Partner Activation - Are you doing it wrong
In this thought‑leadership article, Peter Fogelsanger (Partner, Enablement & Growth executive) critiques the conventional partner‑onboarding workflow that most ISVs and service providers use—recruit, negotiate a full agreement, extensive account mapping, enablement, and pipeline building. He argues that this sequence wastes time, resources, and attention because the joint value proposition is unproven and both sides are excited before any real revenue can be generated. Fogelsanger recommends a radically different, activation‑first model: start with a simple Mutual Non‑Disclosure Agreement (MNDA) as the only initial milestone, then focus onboarding on identifying and closing a “first deal” sourced from the partner’s existing customer portfolio. Only after that first, low‑risk win should deeper enablement, project‑team support, and pipeline expansion occur. He notes that this approach dramatically reduces risk, keeps attention on a concrete opportunity, and improves long‑term partnership success. The article also briefly adapts the model for ISV‑to‑ISV collaborations, emphasizing early validation through existing customer requests. The piece is aimed at partner managers and growth teams seeking more efficient ecosystem building.
Topics
Traditional Partner Onboarding Flow and Its Pitfalls
The common four‑stage sequence (Recruit → Negotiate Agreement → Onboarding/Enablement → Build Pipeline) and why it often yields little ARR.
Premature Negotiation and Over‑Engineering Agreements
Why negotiating full partnership contracts before any proven joint value is counter‑productive, and the recommendation to use a simple MNDA as the first milestone.
The Risk of Unproven Three‑Way Relationships
Explains how involving sales teams in a partnership that lacks a real customer‑partner‑ISV case study creates credibility loss and deal failure.
Partner Activation Model Centered on First Deal Sourcing
A re‑engineered onboarding process that prioritizes identifying a first deal from the partner’s existing customer base before deep enablement.
Practical Activation Steps: NDA, Sales Onboarding, Co‑sell First Deal, Enable Project Team
Concrete actions: execute NDA, conduct sales onboarding, co‑sell the first deal, then enable the project team and build pipeline.
Applying Activation Principles to ISV‑to‑ISV Partnerships
Adapts the activation‑first approach for ISV‑to‑ISV collaborations, emphasizing early validation via existing customer requests.