Hint: It’s not your 40-slide deck.
Introduction
When partners talk about Co-Sell, they often think of what they want from AWS: introductions, pipeline, joint campaigns, and field support.
But here’s the reality: Co-Sell only works if AWS sellers see value in bringing you into deals.
And that means shifting the question from:
“What can AWS do for us?”
“What do AWS sellers actually want from us?”
This blog pulls back the curtain on what AWS account managers and Partner Managers look for and how to make your Marketplace listing and sales motion irresistible to them.
The AWS Seller Mindset
AWS account teams don’t get paid to sell your product. They get paid to sell AWS consumption.
So when deciding whether to recommend you, they ask:
- Does this product drive more AWS usage?
- Will it help me close my deal faster?
- Does it solve a real customer pain in my account?
- Can I explain it easily to my buyer?
If you can check those boxes, you’ll get Co-Sell support. If not, you’re just another partner with a badge.
5 Things AWS Sellers Want from Marketplace Vendors
1. Clear AWS Service Alignment
They need to know which AWS services your product uses and how it drives spend.
Example:
“Deploys on ECS Fargate and integrates with S3 + KMS, increasing AWS consumption in secure data storage and compute.”
2. Vertical-Specific Use Cases
Generic solutions don’t move the needle. Sellers want to know which customers and industries you serve best.
Example:
“Fraud detection for fintech using SageMaker + Redshift.”
Pro tip: The more industry-specific your story, the easier it is for sellers to pitch you.
3. Customer-Proven Outcomes
Metrics matter more than adjectives. Sellers need proof you deliver measurable results.
Example:
“Reduced claims processing time by 60% for a healthcare client using Amazon Textract + DynamoDB.”
4. A Simple Value Story (Not a Deck)
Sellers don’t want your corporate overview. They want a 1-pager or 2-minute story they can repeat to a customer:
- Who is this for?
- What problem does it solve?
- Which AWS services does it use?
- What results does it deliver?
If they can’t explain it in one call, they won’t use it.
5. Low-Friction Procurement
AWS sellers love when your offer makes procurement easy:
- CPPO (Channel Partner Private Offers) enabled
- EDP (Enterprise Discount Program) eligible
- One-click deploy via CloudFormation
The easier you make it for the customer to buy, the more likely AWS sellers are to recommend you.
Common Partner Mistakes
- Leading with features instead of AWS outcomes
- Overloading with decks and PDFs instead of 1-pagers
- Skipping industry context (talking “horizontal” only)
- Failing to map to AWS service attach goals
- Expecting AWS to figure out the story for you
Conclusion
AWS sellers don’t need you to be the biggest, flashiest partner in the ecosystem.
They need you to:
- Drive AWS service usage
- Show proof of outcomes
- Be easy to explain
- Fit neatly into customer procurement paths
If you can give them those things, you won’t just get listed. You’ll get lifted into deals.
Want help building the 1-pagers, case studies, and value stories AWS sellers actually use?
Contact us for more details.
