If you’re a mid-market company looking to launch a partner program, there’s no time like the present. Partnerships have become an integral way to scale growth, minimize risk and expand reach while keeping up with the competition.
If you’re wondering how to launch a high-impact partner program, this article will provide you with everything you need to know, from planning to execution.
The role of partner programs in scaling growth for mid-market SaaS companies
Successful SaaS companies can no longer rely only on marketing and sales if they want to grow efficiently. These days, partnership programs are just as important in driving revenue, customer acquisition and retention.
“Partner programs are a way to reach out and unlock other areas of growth,” says Nicholas Morra, Onboarding Consultant at PartnerStack. “Partnering with or grouping with partners gives you that reach and expanded outreach for your product, especially if you’re limited on sales resources.”
In addition to reaching out to potential customers in untapped markets, partnerships can also be valuable for customer retention because through them you can offer more integrated solutions, resources and experience. In turn, you’ll be able to drive revenue and growth.
Related: Mid-market SaaS brands drive substantial GMV through PartnerStack.
Planning your partner program strategy
As a SaaS brand looking to get into partnerships, it’s important to plan the details and ask yourself what you want from your partners before executing your program. There are a few essential areas to tackle before putting a program into practice.
Defining your ideal partner profile
Who do you want as a partner and how are they able to help you scale your business? The first step to any successful partnership program is identifying the right partners — from referrals to resellers to affiliates — that will help you reach your goals. Also ask yourself whether you want a hybrid of these partner types or if you want to specifically hone in on one type while launching your program.
Morra says that resellers and referral programs are ideal for high-trust partners.
“Resellers are a good option for a vendor with the inability to sell into other markets or verticals,” says Morra. “A referral program might be more for a vendor with a high-capacity sales team that needs more leads.”
Once you’ve established your objectives, ask yourself what types of partners will suit your needs and which verticals you’re hoping to reach through your program. Research what competitors are doing, outline the shared values you want from potential partners and list gaps in your current strategy that partners could help fill.
You might also like: The B2B buyer’s guide to partnerships software in 2025.
Setting clear objectives and KPIs
Understanding how you will measure partnership success is another important step in setting up your program. Having clearly defined objectives and measurable KPIs not only help you to target the right partners, but doing so allows you to set expectations from the beginning. Morra says to be realistic, but to also come to the process with an open mind and be willing to learn.
“Those who come in with an open mind and are willing to spend time in the environment will be able to take advantage of things like analytics or outbound outreach to potential partners.”
Creating a competitive partner commission structure
When you’re looking at the partner commission structure of your program, it’s important to consider what competitors might be doing. The key is to entice partners but drive your own revenue in a practical way. Morra says it’s best to think about preferred commission structures before onboarding, but to also keep an open mind as you learn about best practices and structures.
“With a totally new program we can provide insights and suggest testing out different commission structures for different batches of partners,” he says. “It definitely takes trial and error.”
Have your tech resources ready
Morra says an often overlooked but essential step in creating a partnership program is getting your technical assets ready sooner rather than later. While configuration items can be set up on a quick timeline, development resources are usually more specialized and may take longer to set up. Waiting on them could prolong your eventual program launch.
“If we can get those technical resources assigned right at the start of the project, we can start working on the integration piece or the technical pieces,” he says. “Don’t wait for the next sprint or fora project team to be assigned. Those are generally the highest lifts during the onboarding process.”
See more: Avoid the most common partner program launch mistakes.
Setting up your partner program with PartnerStack
Once you’ve established the pillars of your partner program, it’s time for execution. No matter how well you’ve planned, however, it can be overwhelming to keep track of all the moving pieces on your own as you launch. That’s where a partner platform like PartnerStack can help set you up for success.
Benefits of using a PRM
There are several reasons to use a partner platform, including the ability to automate processes, track key metrics, keep costs in check and accelerate the growth of your program. PartnerStack boasts the most advanced PRM made specifically for B2B brands, along with several automation tools to help you focus your energy where it matters.
“Automation helps keep the workload down, especially for newer programs,” says Morra. “We have tools like automated commission payments and reports that we can flow into your email.”
Morra adds that with PartnerStack there is dedicated training or support each step of the way to help you reach your goals effectively, no matter the size of your company or program plans.
“Some programs start new — without a single partner,” Morra says. “You can go in with a small team and be able to create the framework for a basic program that can lead to success. And when you see that success, that’s when you can expand and build a version two.”
Launching with PartnerStack
There’s a structured onboarding process at PartnerStack to tackle programs of various sizes, but timing varies depending on the number of resources available, what kind of commitment you can put into the lift and the overall ambitions of your program.
A company interested in launching with PartnerStack would begin with a kickoff call and a scoping discussion to understand the lay of the land and what to expect over the next few weeks. During that call, vendors meet the onboarding, integration and technical teams.
“We’ll discuss the data flow and end the call with both teams knowing next steps to building out an integration,” Morra says.
After that comes a strategy, or build call, where PartnerStack gets to know the program manager and team. It’s during that call that you figure out the program’s structure and compensation model. Future calls can include topics like enablement and recruitment, expansion, and, finally, testing.
“Once we complete the testing call and confirm the program is built correctly, we’re good to start recruiting and getting some partners in the environment,” Morra says.
Onboarding new partners efficiently
An important discussion during those first calls with PartnerStack will be about onboarding and how to effectively integrate partners into your program. That can include action items like setting up automated emails, opening up communication channels or figuring out a workflow for your program manager. During these conversations, PartnerStack can also advise on creating training resources and automating other workflows to minimize your time spent on program maintenance.
Scaling your mid-market SaaS partner program
Once you’ve launched your partner program with PartnerStack, you’ll still have access to a customer success manager. That person can help you implement future changes as needed and run specific tests to see where you can improve as you continue to scale.
By investing in strategic partnerships, building strong relationships and aligning objectives with your new partner resources, you’ll save costs while scaling in a whole new way. When following these steps and working with an established partner program like PartnerStack, some companies will begin to see results in three to eight months.
“You’ve got to give it time to make your partners comfortable in the system,” says Morra. “But once you’ve got all of those pieces moving then you’ll typically see that success.”
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