Getting new partners up and running is always a pain—especially if you’re juggling spreadsheets, emails, and Slack threads that never seem to end. If you’re reading this, you probably want less busywork, fewer “did you get my invite?” emails, and more time spent building actual partner relationships. That’s where Partnered comes in—a platform built to help you onboard new partners without all the usual chaos.
This guide is for anyone responsible for onboarding partners: partnership managers, sales enablement folks, or anyone tired of duct-taping together their own process. Let’s break it down step by step, with a focus on what actually works.
Step 1: Get Your Own House in Order
Before you pull new partners into your ecosystem, make sure you’re not inviting them into a mess. Here’s what to do:
- Define what “onboarded” means. Is it just getting them into your system? Completing a training? Signing an NDA? Write it down.
- Map out your process. Even if it’s on a notepad, sketch the steps: invite, info collection, training, first co-selling activity, etc.
- Decide what info you really need. Don’t ask for a novel’s worth of details up front. Stick to the essentials: contact info, business details, maybe an intro call.
Pro tip: The more you ask for up front, the more likely they’ll ghost you. Start simple, then collect more info as the relationship grows.
Step 2: Set Up Partnered for Your Team
Now, log into Partnered and get the basics set up. Don’t get lost in features you won’t use.
- Company Profile: Make sure your profile is up to date. Logo, contact info, clear description. First impressions matter.
- Templates: Partnered lets you set up onboarding templates (welcome emails, checklists, etc.). Use these to standardize the process.
- Permissions: Decide who on your team can invite partners, approve requests, or view sensitive info.
- Integrations: Connect the tools you already use—CRM, Slack, Google Drive. If you don’t use these, skip it for now.
What to ignore: Don’t waste time on branding or fancy workflows unless you know it’ll make things easier. Your partners care more about clarity than logos.
Step 3: Invite Partners the Right Way
Here’s where most teams fumble—overcomplicating the “invite” step.
- Send personal invites. Partnered can send bulk invites, but a quick personal note (even if copied/pasted) gets better results.
- Keep instructions simple. Tell them what to expect: “Click the invite, fill in your info, and we’ll walk you through the next steps.”
- Follow up once. If someone doesn’t respond, send one nudge. After that, move on—they’re probably not interested right now.
Pro tip: Don’t spam partners with reminders. It looks desperate and burns goodwill.
Step 4: Collect (Only) the Essentials
Partnered’s onboarding flow lets you request info from partners. Resist the urge to ask for everything up front.
- Use short forms. Name, company, contact info. Add a field for “How would you like to work with us?” to start a real conversation.
- Skip legal docs for now unless you truly need them before any other step. Legal bottlenecks kill momentum.
- Make it clear what’s next. After they fill in the info, Partnered can show a confirmation and “what happens next.” Use this to set expectations.
What works: Keeping forms under 5 questions. You can always collect more details later, once you’ve built trust.
Step 5: Share Resources and Training (But Don’t Overwhelm)
Once they’re in, Partnered lets you share documents, training videos, and other resources. Don’t dump everything at once.
- Curate a “Start Here” packet. One-pager, short video, or a quick checklist. No one wants to read a 50-page playbook on day one.
- Set up milestones. Use Partnered’s checklists to mark progress: “Intro call completed,” “First deal registered,” etc.
- Offer a real contact. Let them know who on your team they can reach out to with questions. (If it’s a shared inbox, be clear about that.)
What to ignore: Don’t overload your partners with every possible resource. Focus on what gets them selling or collaborating faster.
Step 6: Track Progress and Nudge the Right Way
Partnered gives you a dashboard to track onboarding status. Use it, but don’t turn into Big Brother.
- Check progress weekly. See who’s stalled and reach out with a helpful nudge—not a guilt trip.
- Automate reminders sparingly. Partnered can ping partners for you, but too many automated emails feel impersonal.
- Document roadblocks. If the same step keeps tripping up partners, fix the process instead of blaming the partner.
Pro tip: If someone’s stuck, pick up the phone or send a short video. It beats another automated email.
Step 7: Get Feedback and Iterate
No platform or process is perfect out of the box. Use Partnered’s feedback options (or just ask directly) to improve.
- Ask after onboarding. “Was anything confusing? What did you wish you knew earlier?”
- Log common issues. If multiple partners get stuck, it’s not them—it’s your process.
- Adjust your templates and steps. Don’t be precious. Change what’s not working.
What Actually Matters (and What Doesn’t)
Matters: - Quick, clear communication. - Only asking for what you need. - Making it dead-simple for partners to get started.
Doesn’t matter: - Fancy branding, custom portals, or over-designed playbooks. - Endless automated reminders or nudges. - Collecting every possible data point just in case.
Keep It Simple, Fix What’s Broken
Don’t overthink onboarding. The real value in tools like Partnered is making things easier, not more complicated. Start with the basics, keep your process light, and fix problems as you find them. The less friction you create, the faster your partners will get to actual partnership work—which is the whole point.
Remember: you can always add complexity later. But you’ll never regret keeping things simple to start.