Predict Partner Responses

What You Can Predict

How to Predict

1. Create Partner Mind

Upload transcripts from partner discussions: exploratory calls, partnership meetings, email exchanges, and previous negotiations.

Training: 5-15 minutes per partner

2. Ask Any Question

Validate proposals:

$
> "SCENARIO: We (as SaaS Platform) are proposing a co-selling partnership
>
to you (as Channel Partner). Structure: 70/30 revenue share (we get 70%),
>
$50K mutual marketing investment, 6-month exclusive commitment, shared CRM
>
access, quarterly business reviews required.
>
>
QUESTION: What concerns will you have about this structure? Would you accept
>
this proposal? What would make you accept vs. decline?"

Understand priorities:

$
> "SCENARIO: We are evaluating you (as Strategic Partner) for a major
>
partnership initiative. We can structure this as: Option A: Revenue-focused
>
with 60/40 split and $100K minimum annual commitment, Option B: Strategic
>
co-innovation with joint IP ownership and 50/50 investment split, or Option C:
>
Risk-mitigation focused with pilot program ($10K, 90 days) before full commitment.
>
>
QUESTION: What are your top 3 priorities in evaluating this partnership?
>
Which option aligns best with your priorities? What would make you choose
>
one over the others?"

Test alternatives:

$
> "SCENARIO: We're proposing a technology partnership to you (as Integration
>
Partner). Three models: Option A: Revenue share model (30% recurring revenue,
>
no upfront cost, 2-year commitment), Option B: Fixed licensing fee ($500K/year,
>
3-year minimum, includes support), Option C: Joint venture (50/50 ownership,
>
$250K capital each, shared governance, 5-year commitment).
>
>
QUESTION: Which partnership model would you prefer? What makes one more attractive
>
than the others? What would make you accept vs. walk away from each option?"

3. Negotiate and Close

Get predictions, refine proposals, and enter negotiations prepared knowing what they’ll say yes to, what concerns they’ll raise, and how to structure win-win deals.

Real Examples

$
> "SCENARIO: We (as MarketingTech SaaS) are proposing a co-marketing
>
partnership to you (as Enterprise Software Partner). Terms: 70/30 lead
>
split favoring us (we get 70% of qualified leads), $50K mutual marketing
>
investment from each party, 6-month exclusive commitment in your vertical,
>
joint webinar series (1 per month), co-branded content creation, shared
>
marketing automation platform access, and quarterly performance reviews
>
with lead quality metrics.
>
>
QUESTION: What concerns will you have about this structure? Would you
>
accept this proposal? What would make you accept vs. decline?"

I have significant concerns about this proposal.
My concerns:
1. Lead Split 70/30 Seems Unfair
   Why: You get 70% but we're investing equally ($50K each)
   My thought: "Why should they get most of the leads?"
   Reality: Our brand brings more value to this partnership
   What I need: 50/50 split OR lower investment from us
2. $50K Investment Is High
   Why: I got burned on $100K co-marketing that failed
   My thought: "This is a lot without proof it works"
   Reality: I need board approval for $50K+ spend
   What I need: Pilot program first ($10K test)
3. 6-Month Commitment Too Long
   Why: Want to test partnership before committing
   My thought: "What if this doesn't work?"
   Reality: Prefer 3-month pilot with option to extend
   What I need: Shorter initial term with success metrics
4. Missing Lead Quality Standards
   Why: Previous partner sent garbage leads
   My thought: "How do we ensure quality?"
   Reality: Our sales team wasted time on bad leads
   What I need: Clear lead qualification criteria upfront
If you propose this deal structure:
- 80% chance I say "let me think about it" (= soft no)
- 20% chance I counter with major changes
This proposal as-is won't work for me.

$
> "SCENARIO: Based on your concerns, we're restructuring our co-marketing
>
partnership proposal: 50/50 lead split (equal distribution of qualified leads),
>
3-month pilot program with $10K investment from each party (reduced from $50K),
>
clearly defined lead qualification criteria (Director+ title, 500+ employees,
>
active engagement score >70), non-exclusive during pilot, 2 webinars during
>
pilot period, and automatic extension to full $50K program if pilot generates
>
50+ qualified leads with 20% conversion rate.
>
>
QUESTION: Would this restructured proposal address your concerns? Would you
>
accept this? What makes this better or worse than the original proposal?"

YES. This structure works much better.
Why it addresses my concerns:
1. 50/50 Split = Fair
   My thought: "Equitable partnership"
   Reality: Both parties equally incentivized
   Result: I'm comfortable with this
2. $10K Pilot = Low Risk
   My thought: "We can test without major commitment"
   Reality: I can approve $10K without board
   Result: Removes biggest barrier
3. 3-Month Pilot = Safety Net
   My thought: "We can evaluate before scaling"
   Reality: Protects both parties
   Result: I'm willing to try this
4. Lead Criteria = Quality Assurance
   My thought: "No wasted time on bad leads"
   Reality: Our sales team will engage
   Result: Critical requirement met
With this structure:
- 85% chance I say "yes, let's move forward"
- I'll champion this internally
- We can likely start in 2-3 weeks
This is a partnership I'd actually approve.

Common Scenarios

Revenue Share Negotiations: Test revenue split structures (70/30, 50/50, 60/40 with performance tiers) to know which they’ll prefer. Understand if they favor higher upfront margins or performance-based escalation. Propose splits they’ll accept, avoiding months of renegotiation.

Strategic vs. Transactional: Understand their partnership philosophy by testing strategic collaboration (3-5 years, joint innovation, shared IP, co-investment) vs. transactional deals (short-term, reseller model, minimal collaboration). Pitch the right type of partnership for their mindset.

Contract Terms: Test contract terms (exclusivity, commitment length, minimum commitments, non-compete clauses, termination flexibility) before lawyers get involved. Know which terms they’ll accept vs. push back on, and what would make them walk away.

Co-Marketing Partnerships: Validate co-marketing structure (lead split, investment levels, content calendar, brand approval processes, success metrics) before proposing campaigns. Know what feels fair, how strict they are about brand guidelines, and what would drive enthusiastic execution.

Technology Integrations: Understand technical feasibility by testing integration requirements (engineering resources, timeline expectations, ongoing maintenance commitments, technical constraints). Propose integrations they can actually build and maintain.

Channel Partnerships: Test channel program terms (margins, training requirements, deal registration, performance minimums, tiered benefits) before building the program. Design channel structure that attracts and retains partners.

Implementation

$
> Create a partner mind for Sarah Martinez, Head of Partnerships
>
at DataTech, using /Documents/calls/datatech-partnership.vtt

✓ Training partner mind... (~10 min)

$
> SCENARIO: We (as MarketingTech Platform) are proposing a co-marketing
>
partnership to Sarah Martinez at DataTech. Terms: 70/30 revenue share
>
favoring us (we get 70%), $50K mutual co-marketing investment from each
>
party, 6-month exclusive commitment in the marketing automation vertical.
>
>
QUESTION: What concerns will Sarah have about this structure? Would she
>
accept this proposal? What would make her accept vs. decline?

Sarah will have concerns:
1. 70/30 split feels unfair (equal investment = equal split)
2. $50K is high without proof (needs pilot first)
3. Missing lead quality criteria
She'll counter with 50/50 split, $10K pilot, defined lead standards.

Next Steps