Step 1
▶️ Tally Prime - Accounting Software
Reasoning
Step 2
🖋️ Map the user journey for your product on whimsical. Identify gaps in service, possible customer pain points, customer requests for a particular feature.
Based on your analysis, explain if the partnership can close gaps in service, solve for customer pain-point. Can you build the requested feature yourself? If no, can partnership solve for this?
The current reporting facilities in the tally are basic, to say the least. They leave a lot to be desired. Customers are asking for it. We ourselves need it and know a lot of customers that do.
In the above flow, there are two touchpoints
Step 3
🔬 Conduct a litmus test to check whether your product is ready for partnership.
Question | Yes/No |
---|---|
Do you have Product-Market Fit? | Yes It is an established product |
Are you finding it difficult to acquire new customers or enter a new market? | Yes, While tally has been trying to expand on features and geographies. After a point customer tend to leave the tool for its competition |
Are you looking to drive power usage? | Yes, Tally can drive power usage by providing better reporting capabilities |
Do you have customers making requests for an integration? | Yes, customers keep asking for better dashboarding and excel/powerbi based integrations across various forums. Partners too ask for better reporting within tally |
▶️ Final Litums Test Result: Yes
Apply the Partnerships Framework
Go to each page to step-by-step formulate your partnership strategy
👉🏼 State the following for your product:
👉🏼 Explain your ICP here:
Parameter | Description |
---|---|
Industry Vertical | Retail, Wholesale, Manufacturing, Services |
Company Size | 10-100 employees |
Annual Revenue | $1 million - $50 million |
Geographic Location | Urban and semi-urban areas with good internet connectivity |
Technology Adoption | Moderate to high; actively seeking digital solutions for business processes |
Key Business Needs | Accounting, Tax Compliance, Inventory Management, Payroll |
Decision Maker | Business Owners, Financial Managers |
Pain Points | Need for an integrated accounting solution, compliance with local tax regulations, efficient inventory management |
Purchase Behavior | Price-sensitive, value simplicity and ease of use, prefer solutions with local support services |
Parameter | Description |
---|---|
Industry Vertical | Tech Startups, E-commerce, Digital Services |
Company Size | 5-50 employees |
Annual Revenue | $500,000 - $10 million |
Geographic Location | Primarily in major cities and tech hubs |
Technology Adoption | High; seeking cutting-edge tools for scalability and efficiency |
Key Business Needs | Scalable accounting solutions, real-time financial data access, integration with other business tools |
Decision Maker | CEOs, CFOs, IT Managers |
Pain Points | Scalability of the accounting system, integration with other systems, real-time data analysis for decision-making |
Purchase Behavior | Focus on scalability and integration capabilities, willing to invest in higher-priced, high-value solutions |
👉🏼 Mention your brand values here:
👉🏼 Explain your current market here:
Tally Solutions current market consists of two type of ICPs mentioned earler.
They are primarily SMEs or startups. They are focused on having the right accounting and right reporting.
The current marketing challenges are:
👉🏼 Share your list of possible partners here:
Microsoft: Microsoft can provide an entire ecosystem where the Tally Prime software can run in containers and be converted into a streamed application. This will be a deviation from its current major offline only audience.
Google:
💡Perform a partner fitment test using the template below
Questions you should ask | Microsoft | |
---|---|---|
Is our goal aligning? | 1 | 1 |
Do we have customer requests? | 1 | 0 |
Does our ICP match? | 1 | 1 |
Will our brand image improve? | 1 | 1 |
Do our brand values match? | 1 | 1 |
Can I increase the price of my product after the partnership? | 1 | 0.5 |
Will the partnership let me enter new markets? | 1 | 1 |
Score | 7 | 5.5 |
Scoring Method Yes - 1; Maybe - 0.5; No - 0
Enhanced Data Analytics and Reporting
Improved User Experience
Increased Market Reach and Brand Strength
Technological Advancement
Expanded Product Offering
Enhanced Scalability and Cloud Integration
Access to Global Markets
Customer Confidence and Trust
📝 Create a list of possible PoCs
👉🏼 Mention your PoC list here
Product Manager at PowerBi
Business Development Managers
Channel Partnership Managers
Use the decision framework to finalise your first outreach PoC
PoC Contender | Do they have high intent to make the partnership successful? | Would their motive align with you to make the partnership successful? | Are they likely to respond quickly? | Have they worked on partnerships in the past? | Would they have the bandwidth to pull off the partnership? | Can they align various stakeholders and teams to build the partnership? | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Product Manager at PowerBi | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 4 |
Business Development Managers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Channel Partnership Managers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Scoring Method Yes - 1; Maybe - 0.5; No - 0
Draft your first outreach message to the PoC. Mention clear subject, your introduction, the ‘why’, goal alignment, and clear CTA.
