# Indirect channel partner program

> Target the intermediaries (accountants, agencies, consultants) who influence your end users' buying decisions instead of selling directly to end users.

- Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/growth-ideas/indirect-channel-partner-program/
- Source: [madx.digital](https://www.madx.digital/learn/growth-saas)
- GrowthDex source hub: [madx.digital](/sources/madx-digital-madx-digital/)
- Last checked: March 20, 2026
- Rarity: rare
- Budget: free
- Channels: Partnerships
- Stages: 0-100, 100-1K
- Key metric: 90% of paid memberships in New Zealand and

## Why this can grow

Most SaaS founders default to selling directly to the person who uses the product. But in many industries, a trusted intermediary (accountant, agency, consultant) controls the buying decision. By making that intermediary your distribution partner with mutual incentives, you tap into their existing client base at near-zero CAC. The partner gets a better tool to recommend, and you get a pre-sold customer who trusts the recommendation.

## Ian's take

From scaling consumer platforms across MENA and Southeast Asia, my default is to distrust growth work that only looks good in a slide. A partnership only compounds when both sides get trust or distribution they could not cheaply buy alone. I would start with the smallest shared win, prove it in public or in pipeline, then make the relationship bigger. I would run it small enough to learn quickly, then only scale the parts that real users repeat, save, reply to, or buy from. For this tactic, I would watch 90% of paid memberships in New Zealand and before putting more time or budget behind it.

## Action plan

1. Define one narrow startup segment where indirect channel partner program can create a measurable lift.
2. Turn the tactic into one offer, page, campaign, or workflow for the Partnerships channel.
3. Use the evidence from madx.digital to set the first version of the message, format, and audience.
4. Launch a small test for 7 to 14 days with one success metric: 90% of paid memberships in New Zealand and.
5. Review the result, keep the winning message, remove weak variants, and turn the learning into a repeatable growth playbook.

## Source-backed example

Xero targeted accountants and bookkeepers with a partner program instead of marketing to small business owners directly, and this channel accounted for over 90% of paid memberships in New Zealand and Australia by 2016.

## Adjacent tactics in the same lane

- [Gamified onboarding email sequence](/growth-ideas/gamified-onboarding-email-sequence/) - same source, 2 shared stages
- [Guest blogging blitz for early traction](/growth-ideas/guest-blogging-blitz-for-early-traction/) - same source, 2 shared stages
- [Slack/workplace integration virality](/growth-ideas/slackworkplace-integration-virality/) - 1 shared channel, 2 shared stages
- [Podcast-as-outreach ABM](/growth-ideas/podcast-as-outreach-abm/) - 1 shared channel, 2 shared stages

## Read GrowthDex essays

Browse the plain-English essay index at [GrowthDex Blog](/blog/).

## Advisory

If you want help turning this into a working growth system, Ian Goh offers advisory at https://iangoh.com/advisory.