Elinkages

The 9‑Stage Partner Lifecycle

A comprehensive framework for managing partners through every stage of the journey—from strategy to scaling.

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1

Align

—Strategy & Planning

Metrics: Partner strategy defined, executive alignment, budget secured

2

Identify

—Partner Discovery

Metrics: Ideal partner profile defined, target partners identified, ecosystem mapped

3

Recruit

—Partner Acquisition

Metrics: Partners engaged, agreements signed, initial commitment secured

4

Activate

—Initial Onboarding

Metrics: Onboarding completed, initial training delivered, first touchpoints established

5

Enable

—Training & Certification

Metrics: Partners certified, enablement complete, ready to sell

6

Co-Market

—Joint Marketing

Metrics: Co-marketing campaigns launched, joint content created, brand awareness increased

7

Co-Sell

—Sales Collaboration

Metrics: Joint pipeline created, deals registered, co-selling opportunities identified

8

Retain

—Partner Success

Metrics: Partner satisfaction high, renewals secured, relationships strengthened

9

Grow

—Expansion & Scaling

Metrics: Partners expanding, new opportunities identified, program scaling

The Complete Journey

Each stage builds on the previous, creating a continuous cycle of partner growth

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

The lifecycle is continuous—partners can be at different stages simultaneously, and successful partners cycle through Grow → Retain → Co-Sell as they expand.

Stage Details

What happens at each stage

1-3: Foundation

Align → Identify → Recruit

Establish strategy, find the right partners, and bring them into your program.

4-5: Activation

Activate → Enable

Onboard partners and ensure they have the knowledge and resources to succeed.

6-7: Revenue

Co-Market → Co-Sell

Drive joint marketing and sales activities to generate pipeline and revenue.

8-9: Growth

Retain → Grow

Maintain strong relationships and expand successful partnerships to drive long-term value.

How to Use This Framework

Apply the lifecycle to operationalize your partner program

1. Assess Current State

Map your existing partners to lifecycle stages. Identify where partners are stuck or moving slowly.

  • • Which partners are in each stage?
  • • Where are bottlenecks occurring?
  • • What stages need more attention?

2. Design Stage-Specific Playbooks

Create specific workflows, checklists, and success criteria for each lifecycle stage.

  • • What activities happen at each stage?
  • • Who is responsible for what?
  • • How do we measure success?

3. Implement & Track

Execute playbooks and track partner progression through stages using metrics and dashboards.

  • • Track partner stage progression
  • • Monitor stage-specific metrics
  • • Identify optimization opportunities

4. Optimize Continuously

Use data to identify which stages need improvement and optimize playbooks and processes.

  • • Analyze stage conversion rates
  • • Identify best practices
  • • Refine playbooks based on results

Ready to Operationalize the Partner Lifecycle?

Get the complete Partner Operating Model Toolkit with playbooks, templates, and frameworks for each lifecycle stage.

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