--- name: channel-partner-management description: Manage channel and partner ecosystem including partner recruitment, onboarding, enablement, co-selling, partner incentive programs, performance tracking, and partner relationship management. Use when recruiting new partners, onboarding channel partners, running partner programs, managing co-sell programs, tracking partner performance, or administering partner incentives. Triggers on phrases like "channel partner", "partner recruitment", "partner onboarding", "co-sell", "partner incentive", "PRM", "partner ecosystem", "reseller", "value-added reseller", "VAR", "partner enablement". --- # Channel & Partner Management Build and manage a high-performing partner ecosystem that drives revenue growth through indirect channels. ## Workflow ### 1. Partner Strategy & Recruitment 1. **Partner ecosystem strategy**: - Channel strategy alignment with go-to-market - Partner type definition (reseller, VAR, SI, MSP, technology, referral) - Partner tier structure and benefits - Geographic and vertical coverage planning - Partner vs direct sell boundary definition 2. **Partner identification and recruitment**: - Ideal partner profile definition - Target partner identification and outreach - Partner qualification and due diligence - Partnership proposal and value proposition - Negotiation and agreement execution 3. **Partner agreement and program design**: - Partner agreement terms and conditions - Revenue share and margin structure - Territory and customer exclusivity rules - Performance requirement and qualification criteria - Exit and transition clause ### 2. Partner Onboarding & Enablement 1. **Partner onboarding program**: - Onboarding checklist and milestone definition - Product and solution training delivery - Sales methodology and process training - Tools and system access provisioning - First deal support and co-sell assignment 2. **Partner enablement and training**: - Product knowledge certification program - Sales skill development and role-play - Technical training and sandbox access - Marketing enablement (collateral, campaign toolkit) - Continuous learning and skill refresh 3. **Partner portal and resources**: - Self-service partner portal setup - Deal registration and pipeline visibility - Marketing material and collateral library - Training and certification tracking - Communication and announcement channel ### 3. Co-Sell & Joint Business Planning 1. **Joint business planning**: - Annual joint business plan development - Revenue target and goal setting - Activity plan and initiative mapping - Resource commitment and investment alignment - Quarterly business review with partners 2. **Co-sell program execution**: - Internal advocate and champion assignment - Joint account planning for strategic opportunities - Co-sell readiness assessment and tracking - Shared pipeline and deal collaboration - Co-sell performance measurement 3. **Conflict management**: - Channel conflict prevention framework - Deal registration rules and enforcement - Customer ownership and handoff protocol - Price parity and margin protection - Escalation and resolution process ### 4. Partner Incentive & Performance Management 1. **Incentive program design**: - SPIFF and quick-bonus program design - Volume-based rebate and incentive structure - New logo and strategic deal incentive - Training and certification incentive - Marketing development funds (MDF) 2. **Partner performance tracking**: - Revenue and pipeline tracking by partner - Partner tier qualification and promotion - Activity and engagement metric tracking - Deal win rate and cycle time analysis - Partner health score calculation 3. **Partner development and improvement**: - Performance review and feedback session - Improvement plan development for underperforming partners - Best practice sharing across partner network - Partner recognition and awards program - Partner exit and replacement planning ### 5. Partner Marketing & Demand Generation 1. **Joint marketing programs**: - Co-branded campaign development - MDF program administration and compliance - Partner event and webinar co-hosting - Content co-creation and distribution - Local and regional marketing support 2. **Partner-led demand generation**: - Partner website and listing optimization - Partner referral program design - Partner community and user group support - Partner case study and testimonial development - Partner showcase and success story amplification 3. **Partner marketing measurement**: - Campaign ROI tracking per partner - Lead attribution and conversion analysis - MDF utilization and effectiveness - Marketing activity tracking and scoring - Partner marketing maturity assessment ## Templates & Frameworks ### Partner Tier Structure ``` PARTNER TIER STRUCTURE — 2025 ============================== REGISTERED PARTNER (ENTRY LEVEL): Requirements: Signed agreement, basic training complete Benefits: Deal registration, basic marketing collateral Revenue target: None (qualification tier) Support level: Self-service portal, community forums Duration: 90 days to advance or exit SILVER PARTNER: Requirements: 2 certified staff, $100K annual revenue, active pipeline Benefits: Standard margin, MDF eligibility ($5K), sales training Revenue target: $250K annually Support level: Dedicated partner manager, quarterly review Duration: Annual review GOLD PARTNER: Requirements: 5 certified staff, $500K annual revenue, 3 new logos/year Benefits: Enhanced margin (+5%), MDF ($20K), co-marketing, preview access Revenue target: $1M annually Support level: Named partner manager, monthly review, co-sell support Duration: Annual review PLATINUM PARTNER: Requirements: 10 certified staff, $2M