Use this model to organize your partner program before creating content.
The 6-part operating model
| Component | Core Question | Example Output |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Who are we enabling? | Resellers, implementation partners, franchise managers, regional distributors |
| Outcomes | What must they be able to do? | Sell accurately, onboard customers, follow brand standards, meet compliance requirements |
| Learning path | What sequence will get them ready? | 30-60-90 onboarding journey |
| Resources | What do they need at the moment of work? | Product guides, objection handling scripts, SOPs, FAQs, checklists |
| Support | Where do they go when they are stuck? | Live office hours, help desk, partner Q&A, group lead escalation |
| Measurement | How will we know it is working? | Time to activation, certification completion, partner engagement, support ticket volume, sales or service quality indicators |
Opinionated guidance
Do not start with "What courses should we build?"
Start with "What partner behaviors create business value?"
Then design backward.
For example:
- If the business problem is slow partner ramp time, build an onboarding path.
- If the problem is inconsistent customer experience, build brand and process playbooks.
- If the problem is compliance exposure, build recurring certification and expiration tracking.
- If the problem is low partner engagement, build role-specific learning, recognition, live events, and manager visibility.
- If the problem is poor sales readiness, build scenario-based practice, product positioning, objection handling, and assessments.