We sat down with Drake Lerma, Partner Experience representative, to learn more about RapidScale’s unique approach to the partner experience and how his role contributes to the business’ goals.
Drake received his B.A. in Marketing and Economics from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. Upon his recent graduation he made the decision to move to Orange County and begin his role as a Partner Experience representative.
What does the Partner Experience role entail?
My role is to facilitate new partnership opportunities by reaching out to sub-agents, MSPs and VARs across different geographic regions in the United States – maybe some of these people we haven’t talked to in a while, maybe some of them we haven’t talk to at all. While doing this I’m responsible for making sure our partners feel appreciated, recognized and engaged with our Partner Experience Managers as much as possible by keeping them up to date with all things RapidScale, in terms of our solutions and events that are happening. I make sure they feel appreciated by RapidScale as an organization. We really have to show them how much we care and give them a Partner Experience that is unmatched by anybody else in this industry.
Why is this important in today’s market?
Being a Channel-centric cloud provider, working 100% in the Channel, means that those relationships that we have with our partners are vital to our company’s success.
How does this support RapidScale’s goals?
I think if my role is successful our partners will feel appreciated and recognized for their efforts. If I am able to show these partners how much we truly care about them in the business and the opportunities they bring to us, I am confident that they will keep coming back with every cloud-related opportunity that crosses their path.
Define success in your role.
To be successful in this role it takes a lot of diligence and organization skills. There are thousands of different VARs and MSPs out there and there are thousands of different vendors that are trying to have these partners sell their products. So if you want to differentiate yourself and stay ahead of the game you have to work constantly with your Marketing team and your Partner Experience Managers to deliver something that is unmatched by anyone else. I think these qualities allow one to excel as a Partner Experience representative.
Watch Drake’s interview below!
