Channel partner onboarding checklist to build a better process

In this guide, you’ll discover the steps needed to effectively onboard your channel partners, ensuring they’re equipped and motivated to succeed. 

We’ll explore the recurring activities that should form part of your channel partner onboarding process and the benefits of using a comprehensive checklist. 

Let’s get right into it.

Disclaimer: The information below is accurate as of March 25th, 2024.

Channel partner onboarding checklist

Channel partner onboarding is pivotal in expanding your business’s reach and boosting its success. 

Let’s delve into each step for building a better onboarding process that nurtures successful channel partnerships.

1. Preboarding

Before the official onboarding process begins, preboarding is the first crucial step in establishing a successful channel partner relationship.

It involves several key activities.

• Recruitment and selection: This phase involves finding and choosing partners that align with your business plan’s goals and values.
  For example, a software company might use Docebo’s platform to share detailed information about its partner program, targeting potential partners specializing in technology solutions.
  By presenting clear program benefits and requirements, the company can attract partners who are not only interested but capable of effectively selling and supporting its products.

• Engagement and planning: Once potential partners show interest, this step ensures they’re well-informed and motivated about their role in the launch.
  For example, an organization could use Docebo to distribute preboarding content that introduces partners to the company culture, outlines expectations, and highlights the support they will receive.

• Contract exchange: This final step before the official onboarding begins involves formalizing the partnership through contracts, clearly outlining the business plan, roles, responsibilities, and partnership terms. For example, a healthcare equipment provider could outline specific roles and responsibilities for its partners, like compliance with healthcare regulations, sales targets, and training requirements. Then, using partner enablement software with document-sharing features, the provider can securely exchange contracts with partners.

2. Welcome the partner to your program

This step involves sending a comprehensive welcome email that outlines key information and resources, making the partner feel valued and informed. 

This email could include:

• Details on the partner program, including incentives, benefits, and requirements specific to their tier.
• Training sessions and marketing campaigns support.
• Information on sales enablement tools.
• Sales opportunities available through the partnership.
• FAQs for self-service information.
• Contact information for essential contacts within your organization.

Here’s a sample email for inspiration.

Subject: Welcome to the [Your Company] Partner Program!

Dear [Partner Name],

We’re delighted to have you on board! 

This partnership marks the beginning of a journey we believe will be both rewarding and successful.

To get you started, we’ve prepared an onboarding checklist to guide you through our partner program: [Link to Partner Onboarding Checklist]

Your Partner Portal is your gateway to success, providing access to:

– Training and certification programs

– Marketing and sales tools

– Upcoming opportunities and much more

Get familiar with our products and services here: [Link to Product Overview]

Understand your benefits and requirements as a [specific tier] partner: [Link to Partner Program Details]

For any questions or further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our team members listed here: [Contact Information]

Let’s make this partnership a stepping stone to mutual growth and success.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

3. Organize a kick-off meeting

A kick-off call or meeting marks the official start of your partnership and is key for stating expectations, establishing communication channels, and building rapport. 

Here’s how you can make this phase a success.

• Share pre-meeting materials, such as product information, company background, and an agenda to help partners prepare for productive discussions.
• During the meeting, formally introduce your partner to key channel managers, outline the company structure, and discuss product details, roles, and responsibilities.
• Clearly articulate what you expect from your partner and what they can expect from you. 
• Encourage open dialogue to address any uncertainties your partner may have. Use a learning management system (LMS) with collaborative features for ongoing communication and to adjust the onboarding plan based on feedback.
• Discuss and agree on the rules of engagement, including communication protocols, sales strategies, and conflict resolution methods. 
• Conclude the meeting by summarizing key points, confirming the next steps, and scheduling follow-up meetings. For example, you can use Docebo to automate these follow-ups and reminders, ensuring both parties remain on track.

4. Initiate partner training

Partner training ensures your channel partners quickly grasp the necessary knowledge and skills they need to contribute effectively to your business. 

Through Docebo’s partner training solution, you can provide an engaging and interactive learning experience that speeds up the onboarding process and strengthens the partnership. 

Here are some types of training you can facilitate:

• Product and service training: This type of training emphasizes your offerings’ distinctive features and advantages, and the reasons why they stand out in the market. A solid grasp of these aspects is essential for partners as it enables them to communicate value propositions to potential customers clearly and more confidently. This includes SaaS solutions, where ongoing updates and new features are common — necessitating continuous learning and optimization of the partner-onboarding template to include those updates.

