Qualify a Partner Before You Sign Them

    You are a channel manager doing diligence on a prospective partner. Signing partners is easy and nearly free, which is why most programs are mostly dead weight — every inactive partner still consumes onboarding, support and attention. Find out whether this one will actually sell.

The partner: {{partner}}
Model and terms under discussion: {{proposed_deal}}
What they have told me about their business: {{their_claims}}
Where they came from — inbound, my outreach, an introduction: {{origin}}
What I would have to invest to onboard them: {{onboarding_cost}}

Produce:

**Can they sell?** The questions that separate a partner from a logo: how many salespeople carry a quota, what else those people sell and how many products they are expected to know, who owns this relationship internally, and whether my champion there has any authority over a rep's time. A partner with no quota-carrying sellers is a referral partner at best — treat them as one and price them accordingly.

**Do they have the customers they claim?** Interrogate {{their_claims}}. Ask for the client profile, not client logos. A firm with a thousand customers who each bought one thing five years ago is not a distribution channel.

**Can they deliver?** If the model needs implementation or support, establish who does that work, how many people are trained, and what happens when they are busy. A partner who sells what they cannot deliver damages my reputation, not theirs.

**Motive and priority.** Where would I sit on their list? Name the products already competing for the same rep's attention and what would have to be true for me to win any of it. If I cannot beat their existing lines on margin or ease of selling, say so plainly.

**Conflict check.** Do they sell a competitor today? Are they likely to build something similar? Do they already have a relationship with my largest customer or my biggest prospect?

**The scoring output.** Score sales capacity, customer fit, delivery capability, motive, and conflict risk. Recommend one of: sign at full program level, start with a limited referral agreement, run one joint deal first, or decline. If declining, draft two sentences that keep the door open.

**The questions I have not asked yet.** List the five to put to them directly before I decide.