Nobody certifies the people who sell the channel. Until now. 20 modules. 126 lessons. 8 interactive simulations. A credential that proves you know the business of IT.
Self-paced · 100% online · Verifiable credential
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Full learning path, no exam
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For experienced professionals
Need team pricing? Contact us for volume discounts on 5+ seats.
Every OEM invests millions in certifying people on their products, but nobody certifies the people actually selling them.
There's no structured program that teaches a VAR salesperson how the channel works, who the players are, how to navigate vendor relationships, how deals get scoped and built, or how to price them. You're expected to figure it out on the job.
MarginArc Academy is that program. From the basics: what a VAR is, how distribution works, the OEM ecosystem, your role as a seller. Through vendor leverage, solution selling, competitive strategy, deal economics, and pricing decisions. Every scenario uses real IT channel context: OEMs like Cisco, Palo Alto, Dell, and HPE. Competitors like CDW, SHI, Insight, and WWT. Deal types like hardware refreshes, competitive displacements, and ELA renewals.
This is the CCNA for the business side of the channel.
Brand new to the VAR space? The first four modules start from scratch: the ecosystem, the players, your role, and how to work with vendors. You'll be selling confidently within weeks, not months.
You know how to sell. This fills the gaps: vendor leverage, solution scoping, pricing math, competitive frameworks, and deal review skills that turn good sellers into great ones.
Roll this out to your team. One program, one standard. Accelerate new hire ramp, reduce rep-to-rep inconsistency, and build institutional discipline across selling and pricing.
Standardize channel training across your organization. Volume pricing for 5+ seats. Consistent curriculum, trackable progress, verifiable outcomes.
Choose Learning ($199), Exam ($149), or the Complete Bundle ($299). Instant access.
Work through 20 modules at your own pace. Interactive simulations, module assessments, and real IT channel scenarios.
Pass the 80-question proctored exam. Earn your CPSP credential. Verifiable, LinkedIn-shareable, valid for 2 years.
Each module builds on the last. Start with how the IT channel works, learn to navigate the ecosystem and build deals, then master the pricing strategy that protects your margin.
What a VAR is, how the supply chain works, how money flows from OEM to disti to partner to customer. The foundation everything else builds on.
OEM business models (Cisco, Dell, HPE, Palo Alto, Fortinet), what distribution does, and how competitors like CDW, SHI, Insight, and WWT go to market.
What an AM owns vs. an SE. How a deal moves from lead to PO. Handoffs between quoting, scoping, procurement, and fulfillment.
How partner programs work day-to-day. Partner tiers and what they unlock. Joint business planning, QBRs, engaging your OEM team, MDF strategy, and co-sell motions.
Six layers of your cost basis, how to read a distribution quote, and the pricing window between cost floor and market ceiling.
OEM-specific deal reg programs, special bid pricing, stacking discounts, and using registration strategically.
Blended margin across product mix, financial impact at scale, and building the intuition to price on the fly.
Rebates, MDF, backend incentives, pricing professional services, and recurring managed services revenue.
Discovery and scoping, building a BoM from requirements, attaching services, and positioning multi-vendor solutions.
Sealed-bid frameworks, three deal types, renewal vs. net-new pricing, and when to walk away.
The five places margin disappears: unregistered deals, cost errors, unnecessary discounting, scope creep, and renewal neglect.
The 7-Question Framework. Worked examples, negotiation tactics, quote presentation, and TCO reframing.
Margin-focused deal reviews. Common dysfunctions, managing disagreement, and building pricing discipline across the org.
CapEx vs. OpEx economics, cloud marketplace selling (AWS, Azure, GCP), MSP practice building, and consumption-based pricing.
Executive relationships, account growth, multi-year pricing strategy, portfolio margin management.
Compliance-driven pricing, clinical systems, telehealth infrastructure, budget cycle navigation.
GSA schedules, contract vehicles, CMMC/FedRAMP, E-Rate funding, SLED procurement.
PCI-DSS/SOX compliance, trading infrastructure, digital banking, regulatory-driven deals.
80 scenario-based questions. Proctored. 90-minute time limit. 80% to pass.
Margin calculator, deal registration tracker, discovery checklist, multi-vendor deal sheet.
Sequential modules that build on each other. Real frameworks, not generic advice.
Margin math trainer, negotiation sim, multi-partner sim, competitive pricing simulator, margin leak detective, deal pricing workshop, and deal review role-play. Real decisions with real tradeoffs.
Each CPSP certificate has a unique verification URL and credential ID. LinkedIn-shareable with OpenBadge metadata. The exam is rigorous, which is what makes the credential worth having.
Not applicable to SaaS. Not applicable to retail. Every scenario, every example, every assessment question uses real IT channel context: OEMs, distributors, deal reg, competitive bids.
Not satisfied after the first 3 modules? Full refund, no questions asked.
MarginArc Academy was designed by people who've lived the IT channel: building deals, managing vendor relationships, and leading sales teams at VARs. Every module, simulation, and exam question comes from real-world experience, not a textbook.
“We built the program we wish existed when we started in channel sales.”— MarginArc Team
Each certificate includes a unique verification code, QR code, and is LinkedIn-shareable. A professional landscape certificate that proves your expertise in IT channel sales.
Certified Partner Sales Professional
Verifiable digital credential with unique ID, QR code, and LinkedIn badge. Valid for 2 years.
Join the professionals building real channel expertise with a credential that matters.
30-day money-back guarantee · Self-paced · Verifiable credential