Microsoft channel partners have an arsenal of solutions to help customers cut costs, improve processes and productivity, and attract and retain new business – exactly what today's discerning business decision makers are looking to do. But does the marketing match the message?
It must if you want to the customer's attention. In other words, don't promote bits and bites or anything wishy-washy when companies are focused on the value proposition of what's being offered. Both the message and the conversation must be aligned.
"One of the biggest mistakes solution providers make is failure to act strategically," says Gail Mercer-McKay, president of Mercer-McKay Solutions Inc., an Ontario, Canada-based company focused on taking Microsoft Partners to market. Mercer-McKay, in partnership with The Kreklow Group, provides North American coverage for Microsoft partners.
Successful partners, says Mercer-McKay, build a plan that lays out where they want to be and how they're going to get there. They're also leveraging the $3 billion that Microsoft invests annually in the partner community.
In fact, Microsoft heard the call from its partners and introduced the gamePLAN campaign, specifically designed to help partners market their message in today's economy. GamePLAN focuses on the technology scenarios that channel partners can target to help their customers maximize efficiencies and offers marketing resources to broadcast their message and close deals.
The gamePLAN campaign begins by focusing on the message: decreasing the customer's IT spending by minimizing resources and infrastructure management costs:
- Take costs out of the IT budget by minimizing resources and infrastructure management
- Take costs out of business by lowering energy consumption and reducing carbon dioxide output
- Take costs out of business by using conferencing and collaboration tools
- Be smart about growing business and conserving capital
- Get the most out of software investments
- Save money using Microsoft tools and promotions
Next, Microsoft offers a slew of gamePLAN campaign marketing materials to help partners get the word out. For example:
- Web buttons and banners to generate interest and drive traffic to a customized gamePLAN landing page
- Web copy for your own version of the gamePLAN Web site
- Customizable postcards, flyers, and an e-mail template to drive your message
- Telesales call guides for outreach, and additional gamePLAN graphics and logos for marketing branding.
Finally, there are Ready-to-Go campaigns and marketing services, sales assistance teams, and the partner business network -- a place to share best practices in this tough economy.
Taking advantage of the marketing resources is a no-brainer. How to best utilize them takes know-how. In other words, the tools are not a silver bullet. Marketing takes time, patience, and persistence.
Practice Makes Perfect
Positive Technology, a 10-year-old Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and Dynamics provider in Germantown, Md., is focused on delivering retail store solutions. The company relies on Microsoft marketing tools and resources to deploy its multichannel marketing strategy.
"We utilize all the programs Microsoft offers," says Mike Nicholson, COO at Positive Technology, citing as an example co-op funds, retail vertical campaigns, direct mail, telemarketing and event-driven offerings such as Lunch and Learn meetings and webinars.
But today, the solution provider has a new message. "We're driving more of a value proposition," says Nicholson. "Our message is about cost savings, fast ROI, and low cost of acquisition," he adds.
That wasn't the case six months ago when the marketing message focused on product features and functionality. While still an important part of the message, features and functionality don't answer the customer's No. 1 question: "Can I get for cheap or inexpensively?"
Today, Positive Technology talks to customers about compelling cost benefits and reasons why they should be spending on IT investments versus not spending.
"Our customers are interested in the business reasons for investing in a solution today," says Douglas Hafford, vice president at Afinety, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner based in Encino, Calif.
An aggressive marketer, Afinety maintains on on-going relationship with its Partner Account Manager (PAM) who, as Hafford puts it, "helps us sip from the firehose," referring to the plethora of marketing tools for Microsoft partners.
Diane Krakora, CEO of Amazon Consulting, a Mountain View, Calif.-based organization that offers channel consulting services, rates Microsoft on the front edge of most vendors when it comes to partner programs.
"Microsoft spends a lot of money on the channel community and almost offers too much, leaving some partners confused," she says.
Not Afinety. "There's a ton of things that Microsoft can, will, and wants to do for its partners. The key for us is the PAM to assist us to find the resources," says Hafford, who adds that his company runs webinars, larger events, sends out focused mailers as well as an ezine, and taps into market development funds.
Like Positive Technology, Afinety's marketing message has changed. "We talk with customers about how we can help them save money, how they can reduce the IT footprint in the office," says Hafford. "Now the message is about making smart decisions instead of solutions," he adds.
Afinety just completed a webinar on Smart IT Decision-Making in an Economic Downturn.
Both solution providers agree that marketing is a cumulative effort. For example, an e-mail marketing campaign targets a group of potential customers. The same set of potential business customers are sent a copy of the company's ezine, then they're invited to attend a webinar and later receive a follow-up call asking for feedback.
"Over time, the customer perceives you as the IT expert," says Hafford.
The build-up establishes credibility and expertise, agrees Nicholson, who reports that 2008 was the company's best year and that the company is on track for success in 2009.
Building stronger partner relationships is also part of any good marketing strategy, in any market economy. Free, easy, and fast, Microsoft's Solution Provider Profiles allows partners to profile their companies online.
"Customers and other solution providers can find you," says Mercer-McKay. However, she advises, use it effectively. "Differentiate yourself from the pack, articulate the value proposition," she adds.
Finally, business customers are surfing the Internet. More specifically, they're looking for IT intelligence and if they like what they see on your Web site, if you develop an online presence that targets today's concerns about cost savings, productivity, and efficiency, they're likely to stick around.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is key to getting Web site hits. Microsoft makes available to the channel SEO resources such as best practices, whitepapers, and a getting started guide.
So, do you have a game plan?
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