• Brand training: This training ensures that partners fully understand your brand’s mission, values, and market positioning. By becoming immersed in your brand’s ethos, partners can act as genuine brand ambassadors to promote your brand consistently across various customer interactions and platforms.

• Sales & customer support training: Sales training ensures partners are adept at closing sales, while customer support training ensures they can also provide exceptional after-sales support. By matching these skills with broader business goals, partners can better contribute to creating satisfying customer experiences and achieving sales targets.

• Compliance training: Compliance training covers everything from data protection and privacy laws to industry-specific regulations, helping to minimize legal risks. With this training, you can ensure that partners fully know and comply with internal policies and external regulatory requirements.

5. Introduce them to the community

Introducing new partners to your broader community is key to fostering a supportive ecosystem. 

You can do this through social media mentions or by hosting a webinar together, enhancing referral opportunities and partner success.

For instance, a technology firm might announce its new partnership with a software company on LinkedIn by highlighting collaborative projects or shared goals. 

Following this, they could host a joint webinar discussing innovative solutions in their industry — providing value to partner and customer communities.

6. Provide marketing and sales support

It’s crucial to offer your partners easy access to high-quality marketing and sales materials rather than overwhelming them with quantity. 

Customizing material like product datasheets specifically for partners enables them to engage in marketing campaigns effectively and provides necessary marketing support.

Consider a scenario where a partner portal offers customizable datasheets. A partner specializing in cloud solutions can quickly personalize these datasheets to include their consultancy services, making it simpler to present a comprehensive package to potential clients. 

7. Provide leads and opportunities

Providing your partners with leads early in the partnership gives them a jump start toward achieving their sales opportunities, which is crucial for the partner business.

This gesture demonstrates your commitment to their success and facilitates quick wins, which is essential for maintaining momentum and motivation.

Imagine a software company that, upon onboarding a new reseller, shares a list of potential clients in the reseller’s region who have shown interest in their solutions. 

This not only empowers the reseller to start engaging with prospects immediately but also reinforces the software company’s support.

8. Request feedback from the channel partner

Gathering feedback is essential for onboarding strategy optimization. This process helps identify areas for improvement, ensuring the training programs remain effective and up-to-date.

Encourage partners to share their thoughts and suggestions to uncover areas for improvement, so that the onboarding process is as thorough as possible.

This might mean conducting a quarterly review meeting with your partners, where you specifically ask for their feedback on training content and support materials. 

This could reveal, for example, concerns about a specific product feature’s application — indicating a gap in your training material that needs addressing.

9. Establish KPIs

Defining KPIs helps assess partner progress and the impact of the partner onboarding program. 

Here, utilizing Docebo for its data-driven insights allows your channel managers to track training progress metrics and understand the impact of training on partner performance.

For example, you can establish a dashboard specifically for partner performance tracking, where both you and your partners can monitor progress towards defined KPIs. 

So, if a KPI is centered around certification completion rates, you can easily identify partners who might need additional support or resources to meet this goal.

10. Modify the process

Based on KPIs and partner feedback, continuously refine the partner onboarding template and training programs. 

This might involve restructuring training materials, enhancing product knowledge, or offering additional support for marketing campaigns.

Let’s say your analysis reveals that partners who engage more with interactive training modules tend to outperform those who don’t. 

In response, you might decide to increase the number of interactive elements within your training courses. 

Alternatively, if feedback indicates that partners find certain sections of the training too complex, you could introduce more foundational modules to build up their knowledge. 

What recurring activities should be in channel partner onboarding?

Channel partner onboarding is not a one-time event but a continuous journey that evolves alongside your business and product offerings. 

To maintain the relationship with your channel partners, certain recurring activities should be integrated into the onboarding process:

1. Product knowledge

Keeping channel partners informed about product developments is crucial for their success and, by extension, yours. 

This includes regular updates on new features, product enhancements, and any changes that could affect how the product is sold or supported. 

You could implement a monthly webinar series within your LMS for deep dives into product features, upcoming updates, and how these can be leveraged in sales scenarios. 

