Channel Partner Program

Design, manage, and scale a channel partner program with tiers, deal registration, compensation, enablement, co-marketing, and performance audits.

Security Scan

This is an instruction-only skill that provides a coherent channel partner program framework and does not request credentials, install code, or perform unexpected actions.

Purpose & Capability

The name/description (channel partner program design and management) matches the SKILL.md content (tiers, deal registration, compensation, enablement, audits). No unrelated capabilities or requirements are present.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md is a self-contained guide and templates for partner programs. It does not instruct the agent to read system files, access credentials, or transmit data to third-party endpoints beyond occasional marketing links in the README.

Install Mechanism

No install spec and no code files — instruction-only — so nothing is written to disk or downloaded during installation.

Credentials

The skill requires no environment variables, no credentials, and no config paths. There are no requests for secrets or unrelated service keys.

Persistence & Privilege

always is false and model invocation is allowed (the platform default). The skill does not request persistent or elevated system presence or modify other skills.

Assessment

This skill is an instruction-only framework for building channel partner programs and appears internally consistent. Before installing: verify you trust the publisher (source/homepage are minimal), avoid pasting sensitive credentials or PII into agent prompts, and review any partner-specific data you plan to submit to the agent for privacy/compliance. Because it’s only documentation (no code), the main concern is governance of data you feed into the agent — not the skill itself.

Channel Partner Program Framework

Build, manage, and scale a channel partner program that generates indirect revenue without adding headcount.

What This Does

Gives your AI agent everything it needs to design a partner program from scratch or audit an existing one. Covers partner tiers, deal registration, enablement, compensation, and performance management.

When to Use

• Launching a channel/reseller/referral program
• Evaluating partner performance and ROI
• Designing partner compensation and tier structures
• Building partner enablement and co-marketing plans
• Auditing an existing program for leaks

Partner Program Architecture

Tier Structure

Tier	Annual Revenue	Margin	MDF	Support	Certification
Registered	$0-$50K	15%	None	Portal only	None required
Silver	$50K-$200K	20%	2% of revenue	Dedicated CSM	1 certified rep
Gold	$200K-$500K	25%	4% of revenue	Priority queue	2 certified reps
Platinum	$500K+	30%	6% of revenue	Named exec sponsor	3+ certified reps

Partner Scoring Model (0-100)

Score each partner quarterly across 5 dimensions:

1. Revenue Performance (30 pts) — Quota attainment. 100% = 30 pts, pro-rated below
2. Pipeline Generation (20 pts) — New qualified opps created. 5+ = full marks
3. Certification Compliance (15 pts) — % of required certs current
4. Customer Satisfaction (20 pts) — CSAT/NPS from partner-sourced deals
5. Engagement (15 pts) — Portal logins, training completions, event attendance

Thresholds: <40 = probation, 40-59 = maintain, 60-79 = grow, 80+ = invest heavily

Deal Registration Rules

• Registration window: 90 days from submission (extendable 30 days with justification)
• Approval SLA: 48 hours or auto-approved
• Conflict resolution: First to register wins. If direct rep has existing relationship, split 60/40 (direct/partner)
• Protected margin: Registered deals get full tier margin. Unregistered = 10% flat
• No double-dipping: Partner can't register deals from inbound leads already in your CRM

Compensation Models

Model 1: Reseller (Partner Owns the Customer)

• Partner buys at discount, sets own price
• Margin: 20-35% depending on tier
• Partner handles billing, L1 support
• Best for: Geographic expansion, SMB segment

Model 2: Referral (You Own the Customer)

• Partner refers, you close and manage
• Commission: 10-20% of first-year revenue
• Optional: 5% recurring for renewal influence
• Best for: Strategic intros, advisory firms, tech partners

Model 3: Co-Sell (Shared Ownership)

• Joint selling motion, shared pipeline
• Split: Negotiate per deal (typically 70/30 or 60/40)
• Requires joint account planning
• Best for: Enterprise deals, complementary products

Model 4: OEM/White-Label

• Partner embeds your product in theirs
• Pricing: 40-60% discount off list
• Volume commitments required
• Best for: Platform plays, ISV partnerships

Enablement Program

Week 1-2: Foundation

• Product deep dive (2 hours)
• ICP and positioning workshop (1 hour)
• Demo certification (pass/fail)
• Portal access and deal registration training

Week 3-4: Sales Readiness

• Objection handling playbook
• Competitive positioning
• Pricing and packaging walkthrough
• First joint call (shadow)

Month 2-3: Independence

• Solo demo certification
• First registered deal
• Co-marketing campaign launch
• QBR cadence established

Co-Marketing Playbook

Activity	Cost Share	Expected Leads	Partner Effort
Joint webinar	50/50	50-200	Moderate
Co-branded content	You create, they distribute	20-50/piece	Low
Event sponsorship	MDF-funded	30-100	High
Case study	You produce	Evergreen	Low
Partner directory listing	Free	5-15/month	None

Partner QBR Template

Run quarterly with every Silver+ partner:

1. Scorecard Review — Current score vs. last quarter
2. Pipeline Walk — Every open opp, next steps, blockers
3. Win/Loss Analysis — What closed, what didn't, why
4. Enablement Gaps — Where reps are struggling
5. Co-Marketing Plan — Next quarter's joint activities
6. Growth Plan — Path to next tier, timeline, requirements
7. Escalations — Anything blocking progress

Program Economics

Unit Economics Per Partner:

• Recruitment cost: $2,000-$5,000
• Enablement cost: $3,000-$8,000 (first year)
• Ongoing management: $500-$1,500/quarter
• Break-even: Typically 2-3 deals (6-9 months)

Portfolio Targets:

• 10 Registered partners per 1 Gold partner (natural pyramid)
• Top 20% of partners generate 80% of partner revenue
• Target: 30% of total revenue from channel by Year 3

Red Flags:

• Partner hasn't registered a deal in 90 days → outreach
• Certification lapsed → restrict deal registration
• CSAT below 3.5/5 on partner deals → enablement intervention
• Partner competing directly on >20% of deals → relationship review

Channel Conflict Resolution

Scenario	Resolution	Timeline
Partner vs. direct rep on same account	First touch + deal reg wins	48 hrs
Two partners on same account	First to register, notify second	24 hrs
Partner poaching another's customer	Warning → probation → termination	Immediate
Direct team targeting partner accounts	Block in CRM, escalate to channel chief	Same day

Program Launch Checklist

• Define ICP for ideal partner profile
• Build tier structure and margin table
• Create partner agreement (legal review)
• Set up partner portal (deal reg, content, training)
• Develop enablement curriculum (4-week ramp)
• Configure CRM for partner attribution
• Hire/assign channel manager (1 per 20-30 active partners)
• Create co-marketing budget and MDF policy
• Build partner scorecard and QBR template
• Set recruitment targets (10-20 partners in first 6 months)
• Announce program publicly

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Go Deeper

This framework gets you from zero to structured partner program. For industry-specific channel strategies:

• SaaS partnerships: Technology integrations, marketplace listings, API partnerships
• Professional Services: Referral networks, subcontracting, white-label delivery
• Manufacturing: Distributor networks, VAR programs, regional exclusivity

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Free tools:

• AI Revenue Leak Calculator — Find where you're losing money
• Agent Setup Wizard — Configure your AI agent in minutes

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