Podcast Summary

Podcast: B2B Agility with Greg Kihlström™: MarTech, E-Commerce, & Customer Success
Episode: #74: Maximizing the value of your partnerships with Peter Fogelsanger
Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Greg Kihlström
Guest: Peter Fogelsanger, Fractional Partner Executive, Peter Fogg LLC

Episode Overview

This episode tackles the all-too-common issue in B2B partner strategies: a wide roster of signed-up partners producing very little value—what the host and guest dub "paper partners." Greg Kihlström and partner ecosystem expert Peter Fogelsanger get honest about why most partnerships underperform, how to build programs that actually drive repeatable revenue, and what practical steps brands can take to activate, enable, and sustain high-value collaborations.

Their candid discussion dives deep into common mistakes, the importance of cultivating true collaboration over vanity metrics, and the evolving relationship between partner programs and overall corporate strategy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problem of "Paper Partners" and Misaligned Strategies

• Many companies focus on the number of signed partners rather than actual value delivered.
• Quote [00:53]: "There's often a vast gap between the impressive number of logos on a partner page and the handful that actually contribute to the bottom line." – Greg Kihlström

Strategic Mistakes When Setting Up Partnerships (03:48)

• Peter Fogelsanger:
  • Mistake #1: Treating partner programs and direct sales as separate entities (the "channel" mindset), which works for commodity products but fails in the complex tech ecosystem.
  • Mistake #2: Viewing partnerships tactically rather than strategically—assigning underqualified or overburdened staff and expecting them to magically produce results.
  • Quote [04:18]: "You're asking somebody who maybe has never flown a plane before to design the plane and fly it at the same time."

2. Laying the Foundation for Real, Repeatable Partner Value

• Success comes from partnerships being a core, integrated part of the business—embedded in culture, processes, and the product roadmap—not a bolt-on.
• Partnerships must advance mutual interests, not just one-sided lead generation.
• Referral fees alone rarely motivate partners; strategic business growth is the real carrot.
• Quote [08:16]: "Vast majority of partner programs that I've run into in tech are very one directional. ...Where's the cooperation?" – Peter Fogelsanger

3. Diagnosing and Addressing Inactive Partners (10:36)

• The root of "paper partner" syndrome is often an unclear strategy or an overfocus on recruiting and basic onboarding, rather than driving to real deal-making.

• Onboarding ≠ Activation: The real goal should be to get partners to revenue-producing activity (activation), not just academic product knowledge.

  • Key Distinction [12:25]:
    • Onboarding is sharing info;
    • Activation is collaboratively securing the first tangible deal.

• Trust is developed not by presentations and training, but by working together on live business.

• Quote [12:27]: "If you're doing onboarding and partner enablement after signing an agreement and there isn't a deal, then it’s a waste of time."

4. Quality Over Quantity: Partner Funnels and Collaboration (14:43)

• Partner recruiting should mirror outbound marketing: broad top-of-funnel, then qualification and nurturing until there's a real business opportunity.
• Don't invest in deep enablement until there’s a real deal; nurture otherwise.
• Timing is crucial—sometimes potential partners just aren't ready yet.
• Quote [16:26]: "The timing of when deals happen is a big part of the variable of what activates a partner."

5. Sustaining and Growing High-Performing Partnerships (17:40)

• Activation and enablement is a continual process, likened to "peeling an onion"—knowledge and responsibilities deepen over time and with each new deal.
• Gamified, bite-sized enablement tasks, certifications, and tiered benefits (not childish, but reward-based) keep partners engaged and motivated.
• There will never be a “fully enabled partner”; staff and requirements always evolve.
• Quote [18:36]: "There’s no such thing as a fully enabled partner... People change. One side of the equation is always going to be changing. So there’s always going to be enablement needed."

6. Metrics: Moving Past Vanity and Surface-Level KPIs (22:09)

• Signing agreements should NOT be overemphasized—it’s the beginning, not the end.
• Partner-sourced revenue is important but not the only metric; partner-influenced revenue is hugely undervalued.
  • Influence can mean insights and collaboration that help secure deals, even if not directly sourcing them.
• Quote [23:34]: "Have a conversation internally about how you want to define when a partner influences an opportunity. ...Let’s be generous... track it and then look at the trends."

7. The Future of B2B Partnerships and Role of AI (25:52)

• The shift is toward “partner-led” go-to-market strategies—not an add-on but the backbone.
• Especially in fast-evolving markets (like those impacted by AI), organizations will need the distributed strength, research, and intelligence of their ecosystems to keep pace.
• Quote [26:08]: "If you’re not plugged into other people doing research on the tech and research on trends... you’re going to get overtaken by somebody who is."

8. Staying Agile as a Partner Executive (27:02)

• Peter uses AI to stay agile—training his own models to leverage all of his previous learnings and experiences.
• Looks to other experts to glean diverse approaches, and uses AI for continual personal upskilling and memory augmentation.
• Quote [27:20]: "I’ve trained my own LLM to take everything that I’ve ever talked about to help me realize, you know, I did that before. How did I attack that problem before?"

Notable Quotes with Attribution & Timestamps

• Greg Kihlström [00:53]:
  “There’s often a vast gap between the impressive number of logos on a partner page and the handful that actually contribute to the bottom line.”

• Peter Fogelsanger [04:18]:
  “You’re asking somebody who maybe has never flown a plane before to design the plane and fly it at the same time.”

• Peter Fogelsanger [08:16]:
  “Vast majority of partner programs that I've run into in tech are very one directional. ...Where's the cooperation?”

• Peter Fogelsanger [12:27]:
  “If you’re doing onboarding and partner enablement after signing an agreement and there isn’t a deal, then it’s a waste of time.”

• Peter Fogelsanger [16:26]:
  “The timing of when deals happen is a big part of the variable of what activates a partner.”

• Peter Fogelsanger [18:36]:
  "There’s no such thing as a fully enabled partner..."

• Peter Fogelsanger [23:34]:
  “Have a conversation internally about how you want to define when a partner influences an opportunity. ...Let’s be generous... track it and then look at the trends.”

• Peter Fogelsanger [26:08]:
  “If you’re not plugged into other people doing research on the tech and research on trends... you’re going to get overtaken by somebody who is.”

• Peter Fogelsanger [27:20]:
  “I've trained my own LLM to take everything that I've ever talked about to help me realize...how did I attack that problem before?”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:48 – Common strategic errors setting up partner programs
• 06:36 – Principles for designing effective partner programs & building for scalable growth
• 10:36 – Diagnosing inactive/“paper” partners; distinction between onboarding and activation
• 17:40 – Sustaining and scaling a high-performing partnership past the first deal
• 22:09 – KPIs: What metrics actually matter to measure partnership health and value
• 25:52 – The evolving future of B2B partnerships and partners’ role in driving innovation
• 27:02 – How Peter stays agile and leverages AI for continuous improvement

Final Thoughts

This episode offers an unvarnished look at why most B2B partner programs underperform and practical, actionable steps to course correct. Listeners emerge with a new sense for the importance of mutuality, ongoing enablement, the dangers of vanity metrics, and the need for integrated, strategic thinking—especially as tech and AI rapidly reshape the B2B landscape.

If you're responsible for building or optimizing a partner ecosystem, you'll find both cautionary tales and concrete frameworks to drive real business value.