13: Build It Before You Need It: Your Complete Partnership Asset Stack
What if the reason your partnerships aren't converting isn't your pitch — it's that you haven't built the foundation yet? In Episode 13 of Partnerships on Purpose, Marie and Anne-Marie break down the exact partnership assets every coach, consultant, and service-based business owner needs to have in place before launching a referral partnership program. From affiliate tracking to JV kits to deal documentation, this episode is your behind-the-scenes look at how a strategic partnership operation actually runs.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
The non-negotiable business prerequisites before you pursue any partnership (and why skipping them kills momentum)
The difference between a partnership page and a JV kit — and when to use each one
How to set up an affiliate program that handles tracking and commissions automatically
A simple system for prospecting potential partners and managing outreach at scale
Why deal tracking is the secret weapon behind every successful partnership program
How to assign and train your team so nothing falls through the cracks
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
[00:01:45] — The Prerequisites Nobody Talks About
Before Marie and Anne-Marie even get to partnership assets, they lay out the prerequisites that must be in place first: a defined business, a niched-down target market, a converting offer with a funnel, and a promotional calendar. Anne-Marie makes it clear — if you can't answer who you serve and what you're selling, you're not ready for partnerships yet. As Marie puts it, if someone tells them they can work with "everybody," that's a red flag, not a strength.
[00:06:30] — Your Affiliate Program: The First Asset to Build
Marie walks through setting up an affiliate program as the foundation of any partnership asset portfolio. Whether you use GoHighLevel, ThriveCart, Keap, or Kit, the key is that partners can receive trackable links and commissions automatically. This isn't optional — it's the infrastructure that makes everything else run. Marie shares how the team once had to redirect a member who tried to bypass tracking links entirely, and why that conversation was so important.
[00:08:30] — Partnership Page vs. JV Kit: Know the Difference
One of the most clarifying moments in the episode comes when Marie asks Anne-Marie to explain the difference between a partnership page and a JV kit. The partnership page lives on your website and functions as a pre-vetting tool — a high-level overview that encourages the right partners to self-select in (or out). The JV kit is far more comprehensive: bios, offer details, commission structures, testimonials, swipe copy, and a full list of partnership formats you're open to. Anne-Marie emphasizes that you likely don't need both, and that the JV kit is what you send after the conversation has already happened.
[00:16:30] — Prospecting, Outreach, and Deal Tracking
Marie and Anne-Marie go deep on the operational side of partnerships: how to build a prospecting list using tools like Airtable, how to systematize outreach with templates loaded into GHL or Gmail, and how to track every deal so your team knows exactly what's been promised, when it's happening, and who's responsible. Anne-Marie shares a practical tip about how their VA tracks every partnership link, date, and affiliate detail so nothing gets missed — and why investing time in this back-end process is what separates a successful program from a chaotic one.
"When the momentum starts with partnerships, you want to keep going. You don't want to be in a position where you're like, 'Oh my God, let me think about that.' You've lost the momentum at that point." — Anne-Marie Pasquino
LINKS MENTIONED
GoHighLevel (GHL) — CRM and affiliate program platform used by Marie and Anne-Marie
ThriveCart — Affiliate program alternative
Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) — CRM option for affiliate tracking
Kit — Email/affiliate platform
Airtable — Prospecting and deal tracking tool
*Affiliate Link. Please see Policy Page.Work with Marie & Anne-Marie: powerfulonlinepartnerships.com
SUBSCRIBE & CONNECT
If this episode gave you clarity on where to start — or what you've been missing — subscribe to Partnerships on Purpose on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. And if you're ready to build a partnership program that actually works, reach out to Marie and Anne-Marie at powerfulonlinepartnerships.com.
