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Maximizing Your Microsoft Partnership

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Maximizing Your Microsoft Partnership

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Maximizing Microsoft’s Partner Program

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

We can’t go too long in the MSP world without talking about Microsoft, especially with their work around AI and Copilot becoming more relevant than ever. Some would say now is a great time to explore Microsoft’s partner program, but how can you build the right connections within the company? What should you focus on to stay relevant to their ecosystem?
 
As the founder of Envito, Rob Fegan is focused entirely on answering those questions. He helps Microsoft partners harness the scale and reach of Microsoft field teams, so I welcome him onto a recent bonus episode of The Business of Tech to pick his brain on all things Microsoft. 
 
From perfecting your messaging to meeting people in the sales department, here’s what Fegan recommends for aspiring Microsoft partners. 
 
The first question to ask yourself
 
Fegan’s relationship with the Microsoft partner community began about twenty years ago. He’s been a value-added reseller, an individual contributor, and a systems aggregator deploying Microsoft software. He’s always been passionate about the technology and believes it’s evolved quite broadly (in a good way). 
 
As one of the only big tech players who openly want to engage with partners, Microsoft has a few entry points. So, I asked Fegan: where is the best place to start the conversation with Microsoft, considering how big the organization is?
 
“​​Microsoft does so many different things. They have so many different avenues that you can add value to a customer. Where I always start is, what do you feel is your superpower as a partner? What is the area where you bring the most value to your customers? What do you believe you’re great at, where you know you’ll go toe-to-toe with anybody? What customers do you serve? So it’s not just what do you do, but who are you best positioned to serve?” he said.
 
Whether it’s collaboration technologies or underlying IT, Fegan challenges you to peel back your partnership style to find what superpower Microsoft folks can really resonate with. 
 
Aligning with Microsoft
 
That last portion might be trickier. Even if you know you serve the SMB market for end customers with 15-50 employees, for example, how can you align that expertise with specific Microsoft offerings?
 
While thinking about alignment, Fegan suggests two questions to ask yourself: Who in Microsoft will be incentivized to serve that audience, and how does Microsoft serve that audience?
 
For some intel on Microsoft’s business model, Fegan explained that partners drive 100% of their SMB customers, while SMC (Small to Medium Corporate) is mainly owned by the Microsoft sales teams (with some partner support). 
 
Additionally, a seller within Microsoft can have 150-250 accounts to manage on average. So, they truly depend on partners and are highly incentivized to find good ones. 
 
“First and foremost, understand that Microsoft needs you just as much as you need them,” said Fegan.
 
The customer POV
 
Technically, a customer can sign up for Microsoft on their own without any help from a partner. It’s always healthy to revisit the end-user perspective, so I asked Fegan to explain the difference between a quick online sign-up and going through a distribution channel. 
 
In short, it comes down to whether or not a customer has someone within their organization who can deploy it correctly. Spoiler alert: customers very rarely have this person on hand. 
 
The first reason is dealing with licenses; Microsoft has a ton. The second reason is selecting the products; knowing the right thing to buy is a whole job on its own. Third, deployment is challenging, especially if moving everything to the cloud is a goal:
 
“We want to get away from having on-premise infrastructure that we’ve got to support and buy servers and all those different things. But we must realize that it’s not just as simple as moving it and being done. We have to move it correctly. We have to ensure the identities of our people are moved up correctly. We have to make sure that they’re protected,” he said.
 
These reasons (and more) are what make the partner community so valuable. Having someone guide customers instead of letting them fumble on their own keeps them secure, protected, and productive. 
 
Fegan’s four-step recommendation 
 
If you’re embarking on a journey to become a successful (and profitable) Microsoft partner, Fegan has a very particular 4-step framework. You can learn more as an Envito customer, but here’s what he shared with listeners:
 

Messaging and audience: Get your messaging right and decide who inside Microsoft will care about that message. For example, Microsoft has a whole team focused on selling Azure and a separate team focused on Microsoft 365. Deduce who your target is and develop your messaging accordingly.

 
To differentiate this from your usual marketing messaging, Fegan says to focus on the Microsoft POV:
 
“I always encourage partners to be able to articulate really quickly and concisely who you are, what you do, how you do it, who you do it for, but more importantly, what’s in it for Microsoft? Do you sell licenses? Do you drive Azure consumption? Are you a dynamics partner focused on discrete manufacturing? You really want to be clear to Microsoft how you differentiate yourself from the sea of other partners,” he said.
 

Sales team alignment: Microsoft has a journey they want all customers (even those connected via partner) to go through. They want to know that you understand it fully, so educate your sellers on the Microsoft journey (even if it’s different from yours, Microsoft just wants to know that you can hit their main hot-button topics). Then, more importantly, connect your sales teams with Microsoft sellers.

 
“Whether you’re geographically or industry-based, finding out who the right people are for you to connect with inside of Microsoft is critical. Because if Microsoft doesn’t know about you, Leads aren’t just going to fall from heaven in terms of landing in your lap. You’re going to have to connect with the people that your superpower will resonate with. That’s key,” he said.”
 

Leverage partner center: Microsoft has really focused on building out its partner center to give partners access to more programs and funding. So, use this space to ensure Microsoft knows who you are, what you do, how your certifications are laid out, and what certifications you have.

 

Understand the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program: There’s now an overarching program that covers all partner types, including MSPs, independent software vendors, systems integrators, and distributors. It’s another way to access important resources and programs, so understanding it will enhance your offering and Microsoft relationship.

 
Building your Microsoft network
 
Now for the million-dollar question: how can you find the right people at Microsoft to talk to?
 
Fegan’s answer is simple: these people aren’t hiding. They’re all on LinkedIn and usually do a great job identifying their place in the Microsoft ecosystem. So, search for  “account executive Microsoft” and sift through the hundreds of results to find people whose focuses align with yours. 
 
“I would encourage any partner that wants to start their journey with Microsoft to find some people to reach out to and have a conversation,” he said.
 

 
Easier said than done, but it’s certainly a great place to start. For more guidance on the topic, you can book a call with Fegan at www.venvito.net.
 
Are you considering becoming a partner? Are you already a partner? As always, my inbox is open for stories, insights, or whatever else is on your mind.

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