Free executive playbook

The Partner Marketing Activation Playbook.

How to turn strategic partnerships into customer relevance, field activation and measurable growth.

To request a copy, email me with your full name, job title, company, and intended use. I personally review each request and share the playbook at my discretion.

What is inside

A system you can put to work.

Use it to diagnose a stalled partnership, design a joint GTM motion or review an investment plan.

The Partner Activation System

Six connected stages: Relevance, Narrative, Alignment, Field, Demand and Measure.

The executive self-audit

Five questions to spot where partnership plans lose their connection to the business.

MDF investment discipline

Five tests before approving MDF, plus a matrix for deciding where to develop, accelerate, invest selectively or decline.

Clear attribution

Definitions and a worked example to connect partner activity with opportunity progress and results.

The activation scorecard

Eight dimensions to assess readiness, compare perspectives and identify what needs attention.

Six working templates

A joint opportunity brief, GTM canvas, account map, seller play, investment plan and executive scorecard.

Look inside

From a shared model to clear decisions.

Playbook page showing the six-stage Partner Activation System and working artifacts — The Partner Activation System

MDF investment matrix comparing strategic value with execution commitment and capability — The MDF investment matrix

Partner Activation Scorecard with eight dimensions and scoring guidance — The eight-dimension scorecard

Select a page to view it at full size.

Executive self-audit

Where is your partnership getting stuck?

Check each statement that is true. Compare your answers with colleagues in alliances, marketing and sales.

Flag each statement that is true Logo-first planningThe partnership story would collapse if the two company logos were removed. Activity substitutionLaunches, assets and events are easier to report than seller adoption, opportunity progress or pipeline. Field disconnectA frontline seller would struggle to explain when the partnership matters, for whom and what to do next. Organizational fragmentationAlliances, marketing, product, sales and enablement operate with different priorities or definitions of success. Portfolio dilutionStrategic partners receive roughly the same attention, funding or support as lower-value relationships.

Start with an honest view of the partnership. Check the statements that apply, then use the playbook to explore the gaps.

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About the author

Ghassan Lababidi

Ghassan is a global alliances, partner marketing and ecosystem executive with experience across Cisco, OpenText, Databricks and Koantek. He connects partner strategy, marketing and enablement to build programs that teams can use and businesses can measure.

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