Amanda O’Donnell
Account Executive, Channel Partners
Restaurant365
Amanda O’Donnell is one of the driving forces behind Restaurant365’s partner success. In this interview, she shares her journey of transforming partner and client relationships. By developing authentic connections has strengthened alliances and propelled significant client successes. Learn how she navigates the evolving tech landscape and champions innovation, illustrating her profound commitment to collaboration and her distinct personal flair.
Pinar Alptunaer
Partner Marketing Manager
Restaurant365
Pinar Alptunaer is Partner Marketing Manager at Restaurant365, managing relationships with accounting channel and strategic partners. Pinar also manages sponsorships for R365 events like the Restaurant Transformation Tour. With over 20 years of experience working in the hospitality industry, she continues to keep her finger on the pulse by working The Masters Golf Tournament for the past 11 years. A New Orleans native, Pinar grew up between the United States and Istanbul, engraining her love of all things food and hospitality.
Could you share with us your approach to building and nurturing relationships with your partners and their clients, especially considering the importance of collaboration and mutual success in your role?
Not every partner is the same; especially the way they serve their clients and leverage R365. So, taking a very individualized approach to each relationship and truly understanding their end goals makes for a stronger collaboration. And just being human; people buy from people. Be yourself!
In your role, teamwork with partners is crucial for success, especially when it comes to winning new clients. Can you walk us through a specific instance where you collaborated closely with a partner to secure a new client?
This situation is very common when you and the partner are trying to sign a new client in tandem. Acting as an extension of their business development team and securing all the demos, proposals and taking a lot of that work off the partner’s plate typically yields positive results. And just being an advocate for each other – we all have the same end goal.
I’m curious about what a typical day looks like for you at Restaurant365. How do you juggle the different aspects of your role?
I live and die by my calendar and to-do list. Also, I ask my partners what timelines they are working against to ensure our priorities are aligned. This also goes for internal tasks.
There has been a lot of changes in technology over the past few years, how has this innovation impacted your channel partners?
Many of the changes have positively improved their daily workflows. This has allowed Channel Partners to act more like a consultant to their clients and not just an accounting service.
Could you share a story where you really felt your work made a big difference for a partner or helped overcome a major challenge?
I don’t have one specific story, but working with Partners on joint proposals is a lot of fun. Supporting each other through the demo’s and leveraging our individual strengths, as well as the power of partnering together is a game changer. Whenever I have closely collaborated with a Partner to win the business, success has been that much sweeter.
Moving through various industries before settling into the restaurant tech field sounds like an adventure. What’s a key lesson from your previous roles that you find really valuable now?
Don’t forget the significance of understanding what is important to the client, both personally and professionally. Always dive right into industry trends and stay on top of the markets. Learn, absorb, and do not be afraid to ask questions!
Regarding feedback from partners, what’s something surprising or really insightful you’ve heard, and how did it change the way you work?
I take all feedback from partners seriously, but the biggest thing is the urgency behind getting them what they need to support their clients. People are heavily invested in growing their business and avoiding any delay for them is critical – especially in the fast-paced environment of restaurants.
