T41 Partner enablement playbook

Partner enablement playbook

A partner enablement session with a small audience

Program: Peoplegrid Partner Network 38 active partners 1 certification backlog Mixed audience

How implementation and reseller partners sell, deploy and support Peoplegrid consistently, by tier, with the rules that keep deals and customers protected. Maintained by the Partner Enablement team.

Program overview

Who this playbook is for

Partner managers use this to onboard and support partners. Partner delivery leads use the certification, deployment and rules of engagement sections to run their own teams. Sections marked internal are for Peoplegrid staff only.

Sample template: the firm, people, clients and figures are fictional and shown for illustration only.

Partner tiers

Registered

Entry tier, no certification required to register a deal.
15% referral margin on closed-won deals.
Access to sales collateral and the partner portal.
No implementation or support responsibilities; Peoplegrid delivers.

Silver

Requires 2 certified implementation consultants.
25% margin on referred deals, or delivery fees on partner-led implementations.
Can lead standard implementations independently after certification.
Tier 1 support ownership for their customers, with Peoplegrid backing tier 2 and above.

Gold

Requires 5 certified consultants including 1 certified trainer.
35% margin, priority deal registration and co-marketing funds.
Can lead complex, multi-entity implementations without Peoplegrid oversight.
Full support ownership tier 1 and 2, with Peoplegrid backing tier 3 escalations only.

Certification path

Certifications expire after 12 months and must be renewed through a 90-minute refresher. A partner cannot lead implementations on an expired certification, full stop, regardless of tier.

Certification backlog at Meridian Consulting Group

Meridian Consulting Group, a Silver partner, has 1 of 2 required certified consultants active after one consultant left the firm in August. They cannot independently lead new implementations until a second consultant certifies. Owner: Farrah Deng, partner manager for Meridian. Deadline: Oct 15, 2026, or Meridian's tier reverts to Registered for new deals.

Deal registration flow

flowchart TD
    A[Partner identifies opportunity] --> B[Register deal in partner portal]
    B --> C{Conflict check against existing pipeline}
    C -->|Clear| D[Deal protected 90 days]
    C -->|Conflict found| E[Partner manager resolves within 5 business days]
    E --> D
    D --> F[Partner or Peoplegrid AE runs the sales process]
    F --> G{Closed won or lost}
    G -->|Won| H[Margin paid per tier, 30 days after invoice]
    G -->|Lost or expired| I[Registration released]

Deal registration protects the partner's margin on that specific account for 90 days. An unregistered deal, discovered after the fact, is not eligible for partner margin regardless of who influenced the sale.

Rules of engagement

Situation	Rule	Applies to
Peoplegrid sales rep finds a registered account	Rep routes the lead to the registering partner, does not compete	All tiers
Two partners register the same account	First registration wins; partner manager notifies the second partner within 5 business days	All tiers
Customer contacts Peoplegrid directly about a partner-led deployment	Peoplegrid routes technical questions back to the delivery partner unless it is a tier 3 escalation	Silver, Gold
Partner wants to discount below the published floor	Requires written approval from Farrah Deng before quoting the customer	All tiers
Registered partner goes quiet for 60 days with no activity	Deal registration lapses and reopens to other partners	All tiers

Do not bypass deal registration

Two partner managers have flagged informal side deals where a partner engaged a customer before registering. This voids margin protection and, if repeated, is grounds for tier suspension under the partner agreement. Register first, then engage.

Program launch checklist for new partners

New partner launch

Program contacts

Internal: margin and payout schedule

Margin is paid 30 days after the customer invoice clears, via the payout method on file in the partner portal. Registered tier margin is capped at referral-only deals; Silver and Gold can also earn delivery fees billed directly to the customer, subject to the rate card reviewed quarterly by Farrah Deng. This section is for Peoplegrid staff only, do not forward to partners.

How to use this template

Review and update this playbook quarterly with the partner program owner. Replace the values below from the partner management system; if a partner's certification status is unconfirmed, mark it Needs review rather than assuming current tier eligibility.

Variable	Meaning	Required
`{{program.owner_name}}`	Person who owns the partner program	Required
`{{program.active_partner_count}}`	Number of active partners as of the review date	Required
`{{partner.tier_requirements}}`	Certification and margin requirements per tier	Required
`{{registration.protection_window}}`	Number of days a registered deal is protected	Required
`{{certification.backlog_item}}`	Any partner behind on required certifications, with deadline	Optional
`{{partner.launch_status}}`	New partner's progress on the launch checklist	Optional

Keep the internal margin section out of any copy of this playbook shared with partners directly.