A seven-figure Databricks practice in a new geography
The situation
A US-headquartered data and AI consultancy wanted to establish itself in the UK. The firm had genuine Databricks credentials in its home market, but none of that travelled. In the UK there were no Databricks relationships, no local reference customers, and no recognition whatsoever with the Databricks field team who decide which partners get put in front of which accounts.
Databricks runs largely on regional teams. A partner's standing in one geography counts for very little in another — the AEs, solution architects and partner managers in London had no reason to know the name, and no reason to recommend it.
The approach
- Mapped the UK Databricks field organisation and worked out who actually influenced referral decisions, by account and by vertical
- Built relationships deliberately rather than opportunistically — consistent contact, useful to them before asking anything in return
- Aligned the firm's positioning to what Databricks UK was actively selling that year, rather than what the firm wanted to talk about
- Delivered early engagements visibly well, so the field team had something concrete to point to
- Turned those first wins into reference stories the Databricks team could use in their own accounts
Why it worked
Nothing here was a shortcut. The method was simply being useful, visible and credible to the same group of people over a sustained period, in a way that made recommending the firm the obvious low-risk choice for a Databricks seller with a customer to serve.
The outcome
The UK practice grew from a standing start into a seven-figure Databricks-attached business. It now receives millions in Databricks-referred opportunity each year, with referrals arriving as a matter of course rather than as a favour.