Write your outreach message here
Product Manager at PowerBi
Dear [Product Manager's Name],
I hope this email finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am [Your Position] at Tally Solutions. I am reaching out to discuss a potential collaboration between our Tally Prime software and Microsoft's Power BI.
At Tally Solutions, we are constantly seeking ways to enhance our offerings and provide more value to our users. Tally Prime, our flagship product, is widely recognized for its robust accounting and business management features. We believe that integrating Tally Prime with Power BI could bring significant advancements in data analytics and reporting capabilities for our mutual customers.
Such an integration would not only enhance the user experience by providing more dynamic and insightful data visualization but also streamline business processes through more efficient data management. We envision a seamless integration where Tally Prime's comprehensive data can be effectively leveraged through Power BI's advanced analytics tools.
We are eager to explore how we can collaborate to make this integration a reality. Our team is ready to provide any necessary resources and work closely with Microsoft's experts to ensure a successful and mutually beneficial partnership.
Could we schedule a meeting to discuss this opportunity further? I am available for a call or a virtual meeting at your earliest convenience. Please let me know a time that works best for you, and I will make the necessary arrangements.
Thank you for considering this opportunity. I look forward to the possibility of working together and bringing our products to the next level of customer satisfaction and innovation.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position] Tally Solutions [Your Contact Information] [Your LinkedIn Profile (optional)]
Business Development Managers
Dear [Business Development Manager's Name],
I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am the [Your Position] at Tally Solutions. I am reaching out to discuss a potential strategic partnership between our two esteemed organizations, focusing on leveraging Microsoft's technologies to enhance the capabilities of our Tally Prime software.
Tally Solutions has been a leader in the business management and accounting software industry, particularly known for Tally Prime, which is widely used by SMEs and large enterprises alike. We believe that a partnership with Microsoft could open new avenues for innovation and growth for both our companies.
Our primary interest lies in exploring how Tally Prime could integrate with Microsoft's suite of products, particularly with a focus on Power BI for advanced analytics and Azure for cloud-based solutions. We are confident that such integration could significantly enhance the value we offer to our customers, providing them with more powerful, scalable, and efficient business solutions.
We are keen to discuss how we can align our efforts, combine our strengths, and create a mutually beneficial partnership. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to have a more detailed conversation with you about this. Could we schedule a meeting to explore this possibility further? Please let me know a date and time that suits your schedule, and I will make the necessary arrangements.
Thank you very much for considering this proposal. I am excited about the potential of what our companies can achieve together and look forward to the opportunity to collaborate.
Warm regards,
[Your Name] [Your Position]
Tally Solutions
[Your Contact Information]
[Your LinkedIn Profile (optional)]
Channel Partnership Managers
Dear [Channel Partnership Manager's Name],
I hope this email finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am the [Your Position] at [Your Company Name]. I am writing to you to explore potential channel partnership opportunities between our two organizations.
At [Your Company Name], we specialize in [briefly describe your company’s products/services and market]. We have identified Microsoft as a key player in our industry, and we believe that a strategic channel partnership could be mutually beneficial, leveraging our unique strengths to enhance both our offerings and market reach.
We are particularly interested in [specifically mention any Microsoft products or services you are interested in, e.g., Azure, Office 365, Dynamics 365, etc.]. We see significant potential in integrating these solutions with our [products/services], thereby providing enhanced value to our collective customer base.
Our goal through this partnership is to [mention your goals – e.g., expand market reach, enhance product offerings, improve customer satisfaction, etc.]. We are confident that our combined efforts could lead to increased business opportunities, stronger market presence, and a competitive edge in our respective fields.
