Partner satisfaction research is so fundamental to successful channel organizations that Channelnomics developed its own PSAT methodology. But before considering the merits of any particular proprietary PSAT approach, most vendors wrestle with the question: “Why can’t I do this research myself?”  Can the DIY approach deliver high-quality, objective, actionable, contextual results that vendors can trust when making critical — and often expensive — adjustments to their channel programs? In the vast majority of cases, the answer is no. For a host of reasons, discussed in this report, partner satisfaction typically works best when left in the hands of third-party research professionals.