8Mar

How to Build a SaaS Channel Partner Program from Scratch (Step-by-Step Guide)

by channelstrategist Free Resources and Guides, Marketing Strategies, Marketplaces and Distributors, Partner Recruitment

Why Your SaaS Needs a Channel Partner-led Sales Growth Program

Scaling a SaaS business is expensive and time-consuming when relying solely on direct sales. The fastest-growing SaaS companies—Salesforce, Microsoft, HubSpot, and AWS— build SaaS partner programs to expand their reach, lower acquisition costs, and drive long-term revenue growth. Partner-led sales growth strategies account for a 2X revenue growth at 60% of SaaS companies.

Microsoft generates over 95% of its revenue through partners.
HubSpot’s partner program contributes 40%+ to total sales.
Salesforce attributes over 70% of its revenue to channel sales.
Companies using channel partners grow 2x faster than those relying on direct sales alone.

If you want scalability, cost efficiency, and faster market penetration, it’s time to build a SaaS partner program.

Start Building Your Channel Program: Read More Jump to our GPT to build your detailed strategy

Step 1: Assess Readiness for a Channel Program

Before launching or Build SaaS partner programs, ensure your SaaS is ready for indirect sales.

Key Readiness Factors:

Product-Market Fit (PMF): A validated SaaS solution with proven demand.
Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Clearly defined customer segments to target.
Repeatable Sales Process: Standardized messaging, sales decks, and objection handling.
Competitive Differentiation: A compelling reason for partners to sell your product.

How to Evaluate Readiness:

If your SaaS still requires constant product adjustments, focus on perfecting direct sales first.
If your direct sales team struggles to close deals, work on refining your messaging and sales process before scaling with partners.
If you have achieved consistent revenue growth and sales efficiency, you are ready to expand with partners.

Industry insight from Bessemer Venture Partners highlights that partner programs work best when the direct sales process is optimized first. Otherwise, partners will struggle with positioning, pricing, and closing deals.

Validate Your GTM Strategy →

Step 2: Define Your Partner-led sales growth

A successful SaaS channel partner program must align with your business objectives.

Types of SaaS Partners:

Referral Partners: Individuals or companies that send qualified leads for a commission.
Resellers: Businesses that sell your SaaS under their own brand or alongside other services.
Value-Added Resellers (VARs): Providers who integrate your SaaS into their solutions, often bundling it with consulting or support.
System Integrators (SIs): IT firms that implement your SaaS within large enterprise systems.

How to Choose the Right Partner Model:

If you need brand awareness, referral partners are the fastest way to gain exposure.
If you want more sales reps without hiring, resellers expand your sales team without fixed costs.
If you target enterprise customers, system integrators can embed your SaaS into large corporate IT stacks.

Selecting the right model depends on where your direct sales model struggles. If you lack access to mid-market or enterprise clients, resellers or system integrators may be ideal.

Define Your Channel Strategy →

Step 3: Recruit the Right Partners

Finding the right partners is essential to building a high-performing SaaS partner program.

What Makes a High-Quality SaaS Partner?

They sell to your target customers.
They have a trusted reputation in your industry.
They have proven sales capabilities.
They offer complementary solutions (e.g., CRM providers reselling a marketing automation SaaS).

Where to Find Potential Partners:

Partner Directories: SaaS marketplaces and B2B directories (e.g., G2, Capterra).
Industry Associations & Events: Networking opportunities with IT consultants and agencies.
Existing Customers: Some of your power users may make great referral or reseller partners.

HubSpot scaled its partner program by first identifying agencies already selling inbound marketing services—a perfect match for their CRM and automation platform.

Find and Recruit Your First Partners →

Step 4: Enable & Onboard Your Partners

Your partners need structured onboarding to effectively sell your SaaS.

Essential Partner Enablement Resources:

Sales Playbooks & Messaging Guides
Demo Accounts & Sandbox Environments
Co-Branded Marketing Materials
Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Tool

Best Practices for Partner Training:

Create a certification program to validate expertise.
Host live training and Q&A sessions to ensure partners feel confident.
Provide dedicated partner success managers to support high-value partners.

Build a High-Impact Onboarding System →

Step 5: Manage & Scale Your Partner-led sales growth Program

A successful SaaS partner program requires continuous management and optimization.

Key Channel Sales Metrics to Track:

Partner-Sourced Revenue: The percentage of revenue coming from partners.
Average Deal Size of Partner Sales: Determines partner effectiveness.
Partner Activation Rate: Tracks how many partners actively sell your SaaS.
Churn Rate of Partner Deals: Indicates whether partner-driven customers retain long-term.

How to Scale the Partner-led sales growth:

Conduct regular partner check-ins with monthly business reviews.
Implement tiered partner rewards by providing higher commissions and co-marketing funds to top-performing partners.
Foster a partner community and host events to keep partners engaged.

Optimize and Scale Your Program →