How Customers Connect with Partners online Today?

when you hear someone say they love to meet people do you immediately cringe?

sure meeting people you already know is easier than meeting new people for the first time, it's very stressful!

at our recent Microsoft Singapore Partner of the Year Awards 2021, i'd the pleasure of speaking with our partners Alex Goh of MSC Consulting & Amit Gupta of Total eBiz Solutions, we'd discussed the mergers & acquisitions in the channel and how their businesses are valued today, the differences in AI maturity customers want and the low code market space, and the Web 3.0 opportunity and how blockchain has reshaped the landscape yet they were most concerned with how far behind or ahead of the technology curve to be competitive and agreed that no one can afford to comfortable and rest on past achievements... that was the socially distanced night sitting between them and unable to move an inch!

things were not always like this

years ago at a different Microsoft Singapore Customer & Partner dinner i hosted a table of partners and i'd a list of customers at other tables to help partners make new connections... things went well before the break i'd made new introductions for everyone. however when asked the 2nd time, one of them said "i know how to meet customers, i don't need to be introduced" & sat fixed at the seat for the rest of the night looking at the phone

puzzled i moved on to helping everyone else network the room ???first

nearer the end when i had every partner away from my table, i asked this partner why such a strong reaction and he said "you don't know me"... i really didn't spend much time, i just sprung into action from the get go, my BAD

extrovert or introvert, our partners should be able to meet customers the way they prefer, yet customers too should be able to meet partners on their terms

yet at a dinner to celebrate the new year with our top customers & partners, organized by us, our assumptions of whois prepared vs their expectations of what to do isn't always a perfect fit

it turns out, this COO was a last minute stand in for their CEO and i didn't notice the change, again my BAD

-preparing to share your self intro, your business, your value add is good eg "I'm CEO of SGP Partner, I'm in tech focused on helping our customers deliver goods faster, Our real time tracking tool allows for destination changes that recalculates costs and makes user controlled confirmations easier for everyone like SGP Customer:

-preparing to ask someone to tell you about themselves, their business, their pain is better eg "tell me about yourself, what's your main business, what's keeping you up at night"

-preparing ahead of time with the customer team at Microsoft with your wish list of prospects you like to meet, ask if your capabilities match upcoming opportunities and align a different why or the same why work with us to respond when you coordinated with the partner team to help you lead & bridge the conversation eg MSFT intro partner to prospect, MSFT says partner is involved in helping customers like you, MSFT mentions the upcoming opportunity and handover saying "i won't steal your thunder, how about you tell our customer why you're the best fit for this project"

this was well and good when everything was in person... things have changed!

IF you only made online friends, fans, connections, followers, THIS you converted into an online discussion, THEN you get a request from them about something you're an expert for or business in, THAT you could convince them to make a purchase.

You could be a social seller

starting a 3 way conversation on LinkedIn

replied & proceed to offline

during the pandemic years we made fewer connections & conversations offline, online connections are on the rise and don't get me started on the Metaverse ?? the key thing about all virtual connections you make is to First HELP enough of them online before you ASK for them to do business with you offline (or online ONLY in the Metaverse)

BOTTOMLINE - gaining trust online or offline still works with people

This post is made while I'm a Microsoft employee and the opinions and views expressed here are those of my own and does not necessarily state or reflect those of Microsoft Singapore or Microsoft Corporation.

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