From blank page to operational programme.

Before any sales activity begins, the commercial framework is established. This means a full partnership agreement (not a heads of terms or a letter of intent) covering commission structures, deal protection, IP ownership, market addenda for each jurisdiction, dispute resolution, and the governance framework that defines who is accountable for what across both organisations.

The sales methodology is designed before the first prospect is contacted. This includes a structured qualification framework (typically a rapid pre-qualifier that categorises prospects into tiers), a 7-phase sales workflow with defined gates and handoffs, a QA checklist that enforces data quality before any deal is submitted to the vendor, and a deal registration system that protects the partner's pipeline.

The systems that enforce the process are built in parallel with the process itself. This includes a public-facing platform for prospect engagement (survey, assessment, or qualification tool), a partner portal with role-based access for the sales team, an admin dashboard with live KPIs for leadership visibility, and integration to the vendor's own deal management system via API. The technology does not replace the process. It enforces it.

The sales team is onboarded to the system, the methodology, and the product before the first prospect conversation. This includes a structured walkthrough of every tool, a training programme on the qualification methodology, and a reference guide for each stage of the sales process. The goal is a team that can operate the programme independently, not one that depends on the advisor for every decision.

The first wave of prospects is identified, qualified, and entered into the programme. For the Enerzyz Lighthouse Pilot Programme, this meant selecting four properties across different facility types, managing the survey and assessment process for each, and coordinating the technical handoff to the vendor's deployment team. The pilot is not a test. It is the first revenue-generating phase of the programme.

Once the programme is live, the operating model shifts to ongoing management: relationship ownership, L1 issue triage, quarterly business reviews, contract renewal management, and performance reporting. The governance framework established in phase one defines who is accountable for each of these activities, so there is no ambiguity about who handles what when something goes wrong or when a renewal is due.