Google Cloud Marketplace Marketplace Co-Sell Guide for ISVs
No cloud marketplace has grown faster than Google Cloud Marketplace, which today competes with AWS and Azure Marketplace. For Google Cloud Sellers, including field service reps (FSRs), co-selling on Google Cloud Marketplace alongside third-party ISVs is becoming more popular.
Why?
From SMBs to major enterprises, more businesses are turning to Google Cloud as their main cloud service provider. For sellers, this means the opportunity to access new customer segments, tap into committed spend budgets (more on that later), and build a brand in one of the most innovative tech ecosystems.
Here’s a look at co-selling on Google Cloud Marketplace.
What is co-selling on Google Cloud Marketplace?
When a Google Cloud sales rep helps to sell a third-party solution listed on Google Cloud Marketplace, that’s co-selling. Google ISV Specialists and Field Service Reps (FSRs) introduce these solutions to their book of business, especially if the ISV’s solution helps drive consumption on Google Cloud, sell more Google products, or extend the functionality of existing Google products – in other words, if selling the solution helps make the search giant money.
In the Google Cloud ecosystem, co-selling can include account mapping, lead sharing, demand generation, co-marketing, and more.
With solutions in cybersecurity, data analytics, AI & ML, data bases, SaaS, infrastructure modernization, and more, Google Cloud Marketplace is a go-to channel for procuring today’s cutting edge tech.
As a transactable marketplace, GCM (like AWS and Azure Marketplace) offers payment infrastructure so that an ISV can bill their customer through Google itself, simplifying the billing and procurement process.
Creating a “better together” story with Google Cloud Marketplace
Before you can reach co-sell success on Google Cloud Marketplace, you need to create a “better together” story, which will trickle down to your GTM strategy and collateral.
Maybe your solution integrates with Gmail, Chrome, Google Drive, Looker, BigQuery, or one of Google’s many other products. Or maybe your solution drives significant compute. To reach co-sell success, you will need to get your Google team’s attention by showing what’s in it for them. In other words, how can you help Google drive revenue?
To build your “better together,” answer the following questions, which you can work into your GTM collateral:
- Does your solution bring more big ticket customers to Google Cloud Marketplace?
- Does your solution improve or enhance existing Google Cloud products? (e.g., does your solution make Gmail more compliant or BigQuery more secure?)
- Does your solution drive compute? (For AI and data analytics ISVs, the compute component is a major plus.)
- Does your solution help Google sell more of its own products?
- How does your solution improve interoperability in the Google ecosystem?
Google Cloud Marketplace committed spend and committed use discounts (CUD)
One of the biggest drivers of growth on Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Marketplace is the boom in cloud commits, sometimes referred to as committed spend. With Google Cloud reaching $93.2 Billion in commits at the end of 2024, the search giant is the third largest marketplace, behind AWS and Azure, who both had a head start.
ISVs in the Google Cloud ecosystem need to meet specific requirements to ensure a low revenue share (3% for first-time purchases and 1.5% for renewals). Solutions need to be built on Google Cloud (entirely or majority) and meet other requirements, outlined here.
Building a co-sell strategy on Google Cloud Marketplace
After you join Google Cloud’s Partner Advantage Program and get listed on Google Cloud Marketplace, you will need to develop a comprehensive cloud go-to-market strategy to accelerate success.
- Familiarize yourself with the Partner Advantage Portal and Google Cloud’s Partner Marketing Studio, which offers templates to help you get started
- Develop GTM collateral specific to Google, such as battlecards, 1 pagers, and more
- Meet regularly with your ISV team
- Prepare a first-call deck to pitch your solution
- Leverage Google’s Partner Studios for press releases, email announcements, and social posts
- Communicate success stories to Google Cloud as well as the wider world (e.g., via social media)
Co-sell automation on Google Cloud Marketplace
Cloud GTM platforms like Invisory help ISVs streamline deal creation and management, including registering deals in both an ISV’s CRM and the Partner Advantage Portal – all from one platform.
Co-sell outsourcing on Google Cloud Marketplace
Getting started with co-selling can be challenging for ISVs that are new to the Google Cloud ecosystem. For this reason, more ISVs are looking to cloud marketplace experts to help streamline the co-selling process. Outsourcing co-sell can include having a partner help you build a cloud GTM strategy, register co-sell deals with Google, and even assist with building relationships with FSRs.
Before you choose a co-sell outsourcing partner, be sure to check what is included in the scope of work.
Invisory for cloud marketplace success
Cloud marketplaces offer ISVs countless opportunities, but getting listed, transactable, and putting a cloud GTM strategy in motion takes time.
With Invisory, you can access API integrations, expert-built playbooks, a dedicated customer support manager and everything else you need to operationalize your cloud marketplace listings and start generating leads.
Accelerate success on Azure Marketplace, as well as other cloud marketplaces, including AWS Marketplace, Google Cloud Marketplace and the Salesforce AppExchange.
FAQ
What types of solutions can you co-sell on Google Cloud Marketplace?
- Virtual machines
- Kubernetes
- SaaS offerings
- AI agents
- Foundational models
- Commercial data sets
- Professional services
- Commercial LLMs, like AI21 Labs and Anthropic
Note, however, that this does not necessarily mean each solution can be used to burn down committed spend budgets, which are referred to as committed use discounts (CUD) in the Google ecosystem.
This includes everything from virtual machines and Kubernetes to SaaS offerings, AI agents, foundational models, commercial data sets, and also professional services to support the end-to-end software lifecycle
Who are the primary players involved in co-selling on Google Cloud Marketplace?
- Field Service Reps
- Customer Engineer
- Google Alliance Teams
- Google ISV PDRs
- ISV Specialists
What are the three engagement models on Google Cloud Marketplace?
- Self Engagement Model
- Service Engagement Model
- Build Engagement Model
Benefits of co-selling on Google Cloud Marketplace
- Access to Google’s large audience
- Co-selling with FSRs
- Burn down committed use
- Co-marketing and access to Google’s Partner Marketing Studio
- Streamlined discovery, procurement, integration implementation, and deployments
- Marketplace Channel Private Offers (MCPO), which allow ISVs to customize deal terms
- Faster sales cycles
- Other customer incentives
