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Channel Sales Training Courses & Learning Opportunities
 

 

More and more organizations are investing heavily in channel sales as this function has proven to drive incomparable revenue and retention rates.

 

With channel sales becoming an in-demand function, many professionals consider entering this line of work. While there’s a lot of overlap between the responsibilities of sales and marketing roles and those of channel sales roles, there are also many vital differences with which individuals must familiarize themselves.

Thankfully, there is a surplus of channel sales training courses and learning opportunities available to interested professionals. This article explores channel sales training courses for individuals, learning options for teams, and additional resources to advance your career.

Why Get into Channel Sales?

Channel sales is a lucrative function. The average Channel Sales Manager makes $122,825 annually but could earn upwards of $159,000 in base compensation. Meanwhile, a Channel Sales Director makes anywhere from $138,957-$174,515.

Channel sales isn’t entirely different from sales and marketing. Many of the same concepts apply. You have to understand your audience, target the right prospects, and nurture leads. However, a Channel Sales Manager works with channel partners instead of prospects and customers.

As such, a Channel Sales Manager must be highly skilled in developing and nurturing strong relationships with channel partners. Learn more about the Channel Sales Manager role.

 

Channel Sales Training Courses for Individuals

Many channel sales training courses are available for individuals looking to enter the channel sales world or level up in their careers. 

If you already work in channel sales, ask your manager about personal development opportunities and stipends — you may find that your company will cover training costs.

 

PARTNERNOMICS SPLP®️ Certification

PARTNERNOMICS offers a Strategic Partner Leadership Professional®️ (SPLP®️) certification with The University of Central Missouri. Three courses outline partnering foundations, the strategic partner leadership model, and the five-phase partnering process. 

After taking all three courses, learners can pay $395 to take the SPLP®️ exam, which consists of 75 questions to be answered within 90 minutes. After passing the exam, you’ll be certified for three years. When your certification expires, you can complete a 30-minute recertification exam. 

 

SaaSy Sales Leadership

Complete SaaSy Sales Leadership courses, including the Partner Manager Accelerator, with a virtual cohort in real-time. Unlike other courses mentioned above, the Partner Manager Accelerator bootcamp occurs over three days. 

The next Partner Manager cohort kicks off in December, and you can save by signing up early — general admission is $900, but early bird tickets can be purchased for $750.

 

The Channel Institute

Earn certifications in Channel Sales, Channel Management, Channel Marketing, and Digital Co-marketing from The Channel Institute. Courses are completely online and take around 20 hours to finish. After completing the 10-module course, you can take the online certification exam. You’ll need to score a 70% or higher to pass, but you have up to seven attempts to take the exam.

Courses cost over $2,000 to enroll, so be sure to dig into the syllabus for the course you’re interested in and consider a free trial to ensure it aligns with your goals.

 

Chanimal University

Chanimal University features courses and certifications on Channel Management, Channel Sales, and Channel Marketing. Courses range from $1,495-$1,995 and include video segments, guest videos, and bonus resources.

After purchasing, you gain access to the course for twelve months, during which you can retake the exam as many times as needed to pass.

 

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning features a variety of training resources for professionals in a range of functions. As partnerships and channel sales have grown in prevalence, LinkedIn has begun adding new training resources. While there aren’t yet many options, there are a few lessons channel sales leaders should check out.

In the Create a Go to Market Plan course, taught by Deirdre Breakenridge of Pure Performance Communications, the third chapter revolves around setting up your channel strategy and provides a great overview for beginners. 

Consider taking the Strategic Partnerships and Strategic Partnerships: Ecosystems and Platforms courses taught by Benjamin Gomes-Casseres, a professor at Brandeis University. These courses dig deeper into strategic partnerships, partner tools, ecosystem management, and more.

 

 

 

Channel Sales Training for Teams

If you manage an established Channel Sales team, or you’re working on building a team out, you might consider the following consultants who provide channel sales training for teams.

 

Marketopia

Founded in 2014, Marketopia provides channel sales training for selling to and through partners. Marketopia offers various training formats, including live, on-premise, and on-demand. Topics cover high-level sales strategies, in-depth processes, tactical procedures, and more designed to meet your team where they’re at.

 

RAIN Sales Training

RAIN Group’s channel sales training is designed to boost the engagement of existing channel partners through channel sales training, assessments, program customization, and reinforcement. In addition to helping your team better manage channel partners, RAIN Group will develop and deliver training to build your channel partners’ sales skills.

RAIN Group emphasizes their complete learning system should drive true behavior changes, not temporary motivation.

Additional Learning Opportunities

If courses aren’t your thing or if you aren’t ready to make the investment, consider these additional learning opportunities.

The Allbound Channel Resource Center

On the Allbound website, you can find a surplus of educational resources (like this blog you’re reading now). Depending on your goals, explore resources about building a channel partner program, recruiting partners, increasing partner activation rates, and more. No matter what kind of learner you are, browse blogs, ebooks, templates, podcasts, and more designed to help you reach your channel sales goals.

Be sure to follow Allbound on LinkedIn to get updates on all of our latest resources for channel sales professionals.

 

The Partnership Leaders Community

Partnership Leaders is an online community for partnerships professionals looking to excel in their careers. Membership costs $600 annually and is by application only. Once approved, members gain access to the exclusive Slack channel, where leaders can ask questions and get answers to partnership-related questions.

For those not yet in a channel role, you can explore How to Begin & Advance a Career in Partnerships or submit your resume as a job seeker on the Partnership Leaders Job Board.

Excel as a Channel Sales Leader

Channel sales is a lucrative career. As many organizations begin investing more heavily in channel sales, there is an increased need for skilled professionals. 

Individuals considering transitioning into partnerships from other functions like sales, marketing, or customer success can leverage the resources provided to level up channel sales skills and discover new strategies for driving revenue through partners.

After diving into these channel sales resources, be sure to put your learning to work. Use our Channel Partner Program Audit template to evaluate the present state of your channel partner program and identify a strategic improvement plan.