Getting Traction in Partnerships Part 5: The Process Component

“A typical organization (partner organization) operates through a handful of core processes. How these process works together is its unique system. To break through the ceiling and build a well-oiled machine, you need to possess the ability to systemize.” - Gino Wickman.

That’s what this blog is about today, helping you build the systems you need to to help your partner organization break through and create real impact. To help you break through the ceiling and be apart of the strategic conversations within your organization. You’re starting to overcome the blockers and challenges of being siloed, so finally others in your organization are inviting you into their strategic conversation.

Now you need to execute. It’s as John Maxwell said to a group of leaders, “Your charisma might have gotten you in the door, but it’s you’re ability to deliver that keeps you there.” You might have been able to get a seat at the table by listening to and addressing the challenges of your organization. Maybe you’ve provided an innovative way to approach the market through partnerships, but now you need to execute.

2024 has given every partner person an opportunity like none other in sales history. Organizations are reeling from the market downshift in the post pandemic years, and trying to do more with less. Then someone says, “Well, can’t partners do that for us? We don’t have to pay salaries, our overhead is way down, we only have to pay a little margin, why can’t we just have partners do our sales?” And you’re brought into the room.

Now you need to go and do something about it.

So now what?

Or maybe you’re not in that conversation, but you do this everyday with a new partner. You just signed the new partner on to resell or co-sell or co-market, or whatever “co” we bring into partnerships. Now what? What’s next?

This is where your system comes into play. This is where your playbook matters. This is where we can help. 

We’re going to take the next 3 steps right out of Gino Wickman’s book, Traction, “First, identify your core processes. Then break down what happens in each one and document it. Finally compile the information into a single package for everyone in your [partner program].”

1. Identify Your Core Processes.
As a partner leader, you have to know more than just how partnerships work. You have to know the sales process, the marketing process, the operations process, accounting, customer-retention, etc. Mostly because partners can influence every process in your business. Once you’ve identified the processes that exist, then begin to work with your team on identifying how partners influence each step. Don’t forget, your processes in the partnership department must, I repeat, must, be apart of every other process in the company. Don’t let yourself be siloed, be apart of what others are doing. Let’s take one process as an example: Sales.

How does your company sell? What’s the current motions your sales teams go through from interest, outbound, prospecting, SDR, AE, SE, demo, trial, sale, payment? There’s so much that goes into one sale, and when a partner comes in, you don’t want to create the perception that a partner will slow down your sales cycle. Your sales team already has enough steps, don’t give them more work, make it easier. Show how a partner will fit into each process and make their lives easier.

Your partner will also love you for knowing how they can be apart of the well-oiled machine within your organization. They are sellers, too. Which means they don’t want you to slow down their sales cycle, either. Document the core processes and clearly show how the partner, or how partners, will help each stage of the journey.

2. Document Each of the Core Processes. And run the play.
Your processes cannot just be in your head. It’s like the proverbial game of telephone. You start out well and good, but then over time, the process erodes and things just don’t work like they used to. Why? Because we easily forget a process, skip a step, miss a key piece to a deal. We might be able to overlook it at first, but over time, we’ll feel the hurt. Documenting the process does two things for you and your partner: 1) it provides consistency and 2) it gives an assurance you have a plan. Your partners partner with all sorts of people, and every partnership looks different. When you provide a plan and have it documented, then you and your partner don’t have to guess. You can both just run the play. They know what to expect when working with you and how to go to market. Second, it gives assurance. There’s no guarantee in partnerships, but there can be a foundation and an assurance that what you’re building will have a clear next step. It’s a breath of fresh air to work with someone who’s got a plan and is leading the way. Do this for your partners. 

I would add to this by saying, keep running the play until it doesn’t work anymore. Partnerships don’t have to be so hard. But they do get distracted. So, stay focused and run the play with your partners. If you’ve seen good traction with webinars, keep doing webinars. If you have not seen good ROI from your event strategy with your partners, then don’t do them anymore. Maybe your ideal customer enjoys webinars, but then the market shifts. You can shift with it, but you can only shift if you had a playbook in the first place. Documenting a process doesn’t mean it’s cemented or enshrined, never to be changed. It means you have a plan and you can adjust along the way.

3. Compile it into a package.
Here’s where we’ll put in a plug for CoPort, or really any kind of product that helps you put together your plan and run it out in the open. CoPort gives you the structure to not only identify and document your process, but also make it visible for your team and your partner. When we’re on partner calls, I’ll pull up CoPort, share my screen, build the activity, check off a launch task list, and then we have clear next steps.

When we’ve shared our partner plan with our partner, then I can even assign tasks to them as reminders for the work we both committed to. They have other partners and plans they’re running, so I know they’ll need a reminder. Because we all do. You can check out more about CoPort here: coport.co.


Now what? I encourage you, do the work of identifying, documenting and compiling your partner playbook. You have tasks and workflows. Your program and your company will gain traction as you run your processes.

If you need any assistance with your system, or would like to collaborate on ways that may be helpful for your business. Reach out, we’re here to help.

Because we know that our companies win when our partnerships get better.

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Building partnerships is like building a business. Every time we meet with a potential partner, we follow very similar steps as entrepreneurs who desire to give their business the best chance of success. 

As CoPort is growing, we’re learning so much about how to grow a company—steps, processes, people to meet, etc., and there is a common thread among so many—giving us the best chance possible to succeed. There’s no promise, no guarantee, but there is opportunity to make something truly special.

And every new business partnership does the same. There’s something new and exciting at the prospect of working with another company—whether an MSP, a reseller, VAR, tech partnership, you name it. It’s an exciting opportunity to build something new that no one has ever seen before. 

At the same time, there’s some key frameworks that can help us succeed and give us the best chance at helping our companies grow through partnerships. 

So, for the next 6 weeks, we’re going to mine the gold in Gino Wickman’s book, “Traction” to help us build partnerships. We’re going through the process ourselves at CoPort, making sure we give ourselves the best chance at success. 

Once partner leaders begin to see partnerships as an entrepreneurial journey, then we can get our footing to get going and keep going. It’s a long process to build a strong and sustainable partnership program. The good news is, there’s some handholds along the way. I don’t think Gino Wickman intended for his content to be applied to partnerships, but that’s what makes it amazing, it does!

Thank you for joining our series, we’re so grateful and honored we get to come alongside you in your personal and professional growth story.

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