The 7 Secrets of Effective

Alliance Teams

Susan B. McKay

Director, Strategy & Alliance Development

EMC Corporation

October 20, 2010

Why do we need alliances?

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Napoleon Bonaparte

King of Italy

Emperor of the French

1805-1814

FranceAustria

Source: Wikippedia 9/20/10 The Emperor Napoleon

in His Study at the Tuileries, by Jacques-Louis

David, 1812

Direct or indirect sales?

Direct Sales

(Napoleon’s approach)

Pro

• Talk to end customer directly

• Receive all the benefits

Cons

• Absorb all sales costs

• Rely only on your team’s talent

and relationships

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“Better not to have been born than to

live without glory.”

- Napoleon Bonaparte

• Stronger team

• Lower cost or risk

• JIT resources – right

resource at right time &

place

• Stronger contacts,

executive positioning

• More complete solution

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Source/Original work at/Original en: Pyms Gallery

Austria, Prussia, Russia, UK,

Netherlands

vs.

France

Indirect Sales

(Austria’s approach)

The 7 Secrets of top alliance teams

1. Clear objectives

2. Metrics

3. “Got juice?”

4. Equal commitment

5. Team players

6. Transparency

7. Way to resolve conflicts.

The 7 Secrets of top alliance teams

1. Clear objectives

2. Metrics

3. “Got juice?”

4. Equal commitment

5. Team players

6. Transparency

7. Way to resolve conflicts.

• Increase revenue

• Decrease or avoid

costs

• Reduce risk

Why are we doing this?

The 7 Secrets of top alliance teams

1. Clear objectives

2. Metrics

3. “Got juice?”

4. Equal commitment

5. Team players

6. Transparency

7. Way to resolve conflicts.

• How to measure?

• Who measures?

• Establish a “rhythm

of the business”

What’s in it for each party?

The 7 Secrets of top alliance teams

1. Clear objectives

2. Metrics

3. “Got juice?”

4. Equal commitment

5. Team players

6. Transparency

7. Way to resolve conflicts.

The 7 Secrets of top alliance teams

1. Clear objectives

2. Metrics

3. “Got juice?”

4. Equal commitment

5. Team players

6. Transparency

7. Way to resolve conflicts.

“Friendship is only a word, I

care for nobody.”

“We walk faster when we

walk alone.”

The 7 Secrets of top alliance teams

1. Clear objectives

2. Metrics

3. “Got juice?”

4. Equal commitment

5. Team players

6. Transparency

7. Way to resolve conflicts.“Two powers like France and England, with a

good understanding between them, might

govern the world. “

“England is a nation of shopkeepers”

The 7 Secrets of top alliance teams

1. Clear objectives

2. Metrics

3. “Got juice?”

4. Equal commitment

5. Team players

6. Transparency

7. Way to resolve conflicts.“…a conqueror must not inspire a

good opinion of his benevolence until

he has demonstrated that he can be

severe with malefactors.”

Napoleon – why did he and France lose?

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Source:

http://www.militaryartgallery.com/HTML/napoleons_retreat_from_mosc

ow.htm

1. Ego-driven objectives

2. One-sided metrics

3. One “executive sponsor”

4. No real alliance

5. No process to resolve

conflicts.

Austria – why did they “et al” win?The 7 secrets checklist

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1. Clear objectives

2. Metrics

3. “Got juice?”

4. Equal commitment

5. Team players

6. Transparency

7. Way to resolve

conflicts.

Call to action – next steps

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• Identify areas

where you’re

losing to the

competition.

• Find allies who can

help you survive –

and win the war.

• Use the 7 secrets

to plan your next

move.

Contact Information

Susan McKay

Director, Strategy & Alliance Development

susan.mckay@emc.com

508-330-8160

Visit my blog:

http://partnersandalliances.typepad.com/partnershi

ps-alliances

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