Microsoft Co-selling: What You Need to Know. From Definitions to Requirements.

What is Co-Selling?

When Microsoft sellers engage partners for any collaborative selling towards end customers is known as co-sell. Microsoft invests in co-selling because it drives value for our customers—by delivering a holistic solution suited to their needs—and drives growth for us and our partners—by expanding sales opportunities. For Microsoft, this process includes shared activities like building demand, sales planning, sharing leads, accelerating partner-to-partner selling, and delivering Marketplace-led commerce.

Benefits of Microsoft Co-sell Program

The co-sell program is available for any collaborative engagement between the partner and Microsoft sellers, other partners, or directly to the customer through Microsoft commercial marketplace.

The benefits of co-selling with Microsoft include:

• Building demand
• Collaborative sales planning
• Sharing sales leads
• Accelerating partner-to-partner empowered selling
• Showcase your company’s solutions directly to customers and be discoverable to sellers through the commercial marketplace.
• Leverage the Microsoft brand and global footprint to build customer trust and strengthen existing relationships.
• Enrich customer offerings with your specializations and create sales strategies and account plans through better-together selling.

Microsoft Co-sell Program Overview

The FY21 Co-sell Playbook has a more detailed overview, but take a look at the simple 6 steps below.

Below is the Category requirements stages along the partner journey, where the Co-Sell appeal grows as the partnership progresses.

Read more on the Co-sell requirements - Partner Center | Microsoft Learn &
Microsoft commercial marketplace transact capabilities | Microsoft Learn
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Overview of the Microsoft Co-sell Process flow

Utilizing Co sell to attract large enterprise customers that have a Microsoft Agreement

Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) is a customer's spend commitment for Azure services over a fixed time frame. The “MACC” program , allows enterprise customers to decrement (accrue) their Azure spend commitment to Microsoft by purchasing third party software and services through the Azure Marketplace.

The MACC program creates a strong incentive for buyers to drive transactions through Microsoft commercial marketplace. The number of enterprises having a MACC agreement is expected to increase substantially over the next fiscal year, which should drive more transacting via SaaS listings in the Marketplace.

Partners have a chance to have their solutions eligible for enterprise customers, known as " MACC eligible ".   The solution has to both have the following status.

1. The Partner Solution must be transactable through Azure Marketplace.
2. The Solution must have the Azure IP co sell incentive status.
   

Eligible offers will be identified in azure portal with filter "Azure benefit eligible" making it super easy for customers to purchase offers right through their azure accounts.

To see if your offer is enrolled in the MACC program , Sign into Partner Center and check the Offer overview page.

Best Practices for Co-selling with Microsoft

Have more questions? Contact us at isvnorway@microsoft.com