What's it like to be an Advantage partner?
Steven Orova reflects on his first 12 months
Why join Advantage?
Bennett Phillips
Partner
Nashville, Tennessee
“I always had a wild hair to be in business for myself one day. Advantage provided a way for me to do that but still have a strong support system and a network of colleagues who knew exactly what I was going through. It was great to know that I didn’t have to start from scratch.”
Mary Steiner
Partner
Minneapolis, Minnesota
“The first time I talked to Advantage Partners, I was intrigued by the way they talked about the business, the work they did for their customers, and their relationships with their customers and peers. It wasn’t about what they could sell to customers. There was a curiosity and eagerness there, and a sense of commitment to doing something that had an impact for their customers. I quickly realized that I needed to be with these people.”
Kelvin Yao
Partner
Washington, DC
“I had gotten to the point in my career where I was running my territory like a business, but I wasn’t being compensated like a business owner. I realized that I wanted to be in business for myself so that I could offer clients a broader set of capabilities as well as maximizing my financial return.”
Peg Ruppert
Partner
Cincinnati, Ohio
“When I considered the alternatives of starting my own business or working for a traditional consulting firm, I chose Advantage. Advantage provided an existing foundation of marketing and back office support and a network of colleagues to connect with, while at the same time giving me the freedom to creatively support my customers and bring them best-in-class thought leadership to address their needs.”
Jon Hodge
President and CEO
Salt Lake City, Utah
We are looking for entrepreneurs, not employees. The ideal potential partner is someone who is ready to build a business — someone whose best years are ahead of them. We’re looking for entrepreneurs with the right mix of experience, drive, creativity, and cultural fit. In return, we provide training and development, mentoring, tools, and resources to help our partners reach new heights of success.”
The Advantage Partner Value Proposition
Bennett Phillips, Partner
On why he joined Advantage:
I always had a wild hair to be in business for myself one day. Advantage provided a way for me to do that but still have a strong support system and a network of colleagues who knew exactly what I was going through. It was great to know that I didn’t have to start from scratch.
On customer relationships:
Because Advantage is “content agnostic,” I can be a truly consultative long-term partner, not a temporary vendor. In my previous position at an e-learning company, I was limited to selling a small set of products. Now I can bring my customers exactly what they need, and if it doesn’t exist, we have the resources to build it.
The biggest surprise about partnering with Advantage:
I knew Advantage would provide a great way of being in business on my own without having to do it all myself, but I didn’t consider the power of collaboration with my colleagues. There is a wealth of experience that I can draw from, and everyone is eager to help. The thought leaders also go out of their way to do anything we ask them to do. I’m in the world of selling intangibles, so my product is the people who create it, develop it, deliver it, print it, and ship it. I can’t think of a single partner who has ever disappointed me.
Nashville, Tennessee
With Advantage since 2010
Minneapolis, Minnesota
With Advantage since 2000
Mary Steiner, Partner
On why she joined Advantage:
The first time I talked to Advantage Partners, I was intrigued by the way they talked about the business, the work they did for their customers, and their relationships with their customers and peers. It wasn’t about what they could sell to customers. There was a curiosity and eagerness there, and a sense of commitment to doing something that had an impact for their customers. I quickly realized that I needed to be with these people.
On the Advantage value proposition:
No other company offers a business model like Advantage: A combination of autonomy and ownership with affiliation and collaboration. I have the responsibility and flexibility of managing my business and my clients, but I also have the opportunity to tap into my peers’ knowledge, points of view, and experience. Partnership comes with a network of colleagues and resources, a catalog of best-in-class projects and solutions, and expertise from thought leaders.
On Advantage’s culture of abundance:
It’s so cliché when you talk about values and culture, and yet it’s really important. Advantage’s culture is why I’m here. I didn’t really understand the solutions when I joined, but Advantage’s leaders, my peers, and the partner companies were happy to give me support and collaborate with me right away. There is something special about how we work, how we talk about each other, and how our clients talk about us – that is the essence of abundance.
Kelvin Yao, Partner
On why he joined Advantage:
I had gotten to the point in my career where I was running my territory like a business, but I wasn’t being compensated like a business owner. I realized that I wanted to be in business for myself so that I could offer clients a broader set of capabilities as well as maximizing my financial return.
On the Advantage team:
Every Advantage Partner brings in a unique perspective and runs their business the way they think is best. Our partners are able to leverage their skills as well as learning new skills from others.
The biggest surprise about partnering with Advantage:
It was great to discover that I am surrounded by like-minded people who are very much motivated in the same way that I am. Everyone has a similar dual purpose: to run our businesses the way we think they should be run, and to meet a broad set of client needs.
Washington, DC
With Advantage since 2000
Peg Ruppert, Partner
On why she joined Advantage:
When I considered the alternatives of starting my own business or working for a traditional consulting firm, I chose Advantage. Advantage provided an existing foundation of marketing and back office support and a network of colleagues to connect with, while at the same time giving me the freedom to creatively support my customers and bring them best-in-class thought leadership to address their needs.
On customer relationships:
I’ve worked with many of my clients for my entire tenure at Advantage. I’m not a vendor to them. Instead, I’m seen as an extension of their performance and training departments, which allows me to create value as I expand the business and grow with them. While I continue to develop relationships with current clients, Advantage marketing provides me with opportunities to meet and acquire new customers.
On the advantage of Advantage:
“I love my job” is a sentiment I heard from an Advantage colleague at my first national meeting. But I say, “What job?” I love my life! Advantage has been a great fit for me. I have been able to manage my own business, significantly grow a mid-market territory, and net a six-figure income, all while actively raising my two kids.
Cincinnati, Ohio
With Advantage since 2000
What clients say about working with Advantage
We sought a partner who would be hands-on, seek to know the causes of our pain, bring discernment and understanding into resolving our problem, and suggest complementary resources to meet our challenges with measurable ideas. Advantage delivered on all of this and more.”
John Carlson
Director of Learning and Development
Red Gold
We consider Advantage to be a partner, not a vendor. It never feels like they are trying to sell us something. We talk about what we need and their design team works with us to develop it. Even when working with competing vendors, it’s always collaborative. There’s a huge level of trust in our relationship.”
Donald Hill, Senior Director
Learning and Organizational Effectiveness
Varian Medical Systems
Advantage guided my team toward the right solutions and made sure all the content was relevant and completely customized to our audience. I am very glad I made the decision to work with them for this project. It made all the difference!”
Associate Director
Global Leadership Development
Bristol-Myers Squibb
What we’re looking for in new partners
Based on our history, we have identified a set of vital criteria for success as an Advantage partner.
Successful Advantage Partner candidates have:
- Experience in B2B sales, performance improvement, or consulting, whether as an employee or an independent consultant
- A passion to run an independent business and create something bigger than they could achieve working for someone else
- The desire to work independently but at the same time be part of a larger professional network
- The intention to make a long-term commitment to building and running a successful business
- Strong business acumen
- An extensive network of contacts in potential client organizations (in sales or learning and development)
- Proven ability to build relationships at the executive level
- The ability to identify and create client value
- Strong collaboration and team working skills
Are you the right match for Advantage?
Advantage is serious about partnering with only the top candidates, individuals who possess the right entrepreneurial spirit and the right cultural fit.
You may not be a good fit for Advantage if you:
Key thought leader partners
Located around the globe, Advantage thought leaders deliver world-class performance solutions. Because of this network, the best ideas, best practices, and best results in the world are always at your fingertips.
A 2012 study of 11,000 graduates of the Wharton School of Business determined that entrepreneurs are significantly more satisfied with their careers and with their jobs than non-entrepreneurs.
