Up until now software as a service companies who were looking for help in building and managing a channel partner program have been hard-pressed to find training that caters to their needs. SaaSMAX is looking to make that process a little easier with its Channel Management Certification Course, the first-ever class centered around building a SaaS-specific partner program.

SaaSMAX is offering the classes in conjunction with Chanimal, a channel consulting, training and certification course provider. Chanimal CEO and SaaSMAX Chief Marketing Officer Ted Finch will teach each of the five courses, which will be held each Friday at 9am PT in October.

Each class will be held online in a single 90-minute session, with lessons centering around how to identify channel program strengths and weaknesses as well as how to refine partner programs based on proven strategies, according to the announcement.

“The Chanimal certification started in 2013 and has been delivered to channel managers from start-ups to some of the industry’s largest high-tech companies,” said Finch, in a statement. “This custom certification leverages the key tenets of channel management and marketing, with content and adjustments specifically tailored for SaaS marketing executives.”

Registration for the certification program is available now, with SaaSMAX offering discounts for its current members. The course will be broken down into the following lessons:

·      Lesson 1:  Channel Partner Programs 101-110: Your Competitive Advantage

·      Lesson 2:  Defining Your Reseller Program

·      Lesson 3:  Creating the Policies for Your Reseller Program

·      Lesson 4:  Reseller Recruitment & Strategic Alliances

·      Lesson 5:  Partner Enablement 

“Indirect channels can be one of, if not the, most profitable paths to growing your SaaS sales,” said SaaSMAX CEO Dina Moskowitz. “The good news is that it’s not magic and it’s not even difficult to implement.  However, it does require know-how, strategy, commitment and implementation.  This SaaSMAX/Chanimal certification course will provide SaaS executives with that know-how, strategy and tools.”