Who are you, and what’s the name of your business?

My name is Maxime Imbert, I’m an experienced B2B Head of Sales & Partnerships that has worked in two industries for more than 10 years: Travel & Payment! I have created my own company in September 2024 to help companies in generating more revenue through strategic partnerships

What services or expertise do you offer?

• A Fractional Head of Partnerships offer to build and launch a powerful partnership strategy and drive revenue for Fintechs. 
• A coaching offer for Partnerships Manager, CRO or Head of Sales to drive their partnerships strategy. 

What brought you into the world of partnerships and partner-led growth?

In 2019, I was working for AirPlus International as a Strategic Sales Manager. My prospects were part of the CAC40/SBF120 and most of them were interested in my product but it was not integrated into key Saas that they were using on a daily basis. So, I decided to engage in discussions with Saas like Spendesk, Kyriba or SAP to integrate my product and accelerate my sales process and receive more leads. I discovered what having a powerful partner program means and decided that my next job will be in partnerships. In 2021, I joined Lemonway as Senior AE for developing new partnerships. After a year, the company decided to give me the management of the partnership department to accelerate the growth across the European area. 

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned working with SaaS partnerships?

Give, Give, Give and then I receive. When I started as a partnerships manager, I wanted to receive as many leads as possible to reach my targets and drive the growth of my company.After a few months, I understood that the best way to receive qualitative leads and build a long term relationship is to give more to my partners. 

How do you see the role of partnerships evolving in SaaS?

As customers are looking for more personalization, the partnerships managers must follow the same trends by adapting their behaviour. They must give a personalized experience to their partners like dedicated onboarding and true human contacts.We are all surrounded by IA and technology so I think that partnerships teams that will put more humans and offer a personalized experience will succeed in the future. 

Can you share an example of a partnership strategy that worked exceptionally well?

In my last company, I was a head of Partnerships for a payment provider. 

What’s the most common mistake SaaS companies make with partnerships?

From my point of view, they are not investing enough or considering partnerships as a side project and not as a strategic growth channel. They give it a chance for a year and then give up. Partnerships are for companies with a long term vision.

How do you measure success in partner-led growth?

Of course, the revenue generated and sourced by partners is an important KPI. Influenced revenue is also a key topic as some partners can help you to reduce the timing of the sales cycle or influence the decision of the buyer. I also measure the brand impact of my partnerships. By that, I mean that partnerships are not only commercial, they are also very powerful for the Marketing team. I can leverage actions like : Co-event, Webinar or common content. Moreover, one indicator that I like is how many potential partners are contacting me every quarter or how many introductions I have from my existing networks. If potential partners want to work with you, it means that you are on the right path. Last, I measure the NPS of my partners and the NPS of my customers sourced by my partners. It gives me a good overview of my strategy. 

What’s one SaaS partnership trend that excites you right now?

For Saas platforms related to the payment industry, I truly love the Embedded finance partnerships. Platforms by using payment provider capabilities can provide a range of financial services, such as business bank accounts, financing options, and card programs, customized to meet user needsThe market is wide and valued at $185 bn in 2O24. SaaS platforms that have implemented embedded finance solutions report substantial revenue growth compared to those that have not (They multiply their revenue by 3 or 4). A great example of this kind of partnership is the one between Stripe and Shopify. In 2013, they created a unique partnership allowing Shopfiy to offer a full payment solution to facilitate the life of Merchants. Most of the payment processed on Shopify platforms are performed by the Shopfiy payment solution ($137 bn in 2023 vs $106.1 bn for 2022)

What’s the best partnership you’ve ever witnessed (business or non-business)?

On a different topic, I really loved the partnership between Under Armour and Stephen Curry. From my point of view, it’s summarizing so well what a great partnership is. In 2013, Nike had a contract with Stephen Curry. At the end of season, they are in negotiation for a renewal but Nike representatives mispronounced Stephen Curry's name and used a slide from a previous presentation, signaling a lack of attention to detail.In contrast, Under Armour's pitch was tailored and respectful, resonating with Curry's desire for a genuine partnership. Feeling undervalued by Nike, Curry chose to sign with Under Armour, seeking a brand that aligned with his personal values. Following the partnership, Curry's performance in the NBA soared, bringing further attention and credibility to Under Armour.Curry's ongoing relationship with Under Armour exemplifies a successful athlete-brand partnership built on mutual respect and shared values.