Partner Enablement isn’t a side quest - it’s your growth strategy
And no, another PDF deck isn’t going to cut it.
In today’s leaner, faster, partner-heavy GTM world, one thing is clear: you can’t scale sustainably with a direct-sales-only mindset.
Back in the Sales Enablement vs GTM Enablement edition, we explored how GTM Enablement supports the entire Revenue Bowtie - from first touch to renewal, across both internal teams and external partners. Yet, while Sales and CS teams often get structured support, partner-facing motions are still left to “figure it out”.
That’s a missed opportunity. If you’re serious about scaling smarter, partner enablement needs to be treated as a core growth function - not a bonus level.
Know your partners, know their needs
Before you build enablement programs, you need to understand who you’re building for. Not all partners need the same thing - and that’s exactly why generic onboarding doesn’t work.
Here are the five most common partner types and what they typically bring to the table:
Referral partners: Introduce prospects to your solution. Need clarity on your ICP, elevator pitch, and handover process.
Resellers / Channel partners: Sell your product directly. Need positioning, sales enablement assets, pricing guidance, and commission structure.
Integration / Tech partners: Extend your product’s capabilities. Need deep product knowledge, integration diagrams, and joint use cases for co-selling.
Strategic alliances: Co-market, co-build, or co-sell. Need alignment across product, marketing, and revenue teams.
Professional services partners: Implement or consult around your product. Need technical training, documentation, certification, and post-sale alignment with your CS org.
Each of these partner types plays a different role in your GTM motion - and therefore, their enablement needs are just as diverse. Trying to support all of them with a generic deck and a “let us know if you need anything” approach? Not going to work.
The foundations of partner enablement
To meet these different needs, your enablement approach needs to be intentional and layered. Below are foundational components that work across partner types, along with tips on how to get started.
Partner onboarding (quick win)
A structured way to get partners ramped quickly, confidently, and consistently. This includes product and GTM orientation, who to contact, and what success looks like. Sounds familiar? You probably already have something like this to onboarding your internal teams. Go ahead and repurpose as much as you can from it.
Co-selling toolkits (medium-term project)
Resources to help partner run joint discovery, position your value, and advance deals. Includes pitch decks, discovery guides, objection handling sheets, and mutual action plans.
Example: A co-sell playbook for integration partners outlining who says what in a joint pitch.
Product enablement (essential for tech & services partners)
Goes beyond messaging - this is about helping partners understand what your product actually does and how to implement it. Includes training on setup flows, API capabilities, integration guides, and delivery methodology.
Certifications and learning paths (long term investment)
Formal programs that help partners validate knowledge, build confidence, and advance in your partner ecosystem. Can be role-specific (sales, technical, support) and used to gate access to benefits.
Example: A three-level certification track with digital badges and incentives for each milestone.
Partner portal (scalable foundation)
A self-serve hub where partners can find everything they need - from sales assets to training modules and lead tracking form. Ideally includes usage tracking, search functionality, and easy updates.
If you’re unsure where to begin, start by asking:
Which partners are already driving (or could drive) the most value (revenue)?
Where are the biggest points of friction or knowledge gaps?
What assets already exist internally that could be repurposed?
And most importantly: don’t do it alone. Enablement should work closely with partner managers, product teams, and solutions experts to ensure initiatives are relevant, realistic, and adopted.
Measuring the impact of your efforts is just as important—and we’ll cover that in an upcoming deep dive on partner enablement metrics and dashboards.
Final thought
If Enablement is here to support all revenue-driving teams, then partner enablement is not a “bonus level”. It’s a core chapter in your GTM playbook.
So stop treating your partners like that plant you keep forgetting to water - technically alive, but just barely.
Water them. Enable them. Watch your pipeline grow 🌱
