Lifecycle of an API Partner

Close search query: SP – API Partner Status: “1 – Potential”

This phase is most similar to a “potential” sales lead. There has not been any communication with this company, and it is time to figure out whether we should pursue a partnership/integration. New partner/affiliate leads can come from several sources: see referrals, demo requests and outreach sections.

Referrals

A potential or live customer suggests/refers/requests to their AE, AM, Support team a company that FareHarbor should work with. The FH member will fill out the Strategic Partnerships Inquiry Form. The submissions are populating in our SP Airtable and handled by SP Operations.

Demo requests

Demo Requests come from prospects who are requesting to learn more and get a demonstration of FareHarbor’s software. These prospects submit the demo forms on the FareHarbor website. The leads are then created in Close by Lead Generation team. If it’s a potential partner, the lead is then assigned to SP Ops. SP Ops evaluates the lead and may assign it to an SP Manager for the following reasons: for the SP Manager to further evaluate the potential lead as an API connection or reassigned for a different purpose (links or manual bookings).

What to do when you receive a task with a Demo Request:

• All demo requests must be responded to within 4 hours on weekdays.
• Make sure SP – API Partner Owner custom field is set to your name
• Make sure SP – API Partner Status custom field is set to 1 – Potential
• Start with researching the potential partner – What are they looking for? Is it a good fit? Do not spend a lot of time on this!
  • Has someone else already requested this partner? Check-in Close or Strategic Partnerships Airtable-base.
  • Is the company already listed as an affiliate in the Dashboard and/or Close?
  • Inspect the company’s website and check the following:
    • Is it a third party that resells tours and activities?
    • Does this company have their own booking system, or would this reseller be a better fit to sell our clients tours via ASN buttons?
    • LinkedIn profile – check the company details to see if it’s a good and relevant fit.
    • Do a search in Close and/or slack to see if this partner has come up in multiple conversations
  • Does this partner have an affiliate dashboard? How many companies are they working with currently? Include this information in a note in Close.
    • If there are 0-10 leads partnered with this affiliate or less than 50,000 USD TTV (Total Booking Volume) in the previous 12 months): low priority partner
    • If there are 11-50 leads partnered with this affiliate or T12 TTV between 50,000 and 250,000 USD: medium priority partner
    • If there are 51+ leads partnered with this affiliate or T12 TTV above 250,000 USD: high priority partner
  • Follow the steps in the section First conversation below to reach out to the potential partner.

Close search query: SP – API Partner Status: “2 – First conversation”

Time to start the initial conversation and contact the lead. For high priority partners, don’t lose time and try scheduling a call right away.

• If there hasn’t been prior communication with this partner, then you send the SP – Demo Request – Intro email template for areas/locations that we operate in; for other areas, send the international email template SP – Demo Request – International (English). Always double-check the email before sending! You can also use your own variation of these email templates.
• If there’s been communication between the partner and SP Ops and you know whether the potential partner already works with some of our clients and/or is interested in setting up an API Connection, then you can send the SP – Demo Request – 3 reselling methods. This email template includes communication about the initial 1,000 EUR Connection fee, more info in this this help page. Before sending the email, select the follow up in 1 week reminder icon (see image).

• If there is no response, you will be reminded to follow-up. Send the SP – Demo Request – No Answer email template.
• If you decide this partner is not worth pursuing/not a good fit, you can send the SP – Demo Request – Bad Fit email template. Write a note in the lead as to why you won’t pursue this company and task SP Ops to review and remove from your lead pool. This way SP Ops can also learn and ensure only quality leads are coming your way.

Close search query: “SP – API Partner Status: “3 – Qualified”)

Now that this partner is qualified and will more forward with the integration, complete the steps below:

• Send the SP – API – Description & Next Steps (Follow up) email template to the partner
• Add the partner details in the API Partners Connection & Maintenance Fee Invoices & Follow up. Fill out the information without columns “K” and “L”.
• Send the API & Data License Agreement via Conga.

• NDA/ MNDA is no longer needed.

• Once the API & Data License Agreement has been signed from both parties:

  • Add the date in the Documents – API & Data License Agreement Signed custom field in the partner’s Close lead under Contracts object. If there’s no contract object yet in the lead, you need to create one and name it “Contract”.
  • Activate the agreement in Conga
• Open the API Partners Connection & Maintenance Fee Invoices & Follow up and:
  • Update column “I” with the with the status: 4. In Effect & Activated
  • Send the Partner the email SP – API Connection Affiliate Stripe Email and update column “K” with the status Invoice Sent.
    • For partners connecting via Channel Managers, supply them with the 50% Discount code: CM50D.
  • Once the partner pays the invoice, change the status in column “K” to Invoice Paid and proceed to the next phase Planned.

