Let’s get straight to it: the single biggest mistake I see tech companies make when starting a partner relationship is failing to properly evaluate partner fit. It’s not just a missed step—it’s a missed opportunity that can cost you months, even years, of wasted effort, missed revenue, and damaged relationships. Even if you feel you are already properly evaluating partners, do seriously consider how you can improve for better outcomes.
This is mistake #10 What most Tech CEOs get wrong when Starting in Partnering. Click here to read #9 Partner Portals and PRM: Technology doesn’t fix a Broken Process.
Why Partner Fit Matters More Than Anything Else
When you’re looking to grow through sales channels, it’s tempting to chase the biggest resellers or the most recognizable names in your target market. But before you book that flight or start selling your solution to a prospective partner, ask yourself: Does this partner actually fit my business, my product, and my customers?
Most companies don’t have a structured process for partner recruitment or qualification. They rely on gut instinct, relationships, or the loudest voice in the room. The result; They push sales targets onto resellers without any real assessment of whether those targets make sense for the partner’s business or capabilities. This is a recipe for disappointment on both sides.
What Is Partner Fit Evaluation?
Partner Fit Evaluation is about understanding the partner’s business—what drives them, who their customers are, what their sales process looks like, and, crucially, whether your proposition fits neatly into their world. The best partnerships are those where your solution helps the partner sell more to their existing customers, win new business, or add value in ways that align with their own strategy.
The greatest capability a partner can bring is a credible relationship with your target customers and decision makers. If your product is just another item in their bag, or if their sales team isn’t equipped to sell your solution, the partnership will stall before it starts.
Real-World Pain: When Fit Goes Wrong
Let me share a true story (names changed for privacy). SolutionCo, a €20M software company, landed a partnership with GiantCo, a €3B global player. On paper, it was a dream deal. In reality, it nearly killed SolutionCo’s business.
Why? Because GiantCo’s sales process and customer base didn’t align with SolutionCo’s complex, domain-specific sales approach. GiantCo’s reps flooded SolutionCo with poorly qualified leads, overwhelming their small team and distracting them from their core business.
A structured partner fit evaluation would have flagged these issues early. It would have set realistic expectations, identified the need for specific training, and allowed for a phased rollout—rather than a big bang that nearly blew up the opportunity.
Five Core Areas to Evaluate Partner Fit:
The following five outline categories are what you need to assess, every time, with every potential partner, and maybe even reassess existing partners:
1) Access to Target Customers: Does the partner have real relationships with your bullseye customer types?
2) Credibility: Are they trusted advisors to your target decision makers?
3) Sales Capability: Can their team actually sell your solution, from qualification to close?
4) Product Fit: How does your product fit into their current offerings and business plans?
5) Pace of Business: What’s a realistic expectation for how quickly they can generate business for you?
Make Fit a Mutual Discussion, Not an Interrogation
Partner Fit Evaluation isn’t about grilling your prospective partner. It’s a two-way, mutually beneficial discussion. You’re both looking for alignment—where your goals, customers, and capabilities overlap. The less you ask a partner to change, the more likely the partnership will work.
The Bottom Line for Partner Fit
Don’t skip the Partner Fit Evaluation. Don’t rely on gut feel or the allure of a big name. Build a structured, repeatable process that everyone on your team can use. You’ll save time, avoid costly mistakes, and set your partnerships up for real, scalable success.
If you want to talk about how to structure your Partner Fit Evaluation, or share your own war stories, drop me a note. I’d love to hear from you.
