How to get 5x higher billed sales in Marketplace

Elizabeth Beals posted the Forrester commissioned impact study on the value of the Microsoft Marketplace. Our team understands the benefits that partners can gain from the Marketplace channel and how engaged partners usually achieve 5X the billed sales compared to those who are less involved with the channel. I thought I would share my own observations on optimizing your partnership with Microsoft.

How to drive higher billed sales in Marketplace

1. Invest the time. 

2. Create a plan.

3. Be persistent.

Invest the time that you will need.

The Microsoft Marketplace should be thought of as its own marketing channel. Like other channels, it requires ongoing attention and care to be successful. And let's be real: things don't always work the way they are intended at first. When that happens, you may find yourself digging deep for patience. But it IS worth it.

 

You'll need to spend time creating and optimizing your listing on the Marketplace, and mastering Partner Center to utilize the analytics for your views and customer data. Also, it is important to connect your listing to your CRM to capture those leads. This is another area that may take some time to configure.

 

It may not be practical to have a full-time channel manager, so consider streamlining your strategy as to how you will use Marketplace to focus your time. Consider which target audience represents your best opportunity. Will you see a larger impact with a B2B plan, perhaps working with other partners is a stronger strategy, or targeting end customers and driving them through Marketplace is the best approach?

 

If you're not sure, consider your top 5 customers and their characteristics. Or the next 5 customers in your pipeline. Are there similarities in segments that might guide you as to your best focus at the moment? 

 

Create a marketing plan and include Microsoft marketing benefits.

Remember that your marketing efforts will help drive customers through Marketplace. While you may have marketing benefits from Microsoft that will help you drive awareness and supplement what you are planning, the strongest use of those benefits will be to complement your marketing plans.

 

For example, there is a terrific resource from Microsoft available to partners for Digital Marketing Campaigns. This is Microsoft content that can be automated for you. While it is a great resource, it is best used in conjunction with your other digital marketing efforts.

 

For more on how to think about digital marketing, here are two articles I found very helpful on LinkedIn: 

• Thanks to Lee Corbett for posting a great guide to digital channels to drive demand that's worth a read, and
• Lee also has a quick start guide for a content marketing approach.  

 

Be persistent and ask for help.

Take advantage of all the programs you have time to manage. And be sure to ask advice about how to incorporate benefits into your current plans. There may be more strategic uses for these benefits in your larger plan. For example, do you have an event coming up that you are planning on promoting, a target customer you are working toward closing, or an important update that is going live? These moments in time might represent good timing to employ some of the marketing benefits you might be receiving.

 

Also, if you are meeting Microsoft sales people, if appropriate, perhaps ask who might be the right Microsoft Seller to speak to about the specific industry or geography that you might be targeting. Remember that not every Microsoft Seller is going to have insight into every vertical or community that might be helpful to you.

 

If you are in a position to need technical support, you may find it takes longer to resolve than you might expect. Continue to follow up if needed, be persistent and advocate to get to a resolution.

 

Remember that there are benefits for your customers to buy from you on Marketplace: easier procurement processes, streamlined vendor management and speed, plus the trust element. Once you invest the time and attention, the Marketplace can be a lucrative channel to help you drive that higher return.

 

See the marketplace guide for the best practices to help you maximize the return from your investment in the Marketplace, which I have also attached below.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

-JL