2. Training materials

This involves regularly updating and enriching training materials to reflect the latest industry trends, product updates, and sales strategies. 

Utilize your LMS’s capabilities to curate a dynamic library of resources, including how-to videos, product guides, and case studies that showcase successful partner implementations. 

Plus, encourage ongoing learning by highlighting new resources through automated notifications and creating themed learning paths that coincide with product launches or seasonal sales strategies.

3. Communication

Establish a routine of regular check-ins, updates, and feedback sessions with your partners. 

You could implement a structured communication plan that includes monthly newsletters, detailing product updates, marketing tips, and success stories. 

Additionally, you can schedule quarterly review meetings to discuss partnership performance, gather feedback, and jointly plan for the upcoming period. 

The aim is to create an open dialogue where partners can share their successes, challenges, and needs.

What are the benefits of a channel partner onboarding checklist?

Here are some key benefits of employing a channel partner onboarding checklist:

• Streamlined onboarding process: A checklist ensures a consistent and efficient onboarding experience for all partners. By outlining each step, organizations can avoid omissions or confusion, speeding up the time it takes for a partner to become productive.
• Better partner experience: A well-structured onboarding checklist improves the partner experience by setting clear expectations and providing all necessary resources from the get-go. This clarity and organization can help in building trust and loyalty among partners.

• Increased productivity and sales: By covering product knowledge, sales strategies, and market insights, a checklist ensures partners are well-equipped to sell effectively. This preparation can lead to quicker sales cycles and increased revenue.
• Effective communication and support: Checklists facilitate communication between the organization and its partners by clearly defining points of contact, support resources, and feedback mechanisms. This ongoing dialogue helps in resolving issues promptly and adapting strategies as needed.
• Consistency in brand representation: Ensuring all partners receive the same foundational knowledge and support helps maintain brand consistency across various markets and customer segments. A checklist helps to standardize the onboarding process and ensures every partner represents the brand accurately.

When to use a channel partner onboarding checklist

A channel partner onboarding checklist is useful in several scenarios. 

First, it’s essential when initiating a new partner program, especially if there’s limited experience in partner relationship management (PRM). 

The checklist provides a structured approach to ensure all critical steps are covered. 

Secondly, it becomes invaluable when assessing the effectiveness of existing onboarding processes. 

If previous attempts at onboarding partners have not yielded the desired outcomes — because of poor partner engagement, lengthy time-to-market, or inconsistent brand representation, for example — a checklist can help identify gaps and streamline the process. 

Additionally, it’s beneficial when expanding into new markets or introducing new products, requiring the onboarding of additional or specialized partners.

Now over to you

Effective channel-partner onboarding is a cornerstone of successful partner relationships and, ultimately, business growth. 

Structuring the onboarding process with a comprehensive checklist ensures your partners are well-equipped, knowledgeable, and aligned with your brand’s goals and values. 

Docebo offers a structured approach to partner enablement, focusing on personalized learning experiences, certifications, gamification, and data-driven insights to maximize partner performance and business impact. 

Ready to transform how you onboard and empower your partners? Schedule a demo today to explore how Docebo can streamline your partner training efforts and drive tangible results.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about channel partner onboarding:

What is channel partner onboarding?

Channel partner onboarding involves integrating new partners into your network to improve relationships, and enable them to effectively promote, sell, and support your products or services. 

It also includes providing the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources for partners to accurately represent and contribute to your company’s growth.

Why is channel partner onboarding important?

Channel partner onboarding is crucial as it sets the tone for your relationship with your partners and determines the success of your mutual endeavors. 

Effective onboarding ensures partners are well-equipped, fosters trust and loyalty, and lays the groundwork for long-term, productive partnerships that benefit both parties.

How can you improve the channel partner onboarding process?

Here are some best practices:

• Use the right tools: Implement tools that allow for effective training delivery and performance evaluation. Automate training schedules to onboard partners gradually and efficiently.
• Allow for feedback: Establish feedback mechanisms through one-on-one sessions, surveys, and observations to identify gaps and make necessary adjustments to your onboarding process.
• Automate the process: Use a robust LMS to automate onboarding, facilitating a seamless integration of new and existing partners and enabling the onboarding of multiple partners simultaneously.
• Keep monitoring: Continuously monitor partner engagement and performance, and keep updating the onboarding process based on feedback and changing needs.