# Partnership Strategy

> When to activate: partnership program design, partner tiers, co-sell motions, revenue sharing, partner enablement, strategic alliances, reseller programs, partnership KPIs

- Skill: `mattakushi432/partnership-strategy` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mattakushi432/partnership-strategy`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mattakushi432/partnership-strategy/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Finance & Business
- Author: Mattakushi432 (https://skillmd.com/u/mattakushi432)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mattakushi432/partnership-strategy

---


# Partnership Strategy

## Partnership Types

| Type | Description | Primary goal |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| Technology / Integration | Product integrates with partner's platform | Distribution + product value |
| Reseller / VAR | Partner resells your product to their customers | Revenue + reach |
| Referral | Partner refers leads, earns commission | Pipeline without sales headcount |
| Co-sell | Joint selling motion with partner's sales team | Enterprise deals, land-and-expand |
| OEM / White-label | Partner embeds your product under their brand | Scale, new markets |
| System Integrator (SI) | Partner implements your product for shared customers | Enterprise deployment, stickiness |
| Strategic alliance | Deep joint go-to-market, sometimes joint product | Category creation, market share |

---

## Partner Program Tiers

### Three-Tier Model

```
GOLD (Top tier — 5–10% of partners, 50%+ of partner revenue)
  Requirements:
    - Annual partner-sourced or influenced revenue ≥ $X
    - Certified sales + technical staff: ≥ N each
    - Joint business plan: approved and reviewed quarterly
    - Customer satisfaction score ≥ X from partner-managed accounts
  Benefits:
    - Margin / commission: X%
    - Co-marketing budget: $X/year
    - Dedicated partner success manager
    - Early access to product roadmap and beta
    - Joint executive QBRs
    - Featured in partner directory (top placement)
    - Deal registration protection (exclusive for X days)

SILVER (Mid tier — 20–30% of partners)
  Requirements:
    - Annual revenue ≥ $X (lower threshold)
    - Certified staff: ≥ N
    - Active pipeline with ≥ N active opportunities
  Benefits:
    - Margin / commission: X%
    - Co-marketing budget: $X/year
    - Shared partner success manager (pooled)
    - Deal registration (X days exclusivity)
    - Listed in partner directory

REGISTERED (Entry tier — majority of partners)
  Requirements:
    - Signed partner agreement
    - At least 1 certified staff member
  Benefits:
    - Margin / commission: X%
    - Access to partner portal, training, collateral
    - Deal registration (X days exclusivity)
    - Listed in partner directory
```

---

## Co-Sell Motion

### Co-Sell Playbook
1. **Identify joint opportunities**: Partner flags accounts where your product addresses a pain they're seeing
2. **Mutual qualification**: Both teams confirm ICP fit, budget, authority, timing
3. **Co-sell kickoff**: Define roles — who owns the relationship? Who closes? Who implements?
4. **Joint account planning**: Agreed-upon strategy, stakeholder map, success metrics
5. **Unified messaging**: One story, no contradictions between vendor and partner reps
6. **Deal registration**: Partner registers deal in your CRM — protects their margin
7. **Closing and handoff**: Define who documents, who invoices, who implements

### Co-Sell Rules of Engagement
- Partner owns primary relationship; your reps support, don't disintermediate
- Deal registration gives exclusivity for [N] days — honor it
- Your reps CC partner on all customer communications (or CC'd at minimum on key emails)
- Escalation path if co-sell relationship breaks down: Partner Manager → VP Partnerships
- Win/loss calls shared with partner within 5 business days of decision

---

## Revenue Sharing Models

### Commission / Referral Structure
| Model | How it works | Best for |
|-------|-------------|---------|
| Flat referral fee | $X per qualified lead that closes | Simple, low-touch partnerships |
| % of first year ACV | 10–20% of first-year contract value | Referral and reseller partners |
| % of ACV recurring | 5–10% of ARR for life of account | High-involvement partners who retain customers |
| Reseller margin | Partner buys at wholesale price, marks up | VAR / reseller programs |
| Tiered % | Higher % for larger deals | Incentivize partners to find enterprise deals |

### Deal Registration Benefits
- Registered deals: partner earns X% higher margin
- Registration window: [N] days exclusivity after registration
- Anti-churning: if customer churns and returns within [N] months, original partner retains credit

---

## Partner Enablement

### Certification Tracks
```
Sales Certification (for partner sales reps):
  - Product overview and positioning (2h e-learning)
  - Competitive landscape and battle cards (1h)
  - Discovery questions and qualification (1h)
  - Demo delivery (live with your SE, assessed)
  - Objection handling (1h)
  Assessment: pass/fail quiz + demo assessment
  Valid for: 12 months, then renewal required

Technical Certification (for partner SEs / architects):
  - Product architecture and integrations (4h)
  - Implementation methodology (4h)
  - Troubleshooting common issues (2h)
  - Hands-on lab: deploy and configure (assessed)
  Assessment: practical lab exam
  Valid for: 12 months + recertification on major releases
```

### Partner Portal Contents
- [ ] Product documentation (current)
- [ ] Sales collateral (whitepapers, case studies, battlecards)
- [ ] Demo environment access
- [ ] Training modules and certification path
- [ ] Deal registration system
- [ ] MDF (co-marketing funds) request and tracking
- [ ] Pipeline visibility (partner's deals only)
- [ ] Support escalation path for partner-managed customers
- [ ] Partner directory listing management

---

## Partnership KPIs

### Pipeline and Revenue
| Metric | Formula | Target |
|--------|---------|--------|
| Partner-sourced ARR | ARR from partner-originated deals | % of total ARR (set annually) |
| Partner-influenced ARR | ARR where partner touched the deal | % of total ARR |
| Partner pipeline coverage | Partner pipeline / partner ARR target | ≥ 3× |
| Average deal size (partner) | Partner ARR / # partner deals | Compare to direct |
| Partner win rate | Partner deals won / partner deals closed | Compare to direct |
| Time to close (partner) | Average days from registration to close | Compare to direct |

### Partner Health
| Metric | Formula | Target |
|--------|---------|--------|
| Active partners | Partners with ≥ 1 deal in last 90 days | Growing |
| Partner churn | Partners who leave program / total partners | < 10% annually |
| Certification rate | Certified staff / total partner staff | ≥ 80% |
| Partner NPS | Net Promoter Score from partner survey | ≥ 40 |
| Deal registration conversion | Registered deals that close / total registered | Benchmark by vertical |

### Partner QBR Agenda
```
1. Prior quarter performance: pipeline, revenue, closed deals (15 min)
2. Product updates relevant to partner's customers (10 min)
3. Joint pipeline review — next quarter opportunities (20 min)
4. Co-marketing activities planned (10 min)
5. Partner feedback: what support do they need? (10 min)
6. Action items with owners and dates (5 min)
```

---

## Partner Agreement Key Clauses

- **Territory**: Geographic or vertical market exclusivity (if granted)
- **Deal registration**: Process, exclusivity window, conflict resolution
- **Pricing**: Wholesale / margin rates, most-favored pricing guarantees
- **Support obligations**: What support is partner responsible for? What escalates to you?
- **Certification**: Requirement to maintain certified staff
- **Branding**: How partner may use your logo, name, marks
- **Data sharing**: What customer data each party can access
- **Termination**: Notice period, wind-down of pipeline, data return
- **Non-compete / non-solicitation**: Restrictions on competing products or hiring
- **Audit rights**: Right to audit partner's referral and deal claims