CJ11. This episode features Dina Moskowitz, founder and CEO of SaaSMAX, a multi-tier distribution channel for SaaS vendors. Dina tells how she is solving two key problems channel chiefs face. The first is finding partners who will provide the greatest return on investment. The second is enabling partners to market multiple vendors’ SaaS offerings effectively and efficiently through her SaaS marketplace.

Dina is also a strong advocate for women in the channel. That may come from an exciting adventure she had as a 19 year old study-abroad student in Taiwan.

[3:00] SaaSMAX is a multi-tier distribution channel for SaaS vendors. They identify the right partners for the vendors, curate introductions, and provide tools for partners and vendors to do business efficiently.

[5:30] Dina created the SaaSMAX marketplace with an entrepreneurial bug to innovate and create. She saw a clear market opportunity, validated it, and has been evolving and growing it over the past five or six years.

[7:30] The SaaSMAX Partner Optimizer solves two problems many channel chiefs face. One, recruiting the right partners and two, having thousands of partners but only a small portion are active and well known. She went on a quest to gather data on all the partners in the world. As a result, vendors can now use that data to better understand existing partners. In addition, they can find more partners who look like their most successful ones.

[9:30] Partner Optimizer Identifies partners by partner types, products they represent, services they offer, and many other parameters. Therefore, you can  leverage that channel data to rank your long-tail partners based on their profiles so you can allocate your channel resources more effectively.

[11:30] Leveraging partner data allows you to pinpoint quality partners based on their characteristics for a quality over quantity partner recruitment strategy.

[17:20] SaaSMAX Marketplace approach is to facilitate transparency between partner and vendor. At the same time, it positions the partner to retain the sales relationship and relevancy with the customer. This supports the small businesses who look to their partners to know what solutions are best of breed and be their trusted adviser.

[22:00] SaaSMAX simplifies the complexity of managing multiple vendors’ partner programs. As a result, partners can focus on selling and servicing their customers. And vendors can get stood up very quickly on the SaaSMAX platform.

[27:15] Dina grew up in Long Beach, Long Island. She earned a finance degree with a minor in Mandarin. A study-abroad program took her to Taiwan. Upon her return, she moved to La Jolla, California.

[29:00] While in Taiwan at the age of 19, Dina was invited to an international woman’s day event and found herself as the guest of honor singing Do-Re-Me in front of 1000 Taiwanese women.

[32:00] Dina advocates finding peer groups. She’s a strong advocate for women in tech and an active participant in Cloud Girls, Alliance of Channel Women, and CompTIAs Advancing Women in Technology.