Here’s what you can learn from leaders, based on data:

Our new research of cloud GTM leaders with Clazar reveals a striking performance gap.

While 89% of companies are listed on marketplaces, only 22% generate more than 20% of their revenue there - a growth milestone that transforms marketplaces into a core revenue driver.

If 20% doesn’t sound too big, it's a meaningful threshold many struggle to reach.

For context, marketplace prime example CrowdStrike reported $1Bn+ in sales via AWS Marketplace last year, representing ~30% of their $3.4B revenue in 2024.

Meanwhile, 41% of companies in our research still see less than 5% of revenue from marketplaces.

What are top performers doing differently?

The data shows they outperform across every core sales KPI:

• Higher win rates: 75% vs 47% (+28 pts)

• Higher deal values: 75% vs 42% (+33 pts)

• Faster customer acquisition: 63% vs 44% (+19 pts)

What drives these results isn't just executive alignment or formal programs. The difference lies in operational excellence and field engagement:

94% of top performers engage hyperscaler field teams consistently, building deeper relationships that deliver higher-quality pipeline

They treat co-sell as a systematic motion, not sporadic transactions

They've systematized partner collaboration - among companies with 20%+ partner-influenced deals, 64% saw higher win rates

Importantly, 62% of companies are generating truly net-new revenue through marketplaces, reaching customers they wouldn't otherwise - not just shifting existing pipeline.

A large majority of companies (81%) also claim some level of co-sell. However, less than a third (32%) have established structured, proactive cadences for this engagement, which I’d call “true co-sell”. This is a significant missed opportunity that you can optimize this year.

Other key operational blockers to learn from:

• 59% cite lack of internal training

• 51% struggle with complex co-sell requirements (co-sell isn't easy, but it's learnable)

• 37% report difficulty integrating marketplace data with existing workflows

Looking ahead, marketplace leaders are prioritizing:

• Specialized training - going beyond basics to cover co-sell, marketing strategies, and field engagement best practices

• New pricing models - implementing PLG motions, free trials, consumption-based options and self-service tiers that align with cloud spending patterns

• Deeper channel partner relationships - leveraging mechanisms like CPPO/MPO to create a "multiplier effect" that accelerates marketplace scale

This signals a continuous shift toward marketplace selling, where this motion is deeply embedded in GTM and automated.

What's your strategy to make marketplaces a core revenue driver?

We've created a 52-page report to help you create and refine it: