Storytelling: The Heart of Partner Ecosystem Marketing
In this episode,
Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, is joined by
Ffjorren Zolfaghar, VP of Alliances at IDMWORKS. Ffjorren shares her unique career journey from journalism to the forefront of technology alliances, highlighting how the art of storytelling remains a critical skill in B2B marketing. The discussion explores the rapidly evolving identity management landscape, the role of partners in navigating complex cybersecurity challenges, and the criteria for building successful, trust-based technology alliances. Listeners will better understand why focusing on business outcomes over technical specifications is key to engaging customers and partners. Tune in to learn how to cut through the noise and create a partner marketing strategy that resonates, drives value, and builds lasting relationships in a dynamic tech ecosystem.
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Video Podcast: Storytelling: The Heart of Partner Ecosystem Marketing
Chapter 1: The Journey from Journalism to Tech Alliances
Ffjorren Zolfaghar begins the conversation by introducing herself as the VP of Alliances for IDMWORKS, a services-led organization that handles reselling and managed services. She reveals that her tech career spans over a decade and is actually a second career. Her first was in journalism, a field she entered after studying at the University of Minnesota. She started in radio, TV, and newspaper, covering general news with an initial aspiration to become a reporter for the nightly news. Her journey then took a different turn, leading her to become a content editor and director for a publishing house, where she focused on alternative healthcare and lifestyle topics.
The transition into technology was initially driven by a practical need for a more lucrative career, a decision influenced by her younger brother, who made key introductions for her. Ffjorren acknowledges the irony of her current role. As a self-proclaimed lover of pen and paper who enjoys unplugging from all devices, she admits that many people would find her unlikely to work in the technology sector. Despite this, she quickly rose, leveraging her foundational skills. She believes that the communication and writing skills honed in journalism are a "lost art" that has been tremendously helpful in her career, first in marketing and then in partner sales and management. This unique background gives her a distinctive perspective on the power of clear and compelling communication in a technical and often jargon-filled industry.
She discusses the core principle that connects her two careers: storytelling. She explains that the objective remained the same whether she was writing a news story for an audience or creating marketing content for a consumer. The goal is to gain attention, provide information, and make the content relatable and digestible so the audience understands the mess...
