How do you actually unlock growth from Microsoft Teams Marketplace?
Hey folks 👋 Looking for some real-world advice from people who’ve been through this. Context: We’ve been listed as a Microsoft Teams app for several years now. The app is stable, actively used, and well-maintained - but for a long time, Teams Marketplace wasn’t a meaningful acquisition channel for us. Things changed a bit last year. We started seeing organic growth without running any dedicated campaigns, plus more mid-market and enterprise teams installing the app, running trials, and even using it in production. That was encouraging - but it also raised a bigger question. How do you actually systematize this and get real, repeatable benefits from the Teams Marketplace? I know there are Microsoft Partner programs, co-sell motions, marketplace benefits, etc. - but honestly, it’s been very hard to figure out: - where exactly to start - what applies to ISVs building Teams apps - how to apply correctly - and what actually moves the needle vs. what’s just “nice to have” On top of that, it’s unclear how (or if) you can interact directly with the Teams/Marketplace team. From our perspective, this should be a win-win: we invest heavily into the platform, build for Teams users, and want to make that experience better. Questions to the community: If you’re a Teams app developer: what actually worked for you in terms of marketplace growth? Which Partner programs or motions are worth the effort, and which can be safely ignored early on? Is there a realistic way to engage with the Teams Marketplace team (feedback loops, programs, office hours, etc.)? How do you go from “organic installs happen” to a structured channel? Would really appreciate any practical advice, lessons learned, or even “what not to do” stories 🙏 Thanks in advance!5 App Advisor capabilities that help sell faster on Microsoft Marketplace
Signing in to App Advisor unlocks features that help you manage projects, personalize your development guidance, and move from build to Marketplace sales faster. App Advisor helps streamline the process for anyone, with no barriers to start. However, when you sign in and authenticate, the experience becomes even more powerful. Read the 5 reasons to authenticate in App Advisor here.Best practices for scaling channel-led growth in Microsoft Marketplace
Vathsalya Senapathi leads Partner GTM at Tackle, blending co-sell, co-marketing, and operations to drive top of funnel revenue and customer value through cloud and ecosystem partnerships _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For software development companies selling through Microsoft Marketplace, working with channel partners can expand your reach to more prospective buyers and drive marketplace revenue as part of a well-orchestrated Cloud GTM strategy. Multiparty private offers are a key enabler of that strategy. What are multiparty private offers? Multiparty private offers enable software companies to tap into Microsoft’s global partner ecosystem—more than 400,000 partners strong—including Solutions Integrators (SIs), Managed Services Providers (MSPs), and Value-Added Resellers (VARs). Multiparty private offers work similarly to standard private offers but are sold to the customer via a channel partner rather than directly by the software company. The software company sets the wholesale price, and the channel partner adds their margin when creating the offer. Importantly, channel partners are not charged a marketplace fee for participating in a multiparty private offer transaction. The result is a streamlined path to market: software companies and channel partners collaborate to create customized offers, and customers purchase through Microsoft Marketplace with simplified procurement. Multiparty private offers are currently available to customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Multiparty private offers as part of your Cloud GTM strategy Channel partners bring far more to the table than simplified procurement. They maintain deep, trust-based customer relationships and often specialize in specific industries or verticals—giving them the domain expertise to position and customize solutions for distinct customer segments. They can also facilitate integration with other technology vendors, creating more comprehensive offerings that address a broader range of customer needs. For software companies, working through channel partners enables faster, more cost-effective distribution. Partners can absorb tasks like lead generation, sales enablement, and customer support—freeing up internal resources while accelerating market penetration, customer acquisition, and revenue growth. Benefits of Microsoft’s multiparty private offers For software companies: Multiparty private offers open new sales avenues by enabling a broader partner ecosystem to sell on your behalf. Software companies can reach new customers through channel partners, collaborate on joint solutions, and scale distribution without a proportional increase in direct sales headcount. For channel partners: Multiparty private offers gives partners the ability to work with software companies, create customized offers, and sell directly to Microsoft customers through Marketplace—expanding their own portfolio without building software from scratch. For customers: Customers can maintain their trusted partner relationships while streamlining software procurement and deployment through Marketplace. For customers with an Azure cloud consumption commitment, eligible multiparty private offers purchases—specifically those tied to Azure IP co-sell solutions—count toward that commitment, helping them maximize their cloud investments and simplify consolidation of transactions. How it works The multiparty private offers process follows three straightforward steps: Collaborate: The software company and channel partner identify the right solution for the customer and negotiate terms. The software company extends a private offer to the channel partner, who then adds their details to create the multiparty private offer. Sell: The channel partner sends the offer to the customer. The customer accepts and purchases through Marketplace in the same way they would with a standard private offer. For customers with an Azure consumption commitment, eligible purchases count toward that commitment. Payment and payouts: Microsoft manages collection and payment, ensuring all partners are paid accordingly. Requirements to participate Multiparty private offers are available to software companies that meet Microsoft Marketplace eligibility requirements, including: Enrollment in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Enrollment in the Microsoft Marketplace program with an active Marketplace seller ID in Partner Center Completion of required tax profiles in Partner Center for the geographies where the offer is sold and transacted (for example, U.S.; additional tax or VAT profiles may be required for the UK or Canada depending on the selling entity) A publicly published and transactable Marketplace offer Customer must have a valid Microsoft commercial billing account (EA or MCA), be enabled to purchase through Microsoft Marketplace, and be located in a supported market (currently the U.S., UK, or Canada) An Account owner or Marketplace manager role associated with the Marketplace seller ID in Partner Center. These roles are required to create, submit, withdraw, and manage private offers (including MPOs). A Developer role may work on offer setup, technical configuration, and draft private offers, but cannot submit or publish private offers. How Tackle can help you manage multiparty private offers Tackle offers full support for multiparty private offers, helping software companies efficiently scale their reach through the partner ecosystem while simplifying the sales process. Integrate and manage listings. Tackle helps you manage the marketplace listing that makes multipaty private offers possible. Tackle Offers enables you to create, customize, track, and recognize revenue from private offers with ease—whether sold directly by your team or through a channel partner. The platform processes entitlements and sends notifications via email, Slack, and more. Report on multiparty private offers deals. Tackle’s reporting dashboard provides in-depth visibility into every financial transaction, giving your sales and accounting teams insight into the full transaction lifecycle—paving the way for repeatable processes, shortened timelines, and faster closes. Not a fit for multiparty private offers? Consider resale enabled offers Multiparty private offers are purpose-built for complex, high-touch deals with a specific partner and customer—but are not the right fit for every situation. If your goal is to quickly authorize many partners to resell your solution at scale, resale enabled offers may be better suited for scaled partner resale scenarios, subject to Marketplace and CSP country availability. Where multiparty private offers are a three-party, negotiated contract between a software company, a single partner, and a customer, resale enabled offers enables a “many-to-many” model—allowing you to authorize a broad network of partners to resell your products globally with minimal overhead. The two tools are also complementary: resale enabled offers can be used to facilitate multiparty private offer deals, making a useful foundation for software companies building out a full channel strategy. In short, use resale enabled offers when you want to scale your channel quickly and broadly; use multiparty private offers when you’re working with a specific partner to close a high-value, bespoke deal. Tackle helps hundreds of the world’s best software companies build and scale their Cloud GTM revenue through Microsoft Marketplace and beyond. To learn more join us on March 24, 2026, at 8:30 AM PDT for Best practices for scaling Marketplace channel-led sales - Microsoft Marketplace Community and Q&A. If you miss the session, you will be able to watch it on demand through the same link.
