AWS sellers do not pick partners based on “best product”
They pick partners based on “best outcome for the customer, with the least friction.”
An AWS seller is measured on customer progress and AWS consumption. If a partner slows a deal down, creates procurement pain, or requires complex contracting, sellers hesitate to bring them in.
Marketplace-enabled partners are easier to work with because they reduce the operational mess that kills momentum.
Quick takeaway: AWS sellers prefer Marketplace-enabled partners because they make deals easier to execute and easier to close.
What AWS sellers want from a partner
At a practical level, AWS sellers want partners who:
- help customers move faster
- reduce obstacles in procurement and finance
- keep spend inside AWS whenever possible
- can be positioned simply
- are easy to transact with
- do not create escalation risk late in the cycle
Marketplace readiness supports all of these.
1) Marketplace-enabled partners reduce procurement friction for customers
Procurement is one of the biggest deal delays.
When a customer buys direct, they may need:
- vendor onboarding
- supplier registration
- contract negotiation
- payment setup
These steps slow deals and create frustration for the customer and the seller.
Marketplace helps because it often routes the purchase through a familiar AWS procurement path.
That reduces bottlenecks, improves customer experience, and helps the seller keep the deal moving.
Sellers like anything that removes friction.
2) Marketplace keeps the transaction inside AWS billing and governance
AWS sellers are aligned to AWS spend.
Marketplace keeps billing consolidated in AWS, which supports:
- easier customer approvals
- cleaner governance and reporting
- fewer vendor complications for finance
- a transaction path the customer already understands
When the purchase stays inside AWS, the seller has more confidence the deal will close, and the customer has less operational resistance.
That is why Marketplace is attractive to the AWS field.
3) Private offers make enterprise deals workable without chaos
Enterprise deals rarely fit into a public price.
They need:
- custom pricing
- custom term lengths
- scope alignment
- commercial flexibility
Without private offers, these needs can trigger long negotiation loops and contract resets.
Private offers allow customization while staying within the Marketplace transaction path.
To an AWS seller, this is critical because it means enterprise buying can happen without derailing the timeline.
Private offers increase seller confidence that a deal can get done in-quarter.
4) Marketplace-enabled partners are easier to co-sell
Co-sell success depends on repeatability.
If a partner has a clear, Marketplace-ready offer, the seller can:
- position it faster
- explain the buying path clearly
- reduce procurement objections early
- get the customer to a purchasable step sooner
Marketplace also makes partner coordination easier because there is a defined transaction route.
The partner is not asking AWS sellers to “help convince procurement.” They are offering a route procurement already trusts.
That makes co-sell smoother.
5) Marketplace reduces late-stage deal risk and escalations
AWS sellers care a lot about late-stage surprises.
Surprises include:
- legal delays
- finance pushback
- vendor onboarding timelines
- contract exceptions
These surprises create escalations, slow the deal, and damage customer trust.
Marketplace reduces these risks because the buying path is familiar and governed.
When fewer surprises happen late, sellers feel safer involving the partner early.
Mini example: why a seller chooses one partner over another
Two partners solve the same problem.
Partner A sells direct and requires a new vendor contract.
Partner B is Marketplace-enabled and can issue a private offer aligned to enterprise approvals.
The AWS seller knows Partner B will be easier for procurement and finance, and more likely to close in the quarter.
So Partner B gets introduced more often.
This is not about favoritism. It is about execution risk and customer friction.
How partners unintentionally make AWS sellers avoid them
Even strong partners lose AWS seller support when they:
- cannot explain how the customer will buy
- delay private offers or treat them as exceptional
- create complex contracting requirements
- lack clear packaging and positioning
- require too much seller effort to operationalize the transaction
Marketplace readiness is the simplest way to remove these issues.
Practical checklist: how to become a partner AWS sellers want to work with
If you want more AWS seller engagement, do these consistently:
- Lead with a simple offer that is easy to explain
- Make Marketplace the default enterprise buying route
- Operationalize private offers with a fast internal workflow
- Give AWS sellers a short forwardable note: what you do, who it is for, and how it is purchased
- Align your messaging to customer outcomes and AWS consumption impact
When you make it easy for AWS sellers to bring you in, you will be brought in more often.
Closing thought
AWS sellers prefer Marketplace-enabled partners because they reduce friction, reduce risk, and increase deal velocity.
Marketplace keeps transactions inside AWS procurement and billing, private offers enable enterprise flexibility, and the overall motion becomes easier to co-sell.
If you want more AWS seller introductions, Marketplace readiness is not optional. It is one of the strongest signals that you are a partner who can execute.
Marketeering helps AWS partners earn stronger AWS seller support by packaging Marketplace-ready offers, operationalizing private offers, and enabling co-sell motions that sellers can confidently bring into active customer deals.
