85% of senior executives feel strategic partnerships are important to their business growth, but 45% struggle to keep their partnerships active. CEOs across all business sectors agree that strategic partnerships are critical for any company looking to compete on a global scale. Smart companies see partnerships as a way to acquire customers, drive revenue and enter new markets. They also rely on partners for new ideas, insights and expertise that can impact business performance, market understanding and product innovation. Despite the increasing need to develop partner relationships, most enterprises lack the knowledge, connections and management capabilities to realize the full potential of partnering. Many companies lack the formal strategies and expertise to identify and nurture the most beneficial relationships. As a result, almost all are seeking a new and better way. This special report - Grow from the Right Intro - examines the importance of strategic partnerships and alliances in business growth, explores the challenges and opportunities of identifying and creating them and discusses how to maximize the chances of success, which includes making use of big data analytics and automation. Enjoy these key findings, and visit http://plnx.in/rightintro to view the full report.

1. Grow From the Right Intro:
Business Partnership Trends in 2014
Key Findings

2. Grow from the Right Intro
85%
of business leaders feel
partnerships are important
CEOs across all business sectors agree that strategic
partnerships are critical for any company looking to
compete on a global scale.

3. Grow from the Right Intro
45%
of companies struggle to
keep their partnerships active…
But finding the right strategic partner for long-term
growth remains elusive.

4. Grow from the Right Intro
The Grow from the Right Intro report by the BPI
Network and CMO Council, in conjunction with
Powerlinx, explores the challenges facing businesses in
partnering and best practices for overcoming these
obstacles.

5. How important are strategic partnerships and
alliances to your business?
Key Findings:
Companies are seeing
increased value in
establishing and growing
global partnerships. More
than half of respondents
feel that these strategic
alliances are extremely
important to their
business. Notably, no one
reports that partnerships
were unimportant or
nonexistent.
Extremely
important
Important
Growing in
importance
Not important
Don't partner

6. How well does your company develop and leverage
business partnerships and strategic alliances?
Key Findings:
While more than half of
respondents feel that
their companies develop
and leverage
partnerships well, only 8
percent feel their
companies do it
extremely well.
Furthermore, 42 percent
of respondents feel their
companies are
ineffective at
developing
partnerships.
Extremely well
Quite well
Not very well
Poorly
Not at all

7. What percentage of your partnerships do you believe
have been successful?
Key Findings:
Only 1 percent of
companies enjoy
complete success in
their partnerships, and
nearly half rated their
partnership success at
less than 60 percent.
The difficulties of
acquiring and
retaining partners are
key factors leading to
their lack of success.
100 percent
80-99 percent
60-79 percent
40-59 percent

8. Do you have a sense of how much you invest
annually in partnering?
Key Findings:
The range of budgets
for sourcing and
maintaining partnerships
is vast. While the
majority of respondents
spend under $500,000
annually on
partnerships, the
majority of big spenders
devote over $5 million
on partnership
development each year.
42%
12%
20%
4%
6%
7%
8%
More than $5 million
$3 million to $5 million
$1 million to $3 million
$500,000 to $1 million
$300,000 to $500,000
$100,000 to $300,000
Less than $100,000

9. In what areas would effective partnerships most
benefit your company?
Key Findings:
Respondents highlight
increased market share
and market access as
the most significant
benefits of partnering.
In fact, increasing
revenue and customer
base are the main
drivers, with expansion
of geographical reach
feeding into the former
two.
66%
68%
4%
4%
12%
13%
23%
26%
27%
32%
9%
Other
Improving our supply chain performance
Financing our business
Upgrading our products or services
Boosting our operational effectiveness
Adding our sharing resources
Gaining access to new technology/IP
Extending our product line
Expanding our geographic reach
Increasing revenue
Acquiring new customers

10. How do you rate your ability to identify, qualify and
secure partner introductions?
Key Findings:
While all respondents
see value in
partnerships, only half
feel their companies
effectively perform the
actions necessary to
identify and secure
those partnerships.
Extremely
good
Quite good
Not bad
Poor

11. What types of partnerships, opportunities or
introductions would most benefit your company?
Key Findings:
Strategic partnerships
that allow access to
new customers and new
technologies are the
top concern for those
surveyed. New
customers result in
increased market share
and revenue growth,
while new technologies
can increase efficiency
and improve offerings.
55%
57%
39%
42%
29%
1%
5%
8%
12%
13%
14%
6%
Other
Business sale
Supply chain
Finanical
Outsourcing
Merger or acquisition
Consulting
Distribution/channel
Marketing promotion
Technology
Strategic
New customers

12. Do you have a formal partnering strategy?
Key Findings:
Only a third of
respondents have a
formal partnering
strategy, but many are
taking steps to create
formal partnership
plans. In fact, a
quarter of respondents
are in the process of
developing a formal
strategy.
Yes
No
In development
Not sure

13. What channels, networks or resources are you evaluating
or using to advance your business development process?
Key Findings:
Respondents often turn
to their peers for advice
on sourcing
partnerships. On the
other hand, Respondents
rely less on
intermediaries like
brokers as they feel the
lack of personal
networking is less
effective in determining
6%
9%
10%
15%
24%
25%
31%
34%
40%
41% key alliances.
25%
11%
Other
Online marketplaces
Brokers and/or intermediaries
Business information services
Strategic sourcing services
Social media networks
Business development consultants
LinkedIn groups
Peer-based executive affinity networks
Professional organizations
Conferences and expositions
Industry associations

14. Would you be interested in a cloud-based platform that automates
the process of making the right business introductions through
intelligent B2B matchmaking on a global scale?
Key Findings:
Three-quarters of
respondents would or
might use
a matchmaking
platform to create
business partnerships,
especially if they feel
the partnership will
allow them to maintain
control over the
relationship-building
aspect of acquiring
partners.
Yes
No
Maybe

15. Want to learn more?
Download the Full Report at
http://plnx.in/rightintro
Thank you for reading!