Solanasis Docs

solanasis-referral-program-playbook-v1.1

10 min read

Solanasis Referral Program Playbook (for another AI)

Version: v2.0 (rates revised 2026-03-18 based on market research) Program Model: Introducer Program + Founding Partner Boost + Two-Tier Structure Primary Goal: Generate warm, high-trust leads via security/IT professionals while protecting relationships and controlling downside.

v2.0 changes: Rates lowered from 15%/20% to 10%/15% based on industry benchmarking (25+ sources). Added Network tier. Added formal agreement template (solanasis-docs/legal/04_Referral_Partner_Agreement.md). Added partner onboarding checklist.

0) Program in One Paragraph

Security referrals are high-trust: when a partner introduces you, they’re putting their reputation on the line. A referral program in this space must (1) feel meaningfully incentivized, (2) reduce partner risk with deal protection + non-circumvention, and (3) only pay after cash is collected to prevent downside. Keep it clean: opt-in warm intro → closed paid project → partner gets paid.

1) Recommended Program Design (Option A + Founding Boost)

1.1 Who it’s for

  • Security consultants, MSPs, fractional CIO/CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) / IT operators
  • Trusted advisors who hear: “we think we have backups” / “we’re probably fine”
  • People who want to help clients and be compensated without doing delivery work

1.2 What partners do (Introducer)

Partners provide:

  • an opt-in warm intro to a decision maker (Owner/CEO/COO/IT lead)
  • a 2–3 sentence context note (trigger + urgency)

Partners do not:

  • deliver services
  • “sell” for Solanasis
  • provide lead lists

1.3 Incentives (milestone-based, two-tier)

Network Referral (casual contacts, friends, anyone who sends a name)

  • 10% of the first paid project (services revenue only)
  • Cap: $1,500 per referred client
  • No formal deal protection (good-faith basis)

Standard Partner (MSPs, CPAs, attorneys, compliance consultants, insurance brokers)

  • 10% of the first paid project (services revenue only)
  • Cap: $2,500 per referred client
  • 120-day deal protection included

Founding Partner Boost (first 10 professional partners)

  • 15% on your first closed referral
  • After your first closed referral, you revert to Standard Partner (10%) for future deals
  • Cap: $2,500 per referred client
  • 120-day deal protection included

Conversion Bonus (all tiers)

  • +$500 if the client signs a recurring agreement (retainer) within 60 days of the first paid project and pays the first recurring invoice

1.4 Safety controls (transparent + partner-friendly)

  • Commission earned only after payment clears (client invoice paid)
  • Commission applies to services only (exclude pass-through costs)
  • Founding-phase caps: 2,500 (partner/founding) per referred client (can be raised later)
  • Payout cadence: Quarterly by default (upgrade to monthly later)
  • W-9 required before first payout (1099-NEC issued for $600+ annually)
  • Signed Referral Partner Agreement required for Professional and Founding tiers

Design principle: Make the program feel “high incentive” while ensuring Solanasis never pays out of pocket.

2) Deal Protection / Non-Circumvention (the trust engine)

2.1 Deal registration trigger

A referral becomes “protected” when:

  1. partner submits deal registration (email or form), and
  2. Solanasis confirms acceptance/receipt.

2.2 Protection terms

  • Protection window: 120 days
  • Solanasis will not intentionally bypass the partner during this window
  • If the client is already in active talks with Solanasis, Solanasis discloses that immediately

2.3 Partner updates (relationship maintenance)

At minimum, notify partner on:

  • discovery completed
  • proposal sent
  • closed-won
  • invoice paid (commission due)
  • retainer signed (bonus due)

3) Qualified Referral Definition (anti-spam filter)

3.1 “Qualified referral” must include all

  • Prospect opts in to the introduction
  • Intro includes a decision maker
  • There is a plausible trigger (one or more):
    • insurance/compliance questionnaire
    • backups exist but restores are untested / uncertain
    • incident / near-miss / suspicious activity
    • vendor change / MSP transition
    • growth-driven operational chaos (tools, permissions, data sprawl)

3.2 Disqualifiers

  • Cold lists, scraped contacts, non-consensual intros
  • No authority + no urgency + no problem signal
  • Any arrangement requiring improper kickbacks to decision-makers

4) Commission Base Rules (how to calculate)

4.1 Included (commissionable)

  • Consulting/services delivered by Solanasis in the first project:
    • security assessment
    • disaster recovery (DR) verification (restore reality-check)
    • resilience hardening / remediation planning (if part of first project)

4.2 Excluded (non-commissionable)

  • Hardware/software/licenses/subscriptions
  • Cloud spend, third-party pass-through charges
  • Taxes, shipping, payment processing fees

4.3 Earned vs paid

  • Earned when: Solanasis receives cleared funds for the eligible invoice
  • Paid when: Solanasis runs the payout cycle (quarterly)

4.4 Clawback / reversal

If client payment is reversed/refunded/charged back, commission may be netted from future payouts.