annual revenue, strategic account wins Benefits: Maximum margin (+8%), MDF ($50K), dedicated TAM, executive sponsor Revenue target: $5M annually Support level: Executive relationship, joint business planning, co-sell embed Duration: Quarterly review ADVANCEMENT & DEMOTION: Advance: Meet higher tier requirements for 2 consecutive quarters Demotion: Miss tier requirements for 2 consecutive quarters Exit: Miss requirements for 4 consecutive quarters OR agreement violation Fast-track: Exceptional performance allows accelerated advancement PERFORMANCE REVIEW CADENCE: Silver: Quarterly Gold: Monthly Platinum: Weekly + Monthly executive review ``` ### Partner Incentive Program ``` PARTNER INCENTIVE PROGRAM — Q2 2025 ===================================== QUICK BONUS (SPIFF): New logo deal (closed within 60 days): $500 per deal Strategic product line deal: $750 per deal First-time partner deal: $1,000 per deal Deal size >$100K: Additional 2% of deal value Eligibility: All active partners Claim window: 30 days from close VOLUME REBATE (QUARTERLY): $100K-$249K quarterly revenue: 2% rebate $250K-$499K quarterly revenue: 3.5% rebate $500K-$999K quarterly revenue: 5% rebate $1M-$2.49M quarterly revenue: 6.5% rebate $2.5M+ quarterly revenue: 8% rebate + Platinum fast-track Payout: 30 days after quarter end STRATEGIC INITIATIVE BONUS: Cross-sell to existing customer base: 3% of incremental revenue Upsell/upgrade deal: 2% of incremental revenue Multi-year contract close: Additional 1% per year beyond 1 Reference/customer testimonial provided: $250 per approved reference Community contribution (forum answer, blog post): $100 per approved contribution MARKETING DEVELOPMENT FUND (MDF): Silver: $5,000/year (1:1 match, max $5K) Gold: $20,000/year (1:1 match, max $20K) Platinum: $50,000/year (2:1 match, max $50K) Eligible activities: Events, digital ads, content, tradeshows, webinars Claim process: Pre-approval required, post-activity report within 30 days RECOGNITION & AWARDS: Partner of the Quarter: $5,000 + executive dinner Top New Logo Generator: $3,000 + recognition event Highest Growth Partner: $4,000 + conference VIP pass Training Champion (most certifications): $1,000 per cert beyond threshold Community MVP: $500 + featured spotlight INCENTIVE CLAIM PROCESS: Submit claim via partner portal within 30 days Verification and approval within 5 business days Payment within 15 business days of approval Dispute resolution process and escalation path ``` ## Integration Points - Partner Relationship Management (PRM) platforms (Allbound, Zift, Partnerize): Partner management - CRM platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot): Partner pipeline and deal tracking - Revenue operations: Partner revenue and incentive calculation - Learning management systems (LMS): Partner training and certification - Marketing automation: Partner campaign management - Contract management platforms: Partner agreement management - BI platforms: Partner performance analytics - Communication platforms: Partner collaboration and engagement ## Edge Cases - **Channel conflict with direct sales**: Clear customer assignment rules; deal registration enforcement; co-sell preference for strategic accounts; margin alignment - **Global partner network**: Regional partner program adaptation; local compliance and legal; multi-currency incentive payment; language and content localization - **Partner underperformance**: Early warning score; improvement plan with clear milestones; additional training and support; tier demotion if no improvement; replacement planning - **Technology partner vs reseller alignment**: Complementary program design; joint solution development; mutual certification; co-marketing investment; integrated selling motion - **Partner acquisition and consolidation**: Partner portfolio rationalization; consolidation impact communication; transition support; performance realignment ## Output ### Partner Performance Dashboard ``` PARTNER PERFORMANCE — April 2025 ================================= ECOSYSTEM OVERVIEW: Active partners: 234 By tier: Platinum 12, Gold 34, Silver 89, Registered 99 New partners onboarded (this quarter): 18 Partners exited (this quarter): 7 Partner retention rate: 97.0% REVENUE PERFORMANCE: Partner-sourced revenue: $4.8M (38% of total revenue) Partner pipeline: $12.4M Partner-assisted revenue: $2.1M Avg deal size (partner): $147,000 Partner revenue growth: +22% QoQ ✓ PERFORMANCE BY TIER: Platinum: $2.1M revenue, $5.8M pipeline ✓ (175% of target) Gold: $1.4M revenue, $3.2M pipeline ✓ (112% of target) Silver: $0.8M revenue, $2.1M pipeline (89% of target ⚠) Registered: $0.5M revenue, $1.3M pipeline PARTNER HEALTH: Partners on target: 189 (80.8%) Partners at risk: 28 (12.0%) Partners off target: 17 (7.3%) Avg partner pipeline coverage: 3.2x ✓ Partner win rate: 34% (vs 31% direct) ✓ ENABLEMENT & CERTIFICATION: Certified partners: 178 (76.1%) New certifications this quarter: 67 Training completion rate: 82% Avg certification per partner: 3.4 Portal engagement rate: 71% INCENTIVE & MDF: Quick bonuses paid: $42,300 Volume rebate committed: $187,000 MDF utilized: $156,000 (78% of allocated) MDF-driven pipeline: $2.8M (18x MDF ROI) Incentive program ROI: 24x TOP PERFORMING PARTNERS: 1. [Partner A]: $420K revenue, Platinum, 156% of target 2. [Partner B]: $380K revenue, Gold, 148% of target 3. [Partner C]: $310K revenue, Platinum, 132% of target ``` ## Trigger Phrases "channel partner", "partner recruitment", "partner onboarding", "co-sell", "partner incentive", "PRM", "partner ecosystem", "reseller", "value-added reseller", "VAR", "partner enablement", "deal registration", "MDF", "partner tier", "joint business plan"