Sharing a deal with AWS is easy. Getting an AWS seller to actually work it with you is not. AWS account managers see a lot of partner opportunities, and they prioritise the ones that are clearly real, clearly good for the customer and clearly good for AWS.
Here's what needs to be true before you start — and what each opportunity should carry.
1. Get the partner foundations right
Co-selling runs through the AWS Partner Network and AWS Partner Central. Before your first submission, make sure you have:
- An active AWS Partner Central account, with the people who will share deals added as users.
- Opportunity sharing switched on (often called ACE, short for APN Customer Engagements).
- A validated solution — for software companies this usually means passing AWS's technical validation for your product.
- An AWS Marketplace listing, if you want AWS sellers to get credit when the customer buys. This is one of the strongest reasons for an AWS seller to engage.
AWS programs such as ISV Accelerate add extra benefits but also have their own entry criteria — for example minimum numbers of launched and qualified opportunities. Check the current terms in Partner Central before you plan around them.
2. What a good opportunity looks like
Every opportunity you share is reviewed. The ones that get accepted tend to have:
- A real, named customer with a clean company name and website, matching how AWS knows the account.
- A clear business problem in a sentence or two — not a product pitch.
- The AWS angle: which AWS services the deal will use, or that the customer will buy through AWS Marketplace.
- A realistic value and close date, updated as the deal moves.
- A specific ask of AWS — an introduction, help with funding, or alignment with the customer's AWS commitment.
3. See it from the AWS seller's side
An AWS account manager is asking three questions:
- Is this one of my accounts, and is it real?
- Does it help my customer and my numbers? More AWS consumption, or a Marketplace purchase that counts for them, makes the answer yes.
- Is this partner easy to work with? Quick replies and accurate updates build trust over time.
4. After you submit
AWS can accept the opportunity, decline it, or ask for more information. When a deal is accepted, keep the stage, value and next steps current — stale opportunities hurt your credibility with the AWS team. When a deal is declined, read the reason and fix the pattern before you submit more.
AWS also shares leads with partners. These are rarer but usually well qualified, so answer them quickly and come prepared.
Quick checklist
- Partner Central set up, opportunity sharing on, the right users added
- Solution validated and, ideally, listed on AWS Marketplace
- A short internal guide for reps on what to put in each field
- A weekly habit of updating shared deals
Our Co-Sell Setup package covers all four, including connecting your CRM so reps never have to re-type a deal.