The Partner-Ready Checklist

Answer these 12 questions before you approach sponsors, corporate partners, or investors. A clear “yes” means you are ready to start stronger conversations.

10–12 yesReady to begin outreach.

7–9 yesClose—strengthen the gaps first.

0–6 yesBuild the foundation before pitching.

Can you explain your organization in one clear sentence?

A partner should understand who you serve, what you do, and why it matters without decoding jargon.

Is your audience specific and measurable?

Know the community, customer, geography, reach, and behavior a partnership would help a brand access.

Do you know the business problem you solve for a partner?

Connect your opportunity to revenue, awareness, customer access, talent, community impact, or another priority.

Can you show proof of traction?

Prepare credible numbers: customers, subscribers, participants, growth, outcomes, retention, or past activations.

Is your offer more than a logo placement?

Build an activation that gives the partner meaningful access, content, engagement, data, or measurable impact.

Have you defined the exact partnership you want?

Name the investment, resources, distribution, expertise, or relationship you are requesting.

Does the opportunity fit the partner’s current priorities?

Research the company’s audience, initiatives, recent partnerships, leadership language, and strategic goals.

Can you explain what success will look like?

Choose a small set of outcomes both sides can track before, during, and after the partnership.

Do you have the capacity to deliver?

Confirm ownership, timeline, budget, communication, approvals, and fulfillment before you sign.

Are your materials partner-ready?

Your website, one-page overview, deck, data, testimonials, and contact information should tell one consistent story.

Do you know the right person to approach?

Identify the decision-maker, internal champion, budget owner, and best path to a warm introduction.

Is your follow-up system ready?

Track the relationship, next action, decision process, materials sent, and agreed timing—not just the first email.

Need help turning your answers into a partner strategy?

Justin Howell helps organizations sharpen their positioning, identify better-fit partners, and build outreach that leads to real conversations.

Tell Justin what you’re building →