Tim Britt

Motivating partners isn’t just about throwing money at the problem. The best channel programs blend monetary and non-monetary incentives that drive behavior, build loyalty, and scale partner-led growth. Here’s the incentive structure we use to activate new partners and keep them engaged over time: Monetary Incentives 1. Fast Start SPIFFs We offer bonus payouts for the first 1–3 deals closed within the first 90 days. This accelerates time to first win and creates urgency post-onboarding. 2. Tiered Referral Bonuses Not all partner contributions are equal. We reward sourced deals at a higher rate than influenced or co-sell deals to reinforce outbound partner motion. 3. Performance-Based Rebates Quarterly accelerators tied to pipeline creation, deal volume, or revenue thresholds help drive sustained performance beyond one-time wins. 4. MDF (Marketing Development Funds) Partners who hit activation or performance thresholds earn MDF to run co-branded campaigns. This reinforces partnership and funds scalable pipeline growth. Non-Monetary Incentives 1. Exclusive Leads or Co-Sell Privileges Top-performing or certified partners get early access to qualified leads or participate in co-sell motions—clear value in exchange for engagement. 2. Recognition & Badging We highlight high-performing partners across newsletters, webinars, and our portal. “Top Partner” badges build credibility and FOMO in the ecosystem. 3. Executive Access Strategic partners earn access to roadmap briefings, planning sessions, and feedback loops with our leadership team. It deepens alignment and trust. 4. Certification Rewards We gamify enablement. Partners who complete certifications earn swag, event invites, or featured directory placement—turning learning into leverage. Why This Works: Short-term SPIFFs create urgency. Long-term incentives build momentum. Recognition builds community. And executive access deepens strategic alignment. This layered approach ensures partners stay motivated from activation through to sustained success.

Dormant partners aren’t lost they’re just misaligned, under-enabled, or lacking a reason to act. The goal isn’t to “check in.” It’s to spark action by removing friction and showing a fast path to revenue. Here’s the playbook I use to reengage inactive partners and get them producing again: 1. Diagnose the Stall Start with the data: last login, deal reg, enablement completion. Identify if the block is fit, training, or incentives. 2. Restart With a Win Theme Reignite interest with a low-lift win run a promo, offer a SPIFF, or push a vertical use case they can close fast. 3. Re-Onboarding Lite Offer a quick refresh: short training, updated sales pitch, and a “what’s new” snapshot (product, pricing, GTM). 4. Deliver Net-New Leads Nothing drives urgency like a warm lead. Co-sell into active opportunities to rebuild confidence and momentum. 5. Executive Alignment Loop in leadership to reinforce joint value, commitment, and long-term goals. It elevates the partnership. 6. Public Recognition Shine a light on partners who came back and won. Create FOMO and social proof inside the ecosystem. 7. Sunset If Needed After structured outreach, if they stay unresponsive cut ties. Focus your resources where there’s real ROI. Reengagement works when you remove friction, reignite motivation, and prove there’s still money to be made.

8 Metrics That Actually Matter for Measuring Partner Adoption As your partner ecosystem grows, measuring how well partners are adopting your program is critical, not just to track performance, but to guide where to invest and scale. The challenge? Most teams measure vanity metrics. What you need are KPIs that tie directly to revenue, readiness, and long-term partner success. Here’s the framework I use to measure real partner adoption: 1. % of Activated Partners How many of your onboarded partners have closed at least one deal in the last 90 days? This is your fastest signal of traction and engagement. 2. Pipeline Contribution What portion of your total pipeline is sourced or influenced by partners? Adoption without pipeline is just noise, this tells you who’s actively driving business. 3. Partner-Sourced Revenue Closed-won revenue sourced directly by partners, tracked monthly or quarterly. This is your north star for true partner-led growth. 4. Deal Registration Velocity How fast are partners moving from deal registration to actual opportunity creation? This helps flag friction or enablement gaps early. 5. Partner Enablement Completion Rate What % of your partners have completed training or certification tracks? Higher rates = more confident and productive partners. 6. Active Partner Rate Are partners logging into the portal, engaging with sales tools, or attending enablement sessions? Track weekly/monthly activity to catch dormant accounts before they go cold. 7. Win Rate on Partner-Sourced Deals Are your partners bringing in qualified deals? This metric reflects how well they understand your ICP and pitch your value. 8. Avg. Deal Size vs. Direct Are partner-led deals smaller, larger, or equivalent to direct deals? This tells you whether partners are helping move upmarket—or just landing transactional wins. When tracked together, these metrics give you a clear picture of not just partner adoption, but the health, ROI, and scalability of your entire channel program.

