Trust Powers Everything

I hope you found our first ever digital-only Inspire event motivating! I was truly excited to see genuine connections form despite the physical distances, and it’s a great reminder that technology can empower communication during these unprecedented times. We all know that communication runs on trust, and so do we at Microsoft. Satya said it best, “If technology is going to be so pervasive in our lives, then we need to build one core currency around it—trust. Without it, it’s impossible to sustain a long-term business.” 

It’s our mission to empower every individual and organization to achieve more, and that starts with the way we relate to and connect with one another on a deeply human level. What’s more, I believe strong connections are what differentiates our partners in the marketplace. 

This is why I’m excited to continue laying a foundation that bridges the gap between technology and humanity, and that all starts with you, our partners.

Building a foundation of trust one partner at a time

I am a big believer in the phrase, “Together we achieve more,” because it’s absolutely true! Time and again, we see that when technology partners rely on one another, it creates a more authentic and profitable organization. However, building trust can’t start at the technology level, it has to start at the individual level.

Trustworthy organizations are created through consistency, transparency, and predictability. To succeed in a changing world, we have to be predictable in our behaviors, consistent in the ways we engage with each other, and transparent in what we’re doing, how we're doing it, and why we're doing it. That is the foundation of how a company can create trust with other partners and within the marketplace.

At Microsoft, trust is built into our tools, but that’s not where it stops. We want to go beyond technology to show our partners how to work together to foster stronger connections between one another and build a reputation in your respective industries as trusted leaders. That’s why we are investing in thoughtful, customer-first, partner-led initiatives and programs like the Microsoft Partner Network, Partner Center, and the Microsoft commercial marketplace. Our partner ecosystem is designed to not only help you develop new skills and expertise for business growth, but also to connect with other partners and customers to innovate and add value to your offerings.

In my last blog, I shared how Partner Center is the first stop for empowering co-sell, but it’s so much more. This platform is designed to help you engage with other sellers and partners directly, so you can build trust on a personal level. In Partner Center, you receive a holistic view of the market to not only create new opportunities, but also to build community. That’s why I’m encouraging all of our partners to adopt the Partner Center platform as quickly as possible, so you can begin participating in our co-sell model.

The digital transformation opportunity is powered by trust

One of the reasons I admire our partner community is that even when we are not in the same room, we are still connected. I believe that partners cannot drive innovation and transform the market without strong connections, which is why we are empowering co-sell enablement programs, training, and resources that will strengthen your strategic partnership with us and with each other. We want to collaborate and build innovative new solutions, and help you connect with our visionary partners, reach more customers, and find real-world answers to today’s biggest business challenges.

Co-sell is a significant part of that collaborative process, as it enables you to co-develop solutions with other trusted partners, as well as co-market and co-sell to customers through an interactive engagement model. We already have great examples of this in action. For instance, our co-sell program gave one of our partners direct access to more customers worldwide through the Microsoft established network. This partnership not only expanded the sales pipeline, which represents potential revenue increase, but also boosted their company’s credibility with new prospects by going to market with Microsoft. Together, we supported their expansion into targeted IoT verticals with some initial customer introductions.

This is just one of the ways partners like you are transforming the world, forging new connections, and reshaping the technology landscape together with Microsoft, and we can’t wait to see more partners succeed through co-sell. There has honestly never been a bettertime to be a Microsoft Partner and to build trust with your peers.

What’s Next?

No matter the circumstances happening around us, I know that the one thing that we can rely on is each other. I encourage all of our partners to start accelerating your business through Partner Center and continuing to promote consistency, transparency, and predictability in all that you do.

And in case you missed it, check out all the fantastic information from Inspire 2020 to help you continue building your co-sell journey:

·     Everything You Need to Know About Co-sell

·     Ask the Experts: Everything You Need to Know About Co-sell

·     Co-selling in Partner Center

Until Next Time,

Alyssa Fitzpatrick