I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss this further with you. Could we arrange a meeting or a call at your earliest convenience to explore how we can collaborate effectively? Please let me know a time and date that works best for you, and I will make sure to accommodate your schedule.
Thank you for considering this potential partnership. I am looking forward to the possibility of working together to achieve our shared business goals.
Warm regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company Name]
[Your Contact Information]
[Your LinkedIn Profile (optional)]
🚨 Uh oh! Imagine haven’t received a response for any of your outreaches. Your filled out their partner form, tried contacting them on LinkedIn, found a POC from the company but to no avail.
Use the FES job matrix to identify potential follow ups approaches for different POCs.
What would your strategy be to get your foot in the door to reach a meeting?
Outline the channel you’ll reach out on, the message you’ll send, and any follow-ups you might want to do. Build a comprehensive strategy from A-Z on how you’ll reach out on email, socials, cold calls etc.
👉🏼 Submit your strategy here
Product Manager at Power BI
Frequency: Moderate. Follow up once every two weeks. Emphasis: Focus on technical integration and product enhancement details. Style: Direct and technical. Provide concise, data-driven points on how the integration benefits both products. Follow-Up Approach: Send an email summarizing potential technical synergies and customer benefits. Offer a brief demo or a technical white paper.
Frequency: Less frequent. Follow up once a month. Emphasis: Strategic benefits and long-term partnership value. Style: Formal and strategic. Highlight market opportunities and potential for revenue growth. Follow-Up Approach: A succinct email emphasizing strategic alignment and potential market expansion, including a request for a brief meeting to discuss partnership possibilities.
Frequency: Regular. Follow up every two weeks. Emphasis: Channel growth opportunities and mutual customer benefits. Style: Balanced between formal and informal. Use a mix of data and narrative to paint a picture of mutual growth. Follow-Up Approach: Reach out with an update on market trends or a recent success story relevant to the partnership, reiterating how collaboration could be beneficial.
Create your first call design with the partner PoC. Divide it in terms of what you will do:
Before the call
Research your partner’s current goals (what do they talk about on their website, social handles, content blogs, recent events, other resources)
👉🏼 Write partner’s current goals:
Do these goals align with your current goals?
👉🏼 Justify your reasoning here
Why should the partner consider you? Perform a competitive analysis + identify mutual customer pain point to find your edge against the competition
Competitive Analysis Template
Comparison Metric | Tally Solutions | SAGE | Microsoft's Existing Partners |
---|---|---|---|
Integration with MS Products | Excellent (proposed) | Moderate | Varies |
Market Penetration in SMEs | Excellent | Good | Moderate |
Customization Capabilities | Excellent | Good | Moderate |
Local Market Adaptability | Excellent | Moderate | Good |
Price Affordability | Excellent | Moderate | Good |
User-Friendly Interface | Excellent | Good | Moderate |
Customer Support & Service | Excellent | Good | Good |
Data Security & Compliance | Excellent | Good | Excellent |
Innovative Features (e.g., AI, ML) | Good (potential with MS) | Good | Excellent |
Cloud-Based Solutions | Moderate (potential growth with MS) | Excellent | Excellent |
Create a value prop for your partner
👉🏼 Submit your value prop design here
📞 During the call
Create a conversation design for your first call with your partner PoC. Set expectations, discuss how your joint solution benefits mutual customers, build trust, outline deliverables
Optional: Take a feeler on possible GTM opportunities you could explore
👉🏼 Submit your conversation design here:
Call Segment | Focus Area | Key Points |
---|---|---|
Introduction | Setting the Tone | Introduce yourself and role at Tally Solutions. Express gratitude and set a collaborative tone. |
Understanding Partner | Partner's Perspective | Invite PoC to share Microsoft's priorities and vision for the partnership. Listen actively to their objectives and expectations. |
Presenting Value Proposition | Tally Solutions' Strengths | Highlight Tally Prime’s features and strengths, especially in the SME segment. Focus on user-friendliness, customization, scalability. |
Joint Solution Discussion | Mutual Benefits | Describe how Tally Prime and Microsoft’s products integration benefits mutual customers. Emphasize enhanced data analytics and market segment expansion. |
Addressing Pain Points | Customer Challenges | Discuss mutual customer challenges, especially for SMEs. Illustrate how the joint solution addresses these pain points. |
Building Trust | Deliverables and Trust | Reinforce Tally's commitment to quality and innovation. Propose initial deliverables and a tentative timeline. |
Next Steps | Summarization and Follow-Up | Summarize key discussion points and agreements. Propose next steps like a follow-up meeting or preliminary project plan. |
Q&A | Open Discussion | Invite questions or feedback from the PoC. Address concerns and provide clarifications. |
After the call Create a summary that you’ll send to your partner PoC
Submit your summary here:
Dear [Partner PoC's Name],
Thank you for the insightful conversation today. I am writing to summarize the key points of our discussion and outline the proposed next steps for our potential partnership between Tally Solutions and Microsoft.