Activating newly recruited partners isn’t about onboarding them and hoping for the best, it’s about guiding them to their first win fast. A structured activation plan builds confidence, drives early revenue, and sets the tone for long-term performance. Here’s the go-to activation playbook I rely on to get partners producing within their first 90 days: 1. 30-60-90 Day Activation Plan Every new partner gets a time-bound plan with clear milestones—enablement, GTM alignment, and first deal execution. 2. Fast Start Training Role-specific onboarding tracks for AEs, SEs, and CSMs. Training is concise, practical, and certification-driven. 3. Joint Value Prop + ICP Alignment We sit down early to align on who we’re selling to, what problems we’re solving, and how to position it. 4. Partner Portal Walkthrough Live session showing exactly how to use sales plays, register deals, request support, and access content. 5. Co-Sell Kickoff We map accounts, build a target list, and launch a co-selling motion that gets pipeline flowing fast. 6. Success Criteria Defined Early Partners know what success looks like # of registered deals, pipeline targets, and revenue goals right from day one. 7. Weekly Enablement Touchpoints Regular check-ins, office hours, and deal coaching to keep momentum and build muscle. 8. First Win Recognition We make the first closed-won a big deal. Public recognition builds internal momentum and motivates next steps. When partners activate with structure and support, they become revenue producers—not just names in a portal. This playbook ensures speed, alignment, and repeatable success.

If you want partners to drive consistent, high-quality revenue, training and certification can’t be optional it has to be a core part of your channel strategy. Done right, it transforms passive sign-ups into confident sellers who act as true extensions of your sales org. Here are the 3 biggest outcomes of investing in partner certification: 1. Faster Time to First Deal Certified partners ramp faster and convert earlier. They know the product, understand the pitch, and can navigate buyer objections without hand-holding. The result? A shorter runway from onboarding to first closed-won, which increases partner confidence and program stickiness. 2. Better Deal Quality Trained partners don’t just bring in more deals they bring in better ones. They understand the ideal customer profile, lead with value, and position the product in ways that resonate. That means bigger ACVs, cleaner pipeline, and higher win rates. 3. Scalable, Predictable Partner-Led Growth Certification brings consistency. It ensures every partner, regardless of size or region, delivers the same message, runs the same plays, and aligns with your GTM motion. You eliminate guesswork and reduce channel risk, while creating a reliable engine for partner-led revenue. When your partners are trained and certified, they become productive, aligned, and self-sufficient. It’s one of the highest-ROI investments you can make and it scales.

What Activation Really Means and What Stops It from Happening In a high-performing partner ecosystem, activation isn’t about completing onboarding or logging into the portal it’s about generating revenue. Full stop. How We Define Activation: A partner is activated when they register and close their first deal within 90 days of onboarding. That first win is the tipping point it builds confidence, proves value, and sets the tone for long-term engagement. But activation doesn’t happen by accident. And more often than not, it stalls for preventable reasons. Here are the most common blockers that get in the way: 1. Lack of Clarity on ICP or Value Proposition If partners don’t know who to target or what to say, they won’t take the first step. Clarity on ideal customer profile and messaging is table stakes. 2. Weak or Incomplete Enablement If training is unstructured, too generic, or hard to access, partners will lose momentum quickly. Without confidence in the pitch or product, they won’t go to market. 3. No Clear Incentive or Path to Win Partners need to see how they’ll make money now. If there’s no short-term incentive, limited deal visibility, or unclear payout structure they’ll deprioritise you. 4. GTM Misalignment If your program isn’t aligned with how your partners sell target markets, motion, roles they won’t engage. Misalignment kills speed and trust. 5. Deal Registration Friction If registering a deal is clunky, slow, or feels like a black box, partners won’t bother. Fast, transparent processes build trust and accelerate action. The Bottom Line: Partners activate when they’re confident in the pitch, equipped to sell, and can clearly see a fast path to revenue. Remove friction, drive focus, and make the first win inevitable. That’s how activation scales.

As your partner ecosystem expands, the way you activate new partners has to evolve. What works for 10 partners won’t work for 100. A scalable activation program must be predictable, repeatable, and automated—designed to deliver results without increasing operational overhead. At the core of a scalable model is a standardized 30-60-90 day activation plan, built around clear, measurable milestones: partner onboarding, training completion, GTM alignment, deal registration, and the first closed-won deal. This framework eliminates guesswork and ensures every partner follows the same path to productivity. Next, enablement must shift from high-touch to self-serve. Role-based, on-demand training and certifications should be available directly in the partner portal, allowing partners to ramp up at their own pace. This allows your team to support more partners without sacrificing quality or speed. Automation is critical. From onboarding emails and training reminders to deal registration flows and SPIFF payouts every touchpoint that can be automated should be. This reduces manual effort and ensures a consistent experience across partner segments. To maintain visibility, build real-time dashboards that track key activation metrics: training completion, portal engagement, pipeline contribution, and time to first deal. These insights help you spot friction early and course-correct before momentum is lost. Not every partner needs the same level of support. Use partner segmentation to allocate resources efficiently offering more strategic support to high-potential partners, while automating the experience for long-tail or mid-tier partners. One of the most important accelerators is enabling partners to achieve their first win fast. Provide plug-and-play sales plays, pre-built campaigns, and simple use cases they can take to market immediately. When partners see early success, they’re more likely to stay engaged. Finally, embed repeatable incentive loops throughout the activation journey. Tie SPIFFs, MDF access, and public recognition to milestone achievements. These incentives drive the right behaviors at scale and reinforce ongoing engagement. A scalable partner activation program isn’t about doing more work it’s about building a system that delivers consistent value with minimal lift. Standardize the path, automate the journey, and make the first win inevitable. That’s how you scale.