trained and certified but never actually sell anything - maybe 20% of partners drive 80% of revenue
- Partners ghost you after onboarding or only engage when they have one specific deal that fits, then disappear again
- You're constantly competing for partner attention against bigger vendors with bigger margins and more brand recognition
- Long feedback loops - takes 6+ months to know if a partner will actually be productive
- Travel across SEA for partner events, QBRs, and deal support (could be 30-40% travel)
What Success Looks Like
- You activate 3-5 productive partners per year who consistently register and close deals
- Partner-sourced revenue grows from $500K to $2M+ in year one
- You build a repeatable partner recruitment and enablement process that can scale as the team grows
Who You're Selling To
Primary "Buyers" (Partners):
- Managing Directors or Sales Directors at implementation consultancies (10-200 person firms)
- Practice leads who focus on manufacturing, retail, or healthcare verticals
What They Care About:
- Margin structure - what's the revenue share or referral fee?
- Competitive differentiation - why would their clients choose this over SAP/NetSuite?
- Implementation complexity - how much work to get a client live?
- Support model - will Ex-Colega back them up on technical questions and deal support?
- Brand strength - can they confidently recommend this to enterprise clients?
Requirements
- 3-5 years in channel/partner sales, ideally in B2B software or tech services
- Experience recruiting and enabling implementation partners or resellers in SEA
- Existing network of contacts at systems integrators or consulting firms in the region
- Comfortable with 30-40% travel across Southeast Asia
- Understanding of ERP or enterprise software sales cycles
- Fluent English; additional SEA languages (Bahasa, Thai, Vietnamese) a plus