Discussion Summary:
I look forward to continuing our conversation and exploring how we can collaborate effectively. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarifications.
Thank you once again for your time and the opportunity to discuss this exciting potential partnership.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
Tally Solutions
Mention your stakeholder and team concerns for this partnership. Explain how would you address each concern.
👉🏼 Stakeholder concerns:
One potential concern from Tally's stakeholders regarding the partnership with Microsoft could be the apprehension about maintaining the uniqueness and core value proposition of Tally Prime in the face of integration with larger platforms like Power BI. Stakeholders may worry that the product's distinct identity and appeal, especially to its loyal user base, could be diluted or overshadowed by Microsoft's dominant market presence.
Addressing this concern
👉🏼 Product team concerns:
A major concern for the Tally product team regarding the partnership with Microsoft could be the potential complexity and resource allocation required for integrating Tally Prime with Microsoft’s Power BI and other technologies. The team might worry about the challenges in aligning Tally Prime’s existing architecture with Microsoft’s platforms, the need for additional technical expertise, and the possibility of extended development timelines impacting their current roadmap.
Addressing the Concern:
A concern for Tally’s marketing team in the partnership with Microsoft might be ensuring that the messaging and branding of Tally Prime remain distinct and not overshadowed by Microsoft’s larger brand presence. The team could also be worried about effectively targeting and communicating the benefits of this partnership to both current and potential customers, balancing the existing value propositions of Tally Prime with the new features brought by the integration.
Addressing the Concern:
5. Engagement Through Educational Content: Produce educational content, such as webinars, tutorials, and blog posts, that explain the benefits and functionalities of the integrated products. This helps in building customer awareness and engagement.
6.Celebrating Customer Success Stories: Share stories of customers who have benefited from the integrated solutions, highlighting practical applications and real-world benefits. This approach can be very effective in illustrating the value of the partnership to potential customers.
📝 Create your stakeholder pitch. Make a small ppt (max 8 slides) to get your stakeholders and teams onboard. It must include the following:
👉🏼 Upload your ppt here:
💡 Solving for trust and engagement with the partner
Partnership Aspect | Trust Building Strategy | Transparency Improvement Strategy | Engagement Increase Strategy |
---|---|---|---|
Product Integration (Tally & Power BI) | Develop and adhere to a clear timeline for integration milestones. Regularly update Microsoft on progress and any challenges encountered. | Share detailed technical documentation and data handling policies to ensure clarity in integration processes. | Organize joint workshops and brainstorming sessions for continuous innovation and integration improvement. |
Co-Marketing Initiatives | Consistently align on marketing messages and branding strategies to ensure a unified front. Honoring commitments in joint marketing campaigns. | Maintain open communication channels for marketing plans, expectations, and feedback. Regularly update each other on marketing performance analytics. | Collaborate on creating engaging, co-branded content such as webinars, tutorials, and case studies highlighting the benefits of integration. |
Sales and Distribution Channels | Establish clear guidelines and protocols for sales strategies, respecting each other's market domains and customer relationships. | Openly share sales data and customer feedback related to the integrated product to identify areas of improvement. | Jointly participate in trade shows, conferences, and industry events to promote the integrated solution and gather market insights. |
Customer Support and Service | Ensure a consistent and high-quality customer service experience by training both teams on the integrated product and its features. | Provide transparent and easily accessible support documentation and resources for the integrated products. | Set up a shared platform or system for customer support to streamline query resolution and enhance customer satisfaction. |
Training and Knowledge Sharing | Regularly exchange information and updates on product features, industry trends, and best practices. | Establish a mutual understanding of each other's product roadmaps, strategic goals, and areas of expertise. | Organize joint training sessions and knowledge exchange programs for employees to foster a deeper understanding of each partner's products and services. |
👉🏼 Strategy for trust building
👉🏼 Strategy for improving transparency
👉🏼 Strategy for increasing engagement
💡 Before creating your GTM strategy, answer these questions:
👉🏼 What is the problem you are solving for?
