How We Filled 70% of Our Whitespace Through Strategic SaaS Partnerships

Challenge: A Vast Whitespace with Limited Reach

As the Director of Channel Partnerships for the past decade, I've been tasked with a recurring challenge that plagues many growing SaaS companies: expanding market coverage without ballooning costs. Despite a strong internal sales team and a solid product-market fit, our company had a massive whitespace problem - regions, verticals, and customer segments where we had little to no presence.

We ran the numbers and realized we were only effectively reaching about 30% of our total addressable market (TAM). That meant 70% of the market was untouched due to resource constraints, lack of regional expertise, or simply not knowing who the right customers were in those segments.

Our CEO turned to me and asked, “How do we solve this without doubling our headcount?”

Solution: Channel Partnerships, But with Focus

Many companies assume that adding partners automatically expands reach. But the truth is, not all partners are created equal, and more isn’t always better.

Here’s how we approached it:

1. Whitespace Mapping

We used firmographic and intent data to clearly define our whitespace - down to the vertical, company size, and region. This gave us a laser focus on where to build partnerships.

2. Partner Persona Development

We developed ideal partner personas. For example:

• In APAC: We needed partners with localization experience and strong customer support capabilities.

• In verticals like healthcare and fintech: We sought boutique consultancies with regulatory know-how.

  
  

3. Value Exchange Framework

Rather than asking, “What can partners do for us?” We flipped the script and asked, “What can we do for them?” We created co-marketing funds, deal registration programs, and tiered incentives, making it easy and profitable for partners to invest their time in our business.

4. Dedicated Partner Success

We staffed Partner Account Managers whose sole job was to make our partners successful. This included not just enablement but pipeline reviews, sales engineering, and executive check-ins.

Results: 70% Whitespace Coverage—and Real Revenue

Over a 24-month period, here’s what we achieved:

• Whitespace Coverage: We successfully covered 70% of our originally identified whitespace, including international markets and previously unreachable verticals.

• Revenue Growth: Our partners sourced and influenced 35% of total new ARR, making them a top-performing "virtual" sales team.

• Partner Stickiness: We saw a 65% year-over-year increase in partner-led renewals, proving long-term alignment.

• Operational Efficiency: We expanded coverage without increasing internal headcount beyond 10%, saving millions in potential hiring costs.

Final Thoughts

Was it perfect? No. There were misfires—partners that underperformed, markets that weren’t ready. But we treated partnerships like a growth engine, not a side project, and that made all the difference.

If you’re a SaaS company staring at a map full of white space, remember: you don’t need to own every market but to influence it. The right partners, with the right incentives and support, can get you there faster than you think. Barcada is what customers use when they want to fill in their whitespace automatically through partners. Book a demo to learn more here.