In this episode of the Selling SaaS Podcast, Duane Dufault discusses the importance of building a strong channel partner program in order to scale B2B SaaS companies. Drawing from his interview with Chuck Reigrut, the director of alliances at a tech company, Duane shares insights on how to leverage channel partnerships to penetrate larger markets and secure better deals. He emphasizes the importance of managing partnerships under the sales department rather than marketing. Many companies make the mistake of relying on a flashy slide deck and having a marketing associate present their product to the partner's sales team. However, this approach only sells to the partner's sales team, not directly to the customer. The purpose of partnerships is to gain referrals and acquire better customers more efficiently. Therefore, it is crucial for the partner program to be under the sales department or customer success department, as they have daily interactions with customers and understand what works best. By managing partnerships under the sales department, companies can effectively communicate with the partner's sales team and position their products in alignment with the partner's offerings.