The Last Mile: Time to Look Ahead To The Future


 These have been unprecedented times for everybody. It seems the entire world is unsure what to do next. We, like everybody else, are affected by COVID-19. We have had to make many adjustments in our life, our work, in our business dealings. So the first thing I want to say to everyone is to stay safe and stay sane. We will all get through this together.


Last week was a busy week for us—the busiest we've seen in the life of our young company. COVID-19 is exposing a lot of vulnerability in business models, and showcasing to company leaders that their go-to-market efforts are not balanced. Direct sales models of SaaS companies are being affected, and now a lot of leaders will not hit their goals for Q1 and Q2. That's today's reality.  


One of the common themes we are hearing is a reaction to the changes in circumstances: "Conferences are canceling; travel is restricted, we can't get to the customers, our leads are drying up. Can you help us?" People are looking for an immediate solution to the problem of getting to customers. Those without an ecosystem or alternative revenue plans in place are having a particularly tough time. What is becoming crystal clear to everyone is that it's hard to get customer's attention and that you need to have a multidimensional plan using all the tools possible between marketing, sales, and ecosystems to get to your customers. Getting to prospective customers is a "last mile" problem, and many companies are waking up to this in this time of crisis. 


Unfortunately, I can't promise that building a channel or partnership strategy now is going to solve your problem immediately today. It won't! (spoiler alert) Partnership networks take time to develop. Some people call it "soft skills." Soft skills are what it takes to build trusted relationships, exploring mutual value propositions, and establishing go-to-market activities. Development does take time, not forever, but it does take time. 


That being said, an ancient Chinese proverb gives us excellent guidance in this matter. "The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second-best time is now." 


Although a new partner program will not save your Q1 numbers, now is the time to start thinking about your alternative revenue streams, your channel, your ecosystem. COVID-19 may be a blessing in disguise for a lot of companies and business leaders. In the chaos, there's an opportunity to take a pause. The pause is an opportunity for finding ways of diversifying for success for the 2nd half of the year. 


One sage CEO who inspired this blog post is looking ahead. He told me that, of course, he needs to deal with the current operational upheaval, but he is also focusing on the path forward.  He is looking at what investment now will bring his company success in later 2020 and early 2021. He is planting his tree now. Maybe in this time of uncertainty, we all take time to plant our trees for the future.

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