Getting More From Partner Performance: A Guide to Measuring What Matters Best Practices

Partner programs often suffer from “partner invisibility,” where their value is overlooked because traditional metrics focus only on direct sales. Chris Messina highlights that partners contribute beyond revenue—enhancing products, brand, and customer satisfaction—yet these impacts go unmeasured. To solve this, he founded Quark, introducing a “shared value index,” like a credit score for partners. Using AI and diverse data sources, it captures both direct and indirect value, making partner impact visible and trusted by leaders. This unified metric enables companies to better invest in partnerships, transforming them from cost centers to critical drivers of growth and innovation.

Traditional metrics like leads and direct revenue fail to capture the full value of partner programs. Chris Messina emphasizes that both large and small companies face measurement challenges: big firms struggle to track vast ecosystems, while smaller ones must prove their worth with limited resources. Instead of relying on outdated reports, companies should align partner measurement with their own KPIs—such as customer retention, innovation, or NPS. A KPI-focused approach highlights how different partners add value in unique ways, ensuring smarter investments, stronger relationships, and greater recognition of partner teams as essential drivers of growth and innovation.

Traditional metrics fail to capture the full value partners bring beyond leads and direct revenue. Chris Messina’s Quark introduces the Shared Value Index, a “credit score for partners” that unifies first-, second-, and third-party data into a transparent 0–100 rating. By mapping value exchanges and integrating with tools like Salesforce, PRMs, Crossbeam, and Crunchbase, it reveals both direct and indirect partner impact. AI-powered insights from “Agent Q” suggest next-best actions, helping leaders invest wisely. This approach transforms partner programs from cost centers into growth drivers, earning executive trust, better funding, and recognition as essential contributors to long-term success.