We Need Magical Moments of Celebration. Let’s Share Our Success!

This is normally the time of year where we look back and reflect on all that we’ve accomplished and make resolutions for everything we want to achieve in the coming months. 2020 has undoubtedly been an arduous year for many of us, and I know I’m not alone in finding it difficult to celebrate the positives. But as we approach the holidays and the new year, I’m reminded that every day is truly a gift, and now more than ever we need to acknowledge our victories.

The events of this year have transformed the way we live and work in ways we can’t fully predict. It has been incredible to witness how technology has enabled us to work remotely and empowered us to do more even in the midst of difficult and trying times. Yet, one thing that has been noticeably lacking is human connection. I find it’s easier to celebrate wins and drive momentum when we share physical proximity, and like many others, I miss the person-to-person connection with our partners, co-workers, and friends and family. This year has shown us how much we rely on one another and why it’s so important to create magical moments of celebration.

While I love a big bash, the truth is we don’t need a party or an awards ceremony to honor our achievements. Life happens in the day-to-day, and it’s essential to celebrate the little wins just as much as the big ones. To that end, I want to share some of the highlights from 2020 and hear from you about your own triumphs and what you’re excited for in 2021.

2020 was the year of co-sell, and we’re only getting started

One of my personal highlights – and a huge success story for you, our partners – was co-sell. As I shared in an earlier blog, 2020 broke barriers for co-sell enablement and partner-to-partner engagement. The co-sell program opened up an ecosystem of over 4 million unique visitors each month in our Commercial Marketplace and drove almost $16 billion in partner annual contract value, which is impressive to say the least!

What’s more, we consolidated multiple platforms and portals into Partner Center, which generates a 3.5x faster deal velocity and opens doors for new partnership opportunities. If you’ve not yet migrated to, or onboarded into, Partner Center, do so today to unlock your potential through the co-selling motion with Microsoft. Now, anyone can partner with Microsoft and co-sell with us regardless of the channel in which they’re selling.

Just this month, I had the opportunity to connect with Open Systems, a partner who embarked on the co-selling journey with Microsoft and doubled-down on their Azure offering. Throughout 2020 they actively shared leads, pursued field connections, participated in demand generation campaigns and activities, and bi-directionally engaged with our sales teams to co-sell in multiple geographic regions. They are currently co-selling an active pipeline and have been acknowledged as one of the top five participating partners in the United States. Congratulations Open Systems, on your incredible growing success!

We’re doing more, together, and there’s greater things ahead

In his thank you to partners, David Willis, our CVP of the US Partner Group said, “You rose to the occasion and embodied what it means to ‘make more possible’ by helping organizations of all sizes adjust to the volatile economic climate, do more with less, enable business continuity, and propel learning and skilling.” I couldn’t agree more! We continue to see success stories from our partner community and we’re building on that momentum for 2021:

• Cloud solutions will be at the forefront of business planning and investments for our partners, and we’re working to expand the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider program to bolster the sales motion for small and mid-sized businesses.
• Co-sell opportunities will continue to be a priority, and we’re investing more in boosting digital sales and driving account-based and programmatic marketing opportunities for partners, especially in the growing SMB market.
• The Microsoft Partner ecosystem will receive several updates designed to increase learning opportunities, add options for differentiation in the marketplace through new competencies and advanced specializations, and reward customer success with new incentives and awards.

There are so many good things on the horizon, and I’m excited to see what we will achieve together in the new year.

What’s Next?

There’s nothing that generates positivity like more positivity and now is the perfect time to share our wins and build each other up. In fact, I want to hear from you about your victories and how Microsoft and the partner community can support your goals in 2021. I encourage you to tell us your #PartnersMakeMorePossible magical moments in the comments, share a link to your success stories and let’s celebrate our milestones together!

Until Next Time,

Alyssa Fitzpatrick