The process by which vendors get partners started with the program, including welcoming new partners, providing them with educational content, and helping them establish clear goals.

Noun

[aan·bord-ing jur·nee]

The onboarding journey is the process by which your new partners are introduced to your program, educated on how it works and how they will participate, and get prepared through materials and education to become a participating member. While your specific onboarding journey may vary, it often includes education, product or knowledge certifications, and courses. The goal of the onboarding journey is to prepare partners to create value in your program.

Example: As part of their partner program onboarding journey, the new affiliate partners completed a course to certify their knowledge about the vendor's product.

Noun

[aut-bound re-croot-mint]

Outbound recruitment (sometimes referred to as active recruitment) is the process of identifying and engaging with prospective partners with the intent to have them join your partner program.

The goal of outbound recruitment is to find potential partners who closely match your ideal partner profile, introduce them to your partner program, convey its value, and convince them to join. The partners found through outbound recruitment tend to be the best fits for your program (compared to those attracted through inbound recruitment, wherein anyone can apply for your program), but both strategies used in tandem are essential for a strong recruitment strategy.

Example: Communicating a strong value proposition for your mature partner program is important to signing on ideal partners during your outbound recruitment process.

‍