5) Partner Kit (sendable materials)

5.1 Quick blurb (copy/paste)

One-liner

We pay for warm intros that close: 10% of the first paid project, and 15% for Founding Partners (first 10 partners) on your first closed referral. Deal protection included.

DM-ready paragraph

We run founder-led cybersecurity assessments and disaster recovery verification. If you introduce us to a decision-maker and it closes, we pay 10% of the first paid project (services only), paid after the invoice is collected. For our first 10 Founding Partners, it’s 15% on your first closed referral, plus a $500 conversion bonus if they move into a recurring retainer within 60 days. We include 120-day deal protection and a signed agreement. We won’t go around you.

Ultra-short text

Warm intro, closed paid project, you get 10% (or 15% Founding Partner on your first deal). Paid after payment clears. Deal protection included.

5.2 One-page partner sheet (PDF-ready)

Solanasis Partner Referral Program (Introducer + Founding Partner Boost)

Who it’s for
Security consultants, MSPs, trusted IT operators.

What Solanasis does

  • Security assessment + resilience hardening
  • Backup & Disaster Recovery (DR) verification (restore reality-check)
  • Migrations/integration when relevant

How it works

  1. You introduce us to a decision maker (opt-in warm intro)
  2. We run discovery + propose scope
  3. If the client pays for the first project, you earn the referral fee

Referral fee

  • Standard Partner: 10% of first paid project (services only), capped at $2,500
  • Founding Partners (first 10): 15% on your first closed referral, then 10%, capped at $2,500
  • Conversion bonus: +$500 if the client signs recurring within 60 days (and pays first recurring invoice)

Deal protection

  • Register deal → confirmed within 24 hours
  • Protected for 120 days
  • We don’t go around you

Qualified referral

  • Opt-in intro
  • Decision maker included
  • Real trigger (insurance, DR uncertainty, incident, vendor change, growth)

How to refer

  • Email intro: hi@solanasis.com
  • Or deal registration form (link)

Contact
Partner lead: hi@solanasis.com
Terms version: v2.0 — 2026-03-18

5.3 Terms / stipulations (plain-English)

  1. Eligibility: legitimate professional/business; participation at Solanasis discretion
  2. Opt-in intros only
  3. Qualified referral: must meet definition in Section 3
  4. Deal protection: begins upon confirmation; lasts 120 days
  5. Commission base: services only; excludes pass-throughs/costs/fees/taxes
  6. Payment trigger: earned only after cleared funds received
  7. Payout schedule: quarterly by default; paid via ACH after tax form collection (e.g., W-9 in the US)
  8. Clawback: reversed/refunded payments may be netted from future payouts
  9. Non-circumvention: no intentional bypass during protection window
  10. Confidentiality: don’t share proposals/sensitive client details without permission
  11. No agency: partner cannot bind Solanasis contractually
  12. Compliance: no improper kickbacks; comply with applicable laws and client policies
  13. Program updates: terms may update with notice; registered deals follow terms at registration unless stated
  14. Termination: either party may end participation; earned commissions remain payable per terms

Note: This is a program outline, not legal advice. For formal agreements, run terms by counsel.

6) Deal Registration Form (fields)

6.1 Partner info

  • Partner name
  • Company
  • Email
  • Preferred payout method (optional at registration)

6.2 Client info

  • Company name + website
  • Primary contact name + title
  • Email + phone
  • Decision maker included? (Y/N)
  • Opt-in confirmed? (Y/N)

6.3 Context

  • Trigger reason (dropdown)
  • 2–3 sentence summary
  • Urgency/timeline (this week / this month / next quarter)
  • Notes (free text)

6.4 Admin (internal)

  • Date submitted
  • Status (Received / Accepted / Not qualified / Already in pipeline)
  • Protected until (auto-calc today + 120 days)

7) CRM Setup (minimum viable)

7.1 Properties / fields

  • referral_partner_name
  • referral_partner_type (network / standard / founding)
  • deal_registered_date
  • deal_protection_end_date
  • commission_rate_first_deal (10% / 15%)
  • conversion_bonus_eligible (Y/N)
  • conversion_bonus_paid (Y/N)
  • commissionable_revenue_first_project
  • commission_amount_due
  • payout_status (not due / due / paid / clawback)
  • payout_date

