Onboarding and activating referrals for a partner program

Roy Lapin, the Authorized Partnerships Manager at Monday.com is passionate about onboarding referral programs to accelerate partnerships.

THE EXPERT

Roy Lapin, Authorized Partnerships Manager at Monday.com, is a PartnerStack Power User.

SUGGESTED USE-CASES
Recruiting
Activating
Tracking
Commissioning
Optimizing

In this featured play, expert Lapin breaks down exactly how to use PartnerStack for onboarding and activating referrals for his partner program.


Here is a step-by-step guide for how partners are onboarded and activated using PartnerStack at Monday.com:

Initial partner recruitment and tier assessment

A prospective partner goes to the Monday.com website and navigates to the partners page where they can find information about the different programs and apply to become a partner. (monday.com/partnerships). Lapin and the partnerships team provides a centralized form for potential partners to fill out — providing data that help Monday.com analyze their partner potential. The application gets assessed. If the partner is deemed a good fit for the channel program (gold or platinum), which is rare, they proceed down that path. Most partners that show strong promise as a budding partner in the referral program (99% of them, according to Lapin) are directed to the "start small" path and are set up with an account in PartnerStack and also a Partner Academy account, using API integrations. “PartnerStack is the growth engine for the next generation of channel partners,” says Lapin. After all, the entire start small partnerships operation is operated on PartnerStack.

 

Automated partner account setup 

Once the application is approved, the partner automatically receives two emails: one from PartnerStack and the other from the Partner Academy, inviting them to log in to their new accounts on the platforms. New partners also get access to the Partner Hub. This automated process is a key improvement to reduce drop off, as previously partners had to manually create these accounts. This automation with PartnerStack helps keep partners engaged and move along the onboarding process.

Onboarding through an engaging live landing page

Partners are directed to a live landing page designed for onboarding. This page has replaced a previous email with seven steps and a PDF with five steps. The landing page includes an AI chatbot powered by Roy's knowledge to answer common questions about Monday.com’s partner programs. For example, it can answer questions about how to become a silver partner and other frequently asked questions for partners in the early stages of their partnerships.

The onboarding page has five key sections to note:

  1. PartnerStack overview: A Loom video explains how to navigate the PartnerStack dashboard and use its features. Partners use PartnerStack to manage their custom links and commissions — it’s also where they collect their payment.
  2. Kickoff call: Partners can schedule and attend a live kickoff call twice a week, or watch a recording. These calls are led by Maya from the Monday.com team to onboard new partners in a centralized way.
  3. Partner Academy: Partners access the Partner Academy directly through a link, with accounts automatically created for them. Partners can complete courses and certifications, including the Authorized Partner path with three different courses. Leveling up the partnerships IQ is important for success. The three courses in the authorized partners path include: a general Monday.com work management badge, an advanced workflows badge — and a sales training quiz.
  4. Sandbox and resources: Partners access a sandbox account that provides a Monday.com instance with all features enabled where they can explore, create workspaces and find resources. They also have access to a resource center that contains supports such as sales scripts, playbooks, workshop recordings, sales decks and buyer personas.
  5. Branding and marketing: The final step involves accessing brand guidelines, a Figma asset library and the knowledge base center. This helps partners with their own marketing.


Ongoing partnerships support and management

Partners can submit questions and requests through a centralized form, which helps Monday.com collect data and understand partner needs. The partner program has that AI chatbot built on Roy's knowledge to handle common questions to support throughout the journey, reducing the need for manual support.


Partner growth and scaling partner programs

The PartnerStack program is designed to act as a growth engine, where new partners are onboarded and empowered to become more significant partners over time. The aim is for authorized partners, through engagement and revenue generation, to eventually become part of the bronze tier. The growth doesn’t stop there — partners that continue to grow can achieve silver or a higher status. Monday.com offers an incubation program for high-performing authorized partners to help them become silver partners.

By implementing these steps, Monday.com provides a clear, scalable and supportive onboarding process for its referral partners, using PartnerStack as a key platform for growth and activation for their partner program.


Meet PartnerStack Power User Roy Lapin:
This partnerships expert has actionable advice on how to onboard and active referrals in your program. Currently he is the Authorized Partnerships Manager for Monday.com and has been working actively in B2B SaaS for four years.

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