👉🏼 Is there demand for your offering?
👉🏼Who’s your brand offering for?
💡 Create a value matrix for your mutual customers.
Customer Journey Stage | What's their biggest problem? | Where do they go for solution? | What value do you provide them? | How can you communicate that value? |
---|---|---|---|---|
Attract | Businesses struggle with complex financial data management and require sophisticated yet user-friendly analytics. | They look for integrated software solutions, online reviews, and industry recommendations. | The integration provides an easy-to-use interface with advanced analytics capabilities, combining Tally Prime’s robust accounting features with Microsoft Power BI’s data analysis tools. | Highlight the ease of use and advanced capabilities in marketing materials, use case studies, and testimonials on digital platforms and industry events. |
Engage | Businesses need real-time insights for swift decision-making but face challenges in data accessibility and interpretation. | They seek out business intelligence tools, webinars, and training for better data utilization. | The integration offers real-time data access with actionable insights, enabling businesses to make informed decisions quickly. | Share educational content, such as webinars and tutorials, demonstrating how to leverage these insights effectively for business growth. |
Delight | Businesses want to stay ahead in a competitive market by efficiently managing and utilizing their financial data. | They look for success stories, advanced courses, and new features that can provide them an edge. | The integration not only simplifies complex data but also offers scalable solutions that grow with the business, ensuring long-term utility and satisfaction. | Engage with users through regular updates, advanced training sessions, and community forums to showcase ongoing innovation and real-life success stories. |
Create a co-marketing strategy for your partnership, include the teams involved, timelines, and effort. If the co-marketing activity is on the partner’s real estate, please mention the approach you'll follow to convince your partner.If the co-marketing is on the partner’s real estate, please mention the approach you'll take
👉🏼 Write your approach here
Co-Marketing Activity | Teams Involved | Timeline | Effort | Approach for Partner's Real Estate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Joint Webinar Series | Marketing, Product, Sales teams from both Tally and Microsoft | Q2-Q3 2024 | High | Propose a series of webinars showcasing the integration's benefits. Highlight mutual customer success stories to illustrate the value add. |
Co-Branded Content Creation | Content, Marketing, and Design teams from both companies | Q1-Q4 2024 | Medium to High | Develop engaging content like eBooks, infographics, and blog posts. For Microsoft's channels, focus on how Tally enhances the Power BI ecosystem. |
Social Media Campaigns | Social Media, Marketing teams from Tally and Microsoft | Ongoing through 2024 | Medium | Collaborate on a hashtag campaign or a contest. For Microsoft’s platforms, emphasize user stories and analytics-driven results. |
Customer Case Studies | Marketing, Sales, Customer Success teams from both Tally and Microsoft | Q3 2024 | High | Share success stories of customers who benefited from the integration. On Microsoft’s channels, focus on stories that highlight Power BI’s impact. |
Email Marketing Campaign | Marketing, CRM teams from Tally and Microsoft | Q2-Q4 2024 | Medium | Jointly craft email content showcasing the partnership's benefits. For emails on Microsoft's side, stress Tally Prime’s enhanced capabilities with Microsoft integration. |
Trade Shows and Conferences | Marketing, Events, Sales teams from both companies | As per event schedule in 2024 | High | Joint participation in industry events. For Microsoft-hosted events, focus on demonstrating the seamless integration and its business benefits. |
Training Sessions for Sales Teams | Sales, Training, Product teams from Tally and Microsoft | Q2 2024 | Medium | Ensure both sales teams understand the value proposition. For Microsoft’s team, emphasize how Tally Prime integration complements their existing product suite. |
Press Releases and Media Outreach | PR, Marketing teams from both companies | Q1, Q3 2024 | Medium | Joint press releases on major business and tech publications. On Microsoft’s platforms, highlight how the partnership strengthens their offerings in the SMB sector. |
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