7.2 Pipeline stages (simple)

  1. Referred (registered)
  2. Discovery scheduled
  3. Proposal sent
  4. Closed won (invoice issued)
  5. Paid (commission due)
  6. Retainer started (bonus check)

8) Internal SOP (how Solanasis runs referrals)

  1. Acknowledge registration within 24 hours
  2. Validate “Qualified Referral” criteria
  3. Mark protection dates in CRM
  4. Book discovery within 7 days
  5. Keep partner informed at key milestones (Section 2.3)
  6. Run payouts quarterly:
    • verify cleared funds
    • compute commission base (services only)
    • apply cap during founding phase
    • collect W-9 (US) / tax form if needed
    • pay via ACH
    • send payout confirmation + breakdown

9) Partner Outreach Scripts (copy/paste)

9.1 Founding Partner invite (DM)

I’m putting together a small Founding Partner group, first 10 people. If you send a warm intro that closes, you get 15% on your first closed referral (then 10% after). 120-day deal protection included; paid after cash clears. Want the 1-page sheet?

9.2 Follow-up nudge (DM)

Quick nudge: if you have one client you’re even slightly worried about backups/restore reality, I can do a fast sanity-check assessment. If they engage, you get the Founding Partner terms.

9.3 Intro email template (partner forwards)

Subject: Quick intro — (Client) ↔ Solanasis
Body:

Hey (Name) — introducing you to (Solanasis contact).

Context: (1–2 lines on trigger/pain).
Timing: (this month / next 2 weeks).

I’ll let you take it from here.

10) Program Positioning (what makes this compelling)

  • Meaningful incentive (10% / 15% Founding on first deal)
  • Trust protection (deal registration + non-circumvention)
  • Clean economics (paid after cash clears; services-only base; cap)
  • Low effort for partners (intro-only)
  • No fear marketing (clarity + proof, not doom)

11) KPIs (track weekly)

  • Partners recruited (Founding vs Standard)
  • Intros received
  • Qualified rate (% meeting criteria)
  • Discovery-to-proposal rate
  • Close rate
  • Average first project value
  • Conversion to recurring (bonus trigger rate)
  • Time-to-close (days)
  • Commission cost as % of gross margin

12) Blog Post Assets (3 tone/style options)

Use these as publish-ready drafts or as content prompts.

12.1 Tone A: Founder-led, punchy, slightly edgy (friendly)

Key beats:

  • “Referral programs feel gross; ours doesn’t.”
  • Security referrals = reputational risk
  • Deal protection is the differentiator
  • Simple payout terms + CTA

12.2 Tone B: Story-driven, entertaining, regular-people accessible

Key beats:

  • Fire extinguisher / backups analogy
  • “Survive a bad day” framing
  • Trust + protection
  • Simple steps + CTA

12.3 Tone C: Practical consultant playbook (clear + readable)

Key beats:

  • Why programs fail
  • Exact terms + qualification rules
  • Deal protection + commission base rules
  • How to refer + CTA

Reusable blog-generation prompt for another AI

Write a blog post about Solanasis’ referral program for security/DR verification referrals. Must be insightful, entertaining, and accessible to non-technical readers. Include: why referrals are high-trust, why “we have backups” is not proof, the simple model (opt-in warm intro → closed paid project → partner paid), Founding Partner boost (first 10 partners get 15% on first closed referral), standard rate (10%), conversion bonus ($500 if recurring within 60 days and first recurring invoice paid), deal protection (120 days), and qualified referral rules (opt-in + decision maker + trigger). Avoid fear-mongering; emphasize clarity and proof. End with a simple CTA to request the one-pager and join as a partner.

13) Implementation Checklist (do this in order)

  • Create hi@solanasis.com (alias or inbox)
  • Create one-pager doc → export PDF
  • Create terms appendix / page
  • Create deal registration form
  • Add CRM fields + pipeline stages
  • Build Founding Partner list of 10 (hand-picked)
  • Send Founding Partner invite + one-pager
  • Confirm deal protection within 24 hours
  • Run quarterly payouts + send breakdowns
  • Collect signed Referral Partner Agreement (Professional/Founding tiers)
  • Collect W-9 before first payout
  • After 3+ closes: consider raising/removing cap

14) Variables (customize once, reuse everywhere)

  • YOURDOMAIN.com
  • hi@solanasis.com
  • Founding Partner limit: 10
  • Network commission: 10%
  • Standard partner commission: 10%
  • Founding first-deal commission: 15%
  • Network payout cap: $1,500 per client
  • Deal protection window: 120 days
  • Conversion bonus: $500
  • Bonus window: 60 days
  • Founding payout cap: $2,500 per client
  • Payout cadence: Quarterly

End of playbook.

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