SaaS Connect · 2023-09-07 · 25 min
On this episode, Pravin Arokyaraj , Director of Strategic Partnerships at Zoho Corporation , shares his perspectives on navigating partnerships with competitors and collaborators alike. Pravin believes in the power of cross-product partnerships. Partnerships in a multi-product landscape come with intriguing challenges. It’s vital, then, to foster alliances with competitors while also competing against them. There are common obstacles that many will worry about, like the fear of cannibalizing customers, legal complexities, and hesitations from both internal and external stakeholders. Zoho tackles these challenges head-on, utilizing leadership commitments, collaboration mindsets and targeted processes. Zoho’s secret recipe for success is the “compete yet collaborate” mindset, championed at every level of the company. The team’s underlying strategy is based on showcasing partner products to customers, thereby promoting mutual growth. Building strategic partnerships with larger companies requires a long-term perspective. In the end, there is value in investing in these relationships and watching them blossom over time, creating mutual benefits and growth.
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