Pipeline pays off!
As we approach Microsoft's FY23 and we gear up for another year of working with Microsoft
I wanted to share a concept that I learned early in my sales career
It was shared by one of my earliest sales mentors.
She had a saying.
"Pipeline saves lives."
(Metaphorically, of course.)
it's a concept that stuck with me
It was extremely relevant as I began selling with Microsoft.
As a salesperson, I had become accustomed to the concept of building pipeline.
Reviewing that pipeline with sales management.
Working that pipeline to a successful close.
What I was not so familiar with was exposing that pipeline to a 3rd party.
That was until I started to understand working with Microsoft.
Once I realized the power of transparency with my Microsoft counterparts,
I doubled down on my sharing my pipeline.
At first, it seemed like a waste.
I felt like I was doubling my work and getting nothing in return.
I would enter every Microsoft deal I was working on into Partner Center.
I would hope someone would reach out.
I would hope someone would "accept" the lead I shared.
This brings me to the second piece of sales wisdom.
"Hope is not a strategy."
I realized I would have to take a much more proactive approach to share my pipeline.
Even as an unmanaged partner when I first started.
I realized that it was up to me to get my deals noticed.
To get my deals on someone's radar at Microsoft.
I had to do everything I could to find and get in front of the right Microsoft people.
Those people who could help me move the yardsticks on my deals.
Once I did get in front of that "right person,"
I had to have two key messages ready to go.
These two messages were:
Quickly share with them what I was doing and how it helped all of us.
Have a plan on how I would close the deal and what I needed from them.
Once I had these two critical messages dialed in
I started seeing more success when engaging my Microsoft counterparts.
That's when putting all those opportunities in Partner Center
Plus all that energy into our joint pipeline finally paid off!