If you're running B2B partnerships, you already know the pain: scattered spreadsheets, lost emails, and a pipeline that’s a black box. The goal? A clear, actionable way to track partnership deals without drowning in admin. If you’ve landed here, you’re probably eyeing Attio to wrangle your partnership pipeline. Good call—it’s flexible, customizable, and not built just for sales teams.
Let’s walk through how to set up and actually use Attio for partnership pipelines that help, not hinder, your B2B growth.
1. Decide What Actually Matters to Track
Before you touch any software, get clear on what a “partnership” means for your business. Sounds basic, but it’s where most teams trip up. Not every conversation is a partnership deal, and tracking everything is a surefire way to waste time.
Ask yourself: - What does a qualified partner look like? - What are the actual stages a partner goes through? - What information do you really need to track for each partner?
Skip: Tracking every email, every LinkedIn like, or creating fields because “maybe we’ll need this later.” Start lean. You can always add.
2. Set Up Your Partnership Pipeline in Attio
Attio is pretty flexible—think of it like a blank CRM canvas. You’ll need to build your pipeline from scratch, but that’s not as scary as it sounds.
a. Create a New Collection
- Head to Collections and click “New Collection.”
- Name it something obvious, like “Partnership Pipeline.”
- Choose the object: usually “Organizations” if your partners are companies, not individuals.
b. Build Your Pipeline Stages
- Click “Add View” > “Kanban.”
- Set up columns for your pipeline stages. Typical stages might be:
- Prospecting (you’re researching them)
- Contacted (you’ve reached out)
- Discovery/Intro Call
- Proposal Sent
- Negotiation
- Active Partner
- Closed/Lost (for deals that go nowhere)
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate your stages. Fewer stages = less friction.
c. Add Custom Fields
- Use custom fields for real info you’ll use:
- Partnership type (reseller, tech, co-marketing, etc.)
- Potential value (if you even need it)
- Key contacts (linked to People objects)
- Next action or follow-up date
- Hide or delete default fields you don’t need.
What to ignore: Don’t create fields you “might use one day.” Start with the basics.
3. Import or Add Your Existing Partners
- You can bulk import from CSV if you’ve got lists.
- Or add organizations manually.
Tip: Clean your data before you import. Attio is only as tidy as what you put in.
- Match up columns with your custom fields.
- If you’re importing contacts, link them to the right orgs.
Pitfall to avoid: Don’t get sucked into cleaning decades-old spreadsheets. Focus on active or high-potential partners first.
4. Set Up Views for Smarter Tracking
Attio’s views are where the magic happens. This is how you’ll actually keep tabs on partnerships—without sifting through noise.
Examples: - Kanban View: For visualizing stage progress. - Table View: For sorting and filtering (e.g., “all partners with next action this week”). - Saved Filters: Partners by type, region, deal owner, or last activity date.
What works: Setting up a “Stale” filter—partners who haven’t had activity in X days. This keeps your follow-ups honest.
5. Use Notes, Tasks, and Activity to Stay on Top
You want everything in one spot—not scattered across email and Slack.
- Notes: Log key meeting takeaways or call summaries. Don’t try to track every little thing, just what matters.
- Tasks: Set reminders for next steps, follow-ups, or contract renewals.
- Activity Timeline: Attio auto-pulls email activity if you connect your inbox. It’s handy, but don’t rely on it for the whole story.
Don’t bother: Logging every single email. Focus on meaningful touchpoints.
6. Automate (But Only What’s Worth Automating)
Attio lets you set up automations with triggers (“when a stage changes, assign a task,” etc.). This can help, but don’t automate for automation’s sake.
Ideas that actually help: - Auto-assign follow-up tasks when a partner moves to “Proposal Sent.” - Notify the right team member if a deal sits in a stage too long. - Create a Slack notification for new Active Partners.
What to skip: Automating every email or updating fields you don’t really use. If it feels like busywork, it probably is.
7. Reporting: Keep It Simple
Everyone wants fancy dashboards, but most partnership reporting is overkill. If you can’t answer “are we moving real opportunities forward?” then you’re missing the point.
Useful reports: - Number of partners at each stage - Conversion rates between key stages (are most deals dying at negotiation?) - Average time in stage (where do deals get stuck?) - “Last activity” by partner
Export to CSV if you need to slice and dice elsewhere. Most teams overcomplicate this—start with the basics.
8. Keep It Up (Without Making It Your Job)
A partnership pipeline is only useful if it’s up to date. But you’re busy, and so is your team.
How to keep it from turning into a graveyard: - Assign clear owners for each partner (if everyone owns it, no one owns it). - Set a recurring calendar reminder to review the pipeline (even 15 minutes weekly helps). - Archive or move stalled deals to “Closed/Lost”—don’t let them clog up your view. - Encourage the team to update during real-world triggers (after calls, before team meetings).
What doesn’t work: Mandating daily updates or tracking every tiny detail. It burns people out and leads to fake data.
Real Talk: What Works, What Doesn’t
What works: - Start simple, then add complexity only when you hit actual roadblocks. - Use Attio’s flexibility to match your workflow, not someone else’s idea of “best practice.” - Make the pipeline a living tool, not a report for your boss.
What doesn’t: - Overengineering every detail up front. - Chasing “perfect” data. - Treating your partnership pipeline like a sales CRM—it’s related, but not identical.
Wrapping Up: Iterate, Don’t Overthink
You don’t need a gold-plated pipeline to see real B2B growth from partnerships. Set up the basics in Attio, focus on what moves deals forward, and tweak as you go. The less you overcomplicate, the more likely you’ll actually use your pipeline—and that’s where the real value is.
Get started, keep it simple, and adjust as reality demands. The tech should help you work smarter, not harder.