The first 90 days of a partner relationship set the tone for everything that follows. A clear partner onboarding process keeps legal, technical, and enablement work from falling through the cracks, and it gives partners the confidence to start selling sooner. Use this partner onboarding checklist as a working template for your next program launch or partner intake.
Phase 1: Days 1–30 — Foundation & Setup
The goal of the first month is simple: remove friction. Get the paperwork signed, the systems connected, and the partner oriented before you ask for the first deal.
Legal Agreements & Compliance
- Execute the partner agreement with territory, tier, and payout terms.
- Sign NDAs and any data-processing or security addenda.
- Confirm compliance requirements: certifications, background checks, insurance.
- Document approval authority and legal point-of-contact on both sides.
- Set renewal, audit, and termination notice dates in the calendar.
Technical Systems Setup
- Provision partner portal accounts with role-based permissions.
- Configure SSO via your identity provider and test login flows.
- Map CRM fields for deal registration, lead-to-account matching, and opportunity sync.
- Set up product data feeds, pricing tools, and co-branded asset libraries.
- Provide a sandbox or test environment for hands-on learning.
Onboarding Kickoff
- Introduce the partner to their dedicated program manager or channel rep.
- Share the program playbook: tiers, margins, rules of engagement, and support channels.
- Schedule the 30-, 60-, and 90-day check-in calls before the kickoff ends.
- Collect the partner's ideal customer profile, vertical focus, and reference accounts.
- Confirm the partner's internal champion and sales team roles.
Security & Brand Guardrails
- Distribute brand, logo, and messaging guidelines for co-marketing.
- Train partners on approved use of case studies, testimonials, and data.
- Confirm partner-controlled marketing domains and social accounts.
- Set up approval workflows for customer-facing materials.
Phase 2: Days 31–60 — Activation & First Deals
In the second month, the partner onboarding process shifts from setup to action. The objective is to help partners register their first opportunity and complete the milestones that make them credible in front of customers.
Sales Training Milestones
- Complete product overview and competitive positioning certification.
- Run a joint discovery call with the partner's account executive.
- Deliver demo or proof-of-concept certification with the partner's SE.
- Review objection handling, pricing, and negotiation boundaries.
- Confirm the partner can deliver a standard pitch without vendor support.
Deal Registration & Pipeline
- Walk through the deal registration workflow end-to-end.
- Set clear rules for approved vs. unapproved deals and dispute handling.
- Register the first opportunity and review the approval timeline together.
- Show partners how to track deal status, aging, and payouts in the portal.
Marketing & Demand Gen
- Co-create a 90-day joint marketing plan with MDF or co-op funds if applicable.
- Provide templates for email campaigns, event invites, and social posts.
- Schedule the first co-branded webinar or prospect event.
- Set lead routing rules and SLA expectations for follow-up.
Support & Escalation
- Document the support escalation path for technical and sales questions.
- Add the partner to partner-only communication channels.
- Resolve any technical blockers from the first deal registration.
- Capture partner feedback in a shared tracker.
Phase 3: Days 61–90 — Acceleration & Review
By the third month, the partner should be operating with a degree of independence. The focus now is consistency, performance review, and building the habits that scale.
Program Health Metrics
- Review partner-sourced pipeline, deal velocity, and win rate vs. direct deals.
- Measure portal engagement: logins, training completion, asset downloads.
- Track certification status and identify any gaps before tier reviews.
- Compare actual performance to the business plan signed during onboarding.
90-Day Business Review
- Hold a formal business review with the partner's executive sponsor.
- Present wins, pipeline, and any blockers that need joint attention.
- Update the joint success plan and set goals for the next quarter.
- Confirm tier progression criteria and timing for tier upgrades.
- Agree on the next 90-day enablement and marketing priorities.
Make the checklist work for your program
No two partner onboarding processes are identical. A SaaS vendor onboarding referral partners will weigh legal and technical setup differently than a hardware company onboarding value-added resellers. Treat this partner onboarding checklist as a starting framework: add steps for your compliance environment, remove steps that don't fit your tier, and assign owners and due dates so nothing gets lost between teams.
Want help building or tightening your partner onboarding process?
Kelly J Consulting Group designs partner onboarding playbooks, portal workflows, and enablement programs that get partners to first revenue faster. If your current onboarding feels ad hoc or your partners are stalling before the first deal, let's talk.