When Should You Share an Opportunity with AWS? A Qualification Guide for Co-Sell

Knowing when an opportunity is ready to share with AWS is an important part of building an effective co-sell motion.

You don't need to wait until a deal is late-stage or close to signing. At the same time, AWS co-sell opportunities should represent real, customer-qualified sales opportunities, rather than leads or accounts your team has not yet engaged.

This guide provides a simple framework your sales and alliances teams can use to determine when an opportunity is ready to be shared with AWS.

🎯 What Does "Qualified" Mean for AWS Co-Sell?

Before sharing an opportunity with AWS, your team should have engaged with the customer and confirmed that there is a legitimate sales opportunity.

AWS describes a Qualified opportunity as one where the partner has engaged with the customer, discussed the viability and requirements of the opportunity, and determined that the opportunity has the potential to address a business or technical need.

In practical terms, your AE should know enough about the opportunity to explain:

• Who the customer is
• What the customer is trying to accomplish
• How your solution addresses their need
• Where the opportunity currently stands
• What happens next
• How AWS could help move the opportunity forward

🧭 A Simple Opportunity Qualification Checklist

Use the following steps to determine whether an opportunity is ready to be shared with AWS.

➡️ Step 1 - Confirm Customer Engagement

The opportunity should represent an engaged customer, not simply a prospect, target account, or unqualified lead.

Your AE should have already connected with the customer and confirmed that there is a potential opportunity for your solution.

Ask:

Have we spoken with the customer and confirmed that there is a real opportunity to pursue?

If the answer is yes, move to the next step.

➡️ Step 2 - Identify the Customer's Business or Technical Need

Your team should be able to clearly explain what the customer is trying to solve or accomplish and how your solution fits into that initiative.

The opportunity does not need to have every technical or commercial detail finalized, but there should be enough information to describe a specific use case rather than a general interest in your product.

Ask:

Can we clearly explain the customer's need and how our solution may address it?

➡️ Step 3 - Establish a Realistic Sales Opportunity

The opportunity should have enough information for your team to provide realistic sales details, including:

• Current sales stage
• Estimated opportunity value
• Target close date
• Expected next steps

These details may evolve as the sales cycle progresses. The goal is not to have perfect information, but to provide AWS with an accurate picture of the opportunity based on what your team currently knows.

➡️ Step 4 - Identify the AWS Connection

Consider how AWS relates to the opportunity and where AWS involvement could provide value.

For example, AWS may be able to support the opportunity through:

• AWS seller alignment or customer engagement
• Technical alignment
• AWS Marketplace procurement
• Cloud migration or modernization initiatives
• Identifying applicable AWS programs or resources
• Supporting a broader AWS customer initiative

Ask:

Can we explain why this opportunity is relevant to AWS or how AWS could help move it forward?

You do not need every AWS stakeholder identified before sharing the opportunity. What matters is having a clear reason for bringing AWS into the sales motion.

➡️ Step 5 - Confirm There Is a Next Step

Finally, make sure the opportunity has a meaningful path forward.

Examples might include an upcoming discovery session, technical evaluation, demo, proposal, procurement discussion, or follow-up with the customer.

Ask:

Do we know what needs to happen next to progress this opportunity?

Being able to articulate the next step helps both your team and AWS understand where the deal currently stands and what support may be useful.

📋 Ready to Share? Use This Quick Check

Before sending an opportunity to your AWS alliances or co-sell team, your AEs should be able to answer yes to these questions:

✅ Have we engaged with the customer?

✅ Have we identified a real business or technical need?

✅ Can we provide a realistic opportunity value, stage, and target close date?

✅ Is there a relevant AWS connection or a clear way AWS could support the opportunity?

✅ Do we know the next step required to move the deal forward?

If the answer is yes, the opportunity is generally ready to move into your AWS co-sell process.

🚀 What's Next?

Once you've determined that an opportunity is ready for AWS co-sell, the next step is making sure the information you submit gives AWS a clear and actionable picture of the deal.