Close search query: “SP – API Partner Status: “4 – Planned”

This phase is where we figure out the next steps of the API integration, timeline, partner’s capabilities. Follow the steps below:

• Send the partner the “SP – API – Between Stages 4 and 5” email template which includes: the ideal integration, the Planned API Partner Survey and our API Documentation.
• Add a lead note in the partner’s Close lead with info on their timeline to move forward with this integration and their main point of contact for any API-related questions.

Close search query: SP – API Partner Status: “5 – Has Test Environment”

To provide the partner with a test environment in Demo FareHarbor, testing credentials, and API Partner HP Center link, follow the steps in the Creating a test environment help page

Close search query: “SP – API Partner Status: “6 – In Progress”

• Once you know that the partner is actively testing, update the Close.io custom field, SP – API Partner Status to 6 – In Progress. The testing phase is technical in nature. This could require increased communication with the company’s technical team.

• Once the partner informs you that they have completed testing, the SP Manager checks and confirms in their demo dashboard prior to sending the SP – API – Between Stages 5 and 6 email template to the partner. The email gathers the following info:

  • Timeline on when common clients can expect to be connected with the Partner through the API, as well as, referral process and expectations for new clients.
  • Live: API Technical Partner Survey: The Partner will have to fill out this survey so we know for sure what their capabilities are (i.e. pulling prices). SP Manager will receive a task in Close once the partner submits this survey.

  • Marketing Survey: The Partner will have to fill out this survey so we can get their company bio that will be later displayed in our internal and client-facing resources (i.e. Compass, API Directory help page).

  • The answers from both surveys can be found in the Strategic Partnerships Airtable “HERE” and “HERE”

• Make sure the Partner completes the surveys before you move forward to the next phase because:
  • Our team uses this info to understand the scope of the new integration.
  • This info is essential to keep our documentation accurate and up to date.
  • This allows our team and suppliers to know the capabilities of this API Partner.
  • If either survey is not completed in its entirety, do not move to the next step!
• Collect the API Maintenance Fee
  • Send the Close email template, SP – API Maintenance Affiliate Stripe Email
  • Coordinate with the partner when they complete the payment set-up and when you will deliver the Live API Keys (we want this to happen on the same day)
  • Why? Since the partner is setting up a draft of their payment in 365 days, we want to ensure that they have had live credentials for that entire period.
  • Do not proceed to the next step until you confirm receipt of payment in the “Strip Dashboard”.

Close search query: “SP – API Partner Status: “7 – Live”

• If the partner has not completed any of the above, send it again!
• Once all of the above is completed, send the Partner the SP – API – Live API Credentials email template to provide them with their live production keys.
• You continue supporting the Partner to roll out the partnership and making sure they are connected properly to each client that they have a relationship with.
• Follow the steps from Go Live Checklist

Note: There are three additional SP – API Partner Statuses that you should know about:

• “SP – API Partner Status: “Stalled – Maintaining Contact”

  • The conversation between the Partner and FareHarbor is still somewhat active, however, the potential API Partner has for some reason stopped development. The Partnerships team will continue to follow up, and keep a relationship with this API Partner, so once they have the capacity to start working on the connection, we will be the first reservation system that they are ready to move forward with.

• “SP – API Partner Status: “Stalled – Not Maintaining Contact”

  • We had previously been in contact with the potential API Partner, but have determined on either side that we will not pursue an API integration at this time. i.e., we do not have clients in common, neither team can create the integration, after discussing the partner has decided that they do not wish to pursue/build the connection etc.

• “SP – API Partner Status: “Stalled – International”

  • The conversation between the API Partner and our team is still somewhat active, however, we cannot work with them right now because FareHarbor does not operate in the country where the partner is or doesn’t have any suppliers there. This may change in the future.

Email bounce backs

If you send an email and it bounces back, please set a task for Lead Generation. They will make sure the email is removed so we don’t keep sending emails to bad addresses, and they can help find the correct email address.

Better contact information

If you are hitting a roadblock with the emails or if a phone number is dead or not working, set a task for the Lead Generation team.

Merge/Delete/Relate Leads

Follow the process in this help page .