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Finding channel partners in a new country: a five-step playbook for software vendors

Partner recruitment fails when it starts with a portal and a commission table. It works when it starts with a map of who already sells next to your product.

October 29, 2026 · 1 min read

Software vendors entering a new country usually need the same thing: local agencies and integrators that will sell, implement and support their product. Most partner programmes start with a portal, a commission table and a few events. Few of them start with a map.

1. Define the partner you need

Is it an agency that recommends software to its clients, an integrator that implements it, or both? A CRM needs integrators with ERP experience; a search or payments tool needs eCommerce agencies; a marketing tool needs performance agencies. Write the profile down: services, software they already implement, team size, type of clients.

2. Map the whole market, not the loudest names

Directories and partner lists show the agencies that market themselves. The best partners are often mid-sized firms with strong client relationships and little visibility. Start from the full census of the country: in Spain, for example, there are 671 Shopify agencies, 162 Odoo partners and 82 HubSpot agencies, and most of them never appear in a ranking.

3. Shortlist by adjacency

The fastest partner is the agency that already implements software next to yours. If you sell a PIM, look at the agencies implementing Magento, Shopify Plus or Salesforce Commerce Cloud. If you sell an ERP connector, look at the agencies that already offer ERP/CRM integrations: 1,772 in Spain alone.

4. Approach with a reason

Agencies receive partnership proposals every week. Lead with something concrete: a client of theirs that would benefit, a gap in their offer (no AI, no integration, a single platform), or a joint opportunity in a sector they already serve.

5. Enable before you sign

Small agencies can't afford weeks of training. Seven in ten Spanish agencies have ten people or fewer. Give them a sandbox, a demo script and help with the first pre-sale. The first project closed together is worth more than any partner tier.

We build the map and open the door: tell us what you sell and where.