Introduction

Buyers no longer trust companies like they used to. In 2025, smart companies use partners to help grow across all sales and marketing channels.

What's the problem it solves?

Old methods like ads or cold emails don’t work as well anymore. Buyers trust other people more than brands. This article shows how using trusted partners can help companies grow faster in every part of their go-to-market strategy.

Quick Summary

There are six key ways a company can reach and sell to buyers: inbound, outbound, partner, community, product, and event-led motions. Most companies use one or two of these, but those who mix all six -with partners involved -grow faster and build more trust. That’s because people are more likely to listen to others they already trust than a company trying to sell to them directly.

The article shows real examples of companies doing this well. For example, Looka fixed a big drop in web traffic by activating affiliates. Close CRM increased partner sales by changing one person’s job focus. PandaDoc combined different partner programs to boost monthly sales. HubSpot used community events with partners to teach and sell. Unbounce added a partner program to increase free trial sign-ups. And PartnerStack ran a huge event by working with a media partner. All of these companies used partners not just to add sales but to make their whole sales and marketing plan stronger.

Adding partner-led growth into all your go-to-market motions makes your company more trustworthy, more flexible, and ready for changes in how people buy in 2025.

Key Takeaways from the article

• There are six important ways to grow: inbound, outbound, partner, community, product, and event-led.
• Buyers now trust people more than companies - especially friends, experts, and partners.
• Adding partners to all six growth areas builds trust and brings in better leads.
• Partners can be affiliates, resellers, agencies, or even happy customers.
• Real companies like Looka, Close CRM, and PandaDoc grew faster by changing how they worked with partners.
• One clear platform and shared goals helped these companies combine different partner types successfully.
• Events and communities also work better when done with partners.
• Partner-led growth is no longer optional -it’s key to winning buyers in a crowded market.
• Success in 2025 means mixing all growth motions with the help of strong partner support.

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