Key Areas of Responsibility and Tasks

The Partner Business Manager (PBM) is a field-based employee that covers partners for a specific solution (B1, BYD, HCM, CEC, SRM, etc) or for a specific engagement type (Solex, 3rd Party, MCaaS, OEM, ISV, gVAR, Distribution, etc), in order to grow SAP’s software license revenue across the SAP solution portfolio.  The PBM is responsible for proactively developing the partner’s SAP business by driving sales (to net new customers and to the partner’s current customer base), demand generation and partner capabilities with a strong focus on mid-term perspective.
The PBM is the main point of contact for building the partner relationship with SAP. The PBM is the central advisor to the partner, owning the partner relationship end to end, and responsible for coordinating all SAP interactions (with executives, PSA, solutions teams, peers, etc.) in order to drive partner investments and growth in SAP’s solutions portfolio. The job incumbent is responsible for appropriately managing/balancing the use of SAP assets (i.e. Pre-Sales, Training, PSA, etc.) without under- or over-utilizing those assets. He or she develops partners for long term development, health-of-business and transformation to new solutions, technologies and models. The Partner Business PBM supports partner enablement to drive partners to self-sufficiency from demand generation to closing deals. The PBM provides support to partners in sales cycles via coaching, mentoring and shadowing in customer facing sales activities. Position is measured on revenue, year-over-year growth, market share growth, adoption of strategic solutions (i.e. Hana, Cloud) and GB impact.

Key Responsibilities - Partner Business Manager

Strategic Value and Business Development

Responsible for the holistic management and representation of the Partner to SAP, and for managing and developing the partner following a disciplined business planning process to expand their partner’s business with SAP. 

• Understands the partner’s basic financial structure and key drivers which influence their business and decisions
• Develops active and long-term partner relationships across all roles in the partner (executives, sales, marketing, technical, …), and keeps up to date with all changes to the partners’ organization as well as with the changing environment at SAP
  1. Articulates the relevant SAP portfolio in terms of the customer value proposition and the partner value proposition (including partner economics, partner ROI, advise the partner on investments into various solutions as is seen fit, using available SAP experts);
• Assists in presenting SAP opportunities (i.e. new product, new solutions area) in financial terms including potential revenue, required partner investment, break-even, and return on investment to gain partner adoption;
  2. mainly focusing on extending the partner’s sweet spot (vs. entering completely new business areas)
• Assists partners in building transformational plans to differentiate themselves and add value to customers.
  3. Knows economic trends and industry knowledge to support the partner’s investment in developing their SAP business and to gain trusted advisor status
• Executes on joint annual business planning with partner to ensure proper planning and execution of Sales, Marketing, and Enablement.
  4. Works on investment and expansion plans,
  5. Documents partner’s commitments and investments,
  6. Holds partners accountable and measures (and report) results and ROI on documented marketing and demand generation plans regularly (i.e., quarterly updates and reviews).
  7. Utilizes existing experts within SAP to prepare, deliver and follow up on the business planning
• Proactively prepares and executes on partner/SAP meetings

Overall: Revenue Generation and Leadership

Responsible for sales of SAP software licenses with and through partners across SAP’s portfolio and establishing an advisory relationship with the partner and SAP teams. 

• Drives partner execution to revenue commitments to SAP and measures and reports progress
• Trains partners on SAP sales methodology on overall SAP and specific product and solution positioning, and on competitive responses;
  8. Develops partner’s sales skills on successful sales strategies and on individual opportunities through sales coaching, opportunity reviews, role-playing, and observing and assisting at customer visits.
  1. Utilizes available experts (presales, GBSE, AEs, etc.)
• Guides partner on the sales landscape and how SAP solutions complement other software and technologies that the partner sells to increase size of opportunities and the partner’s margin
• Collaborates with SAP teams (Account Executive, Inside Sales Executive, General Business Sales Executives, etc.) acting as a strategic liaison between the partner and SAP to ensure effective communications, aligned strategies, and sales successes; ensures partner uses full SAP resources effectively (executives, solution experts, sales, support, field services, etc.)
• Updates and communicates key partner changes --  for example, new partner executives or organizational structure, new SAP solutions authorizations, partner demand generation campaigns, investments, etc. -- to relevant SAP systems and teams (e.g., PRM, ISE’s, Account Executives) 
• Identifies conflicts, align with management on critical cases and escalate as needed

Partner Demand Generation and Pipeline Creation

Monitors partner’s pipeline development; driving to SAP’s expectation of pipeline multipliers, and leveraging SAP marketing and business development resources and tools.

• Understands and shares relevant demand generation and pipeline creation best practices with partners
• Supports partner to expand their SAP footprint to the innovation solution portfolio where relevant, and incorporates the new solutions in pipeline building and demand generation plans;
• Monitors partner’s demand generation plans to align with SAP’s current go-to-market messaging;
  10. Influences partner to effectively utilize 100% of their marketing development funds;
  11. Ensures partners utilize and leverage SAP’s Marketing resources, tools, collateral, sales plays, and other SAP demand generation programs;

• 50. Tracks and measures the return on investment (ROI) on the partner’s documented demand generation activities
• Develops and executes a pipeline development plan to meet partner’s pipeline multiplier goals, net new name goals, and revenue commitments; including setting goals for establishing customer references

Assists in meetings with top partner sales people for account planning. Helps to ensure that the partner collaborates to build and execute joint demand generation activities with SAP regional, industry and national Sales, Business Development and Marketing Teams to grow a mutual pipeline and that partners agree to clear account and align plans as to close more business. Supporting the forecast from the assigned partners and being accountable for partner participation, partner business planning, partner portfolio expansion, partner demand generation and pipeline and partner growth.

General Partner Management

Responsible for the overall success of a partner with SAP, and for partner compliance with SAP PartnerEdge program requirements and SAP’s Chanel Operating Policies. Support for complex deals in accounts under 700m€.

• Helps to optimize partner engagement and investment in the SAP ecosystem and portfolio
• Effectively trains partner’s sales force to become experts on delivering the SAP value proposition (overall and by solution)  
• Guides partner to work effectively within SAP’s Go-to-Market strategy
• Ensures PartnerEdge requirements are met and take corrective action as necessary, if required with E&C mgmt.
• Escalates to initiate corrective action for underperforming partners
• Helps to ensure that partners – and SAP teams - operate in a professional and ethical manner; take action or escalate if professionalism and ethics standards are not being met

The Inside Partner Business Manager (IPBM) is the equivalent to the PBM for remotely managed partners. Consequently the IPBM fulfills the same tasks and responsibilities as the PBM with slight adjustments to take into account that contact is mainly via telephone.

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