Are You A Fox or a Cat?

Happy Wednesday, friends. I hope this newsletter finds you well. I'm not sure what that really means but people always say it, don't they? Summer is beginning to appear, a new fiscal year is on the horizon (for Microsoft folks at least), and I've started reading a new book. The Man Who Died Twice, in case you're interested. Are you reading anything good at the moment?

Nonsense preamble completed, let's jump into today's topic! In conversations over the last fortnight there's been a common theme when it comes to Azure success and scale businesses: where to begin?

Spoiled For Choice

I like data. In fact, I like lots of it. One thing I've learned over the years (the hard way) is that you can actually have too much of it. When you do, it leads to a sort of decision paralysis. This is especially true if you're working with more than a handful of customers.

Fuelled with 'the new oil ', creative and technical minds whirr as they mull over the various options for using it. From grand technical solutions, to complicated digital marketing journeys and events. But guess what usually happens when spoiled for choice? That's right. Nothing. At least not quickly anyway.

There are a couple of big reasons why this is A Bad Thing? to have happen:

1. In the recurring revenue world, every month matters. The longer you take to action something that'll generate revenue, the less impact it'll have in your numbers for that year. In other words, you'll miss your targets.
2. When market opportunities present themselves (I'm looking at you, Broadcom ??), it's harder to make the most of them if you take too long to decide on how you'll do it. First-mover advantage is a real thing.

Fox vs. Cat

I'm reminded of the tale of the Fox and the Cat. I hope your cup is freshly filled, because it's time for Jackanory.

Once upon a time, a Fox and Cat were prowling together through the woods. Friendly conversation about prey they'd killed quickly turned competitive, and before long the Fox and the Cat were embroiled in a a fierce debate.

"I'm far smarter than you, Cat. I have so many tricks, I can handle anything that comes my way!" boasted the Fox. "You might have more tricks than me, sly Fox," replied the Cat. "But I have one plan and that's all I need. My one plan is worth a thousand of your tricks."

Ahead, the pair were ambushed by a pack of hungry hounds!

Quick as a flash, the Cat scaled the nearest tree, calling down "this is my plan, Fox. Let's see what you've got!" Meanwhile, the Fox racked his brain thinking of one trick and then another, struggling to figure out which to try first. Before he could get away, the hounds were upon him.

The Fox, for all his tricks, met his demise. The Cat lived to see another day.

Keep It Simple Stupid

Are you a Fox or a Cat? When it comes to being truly successful with Azure, driving customer lifetime value, as a partner it's best to be more Cat. Don't overcomplicate things to the point where nothing really happens. Sure, data and insights are important but start simple and grow. Here are some tips for how to keep it simple:

• Make sure every new customer gets the same onboarding experience. This establishes consistency, and helps streamline operations.
• After your customer has onboarded, talk to them! There's no secret script, just ask the basic questions: are they happy with Azure? Are you as a partner meeting their expectations? What's the next project you can help with?
• Communicate internally. As obvious as it sounds, a common trap I see partners fall into is not regularly talking between teams internally. Success is a team sport, so make sure the marketing, sales, delivery, and other teams are communicating. Is the lead pipeline filling, are opportunities closing, is there capacity to deliver customer projects? One team can't do it all in isolation (sorry salespeople, it's true! ??).

Once the basics are happening consistently, you can start to go further. In previous newsletters I've talked about using things like Azure Advisor insights, aggregated through Azure Lighthouse, to get actionable insights to support customer subscriptions. Or you could use workload recommendations available through Microsoft's Partner Centre to understand which customers might have propensity for more projects. There are so many signals that can point you in the next direction.

Conclusion

With so many options and data points for driving customer lifetime value with Azure it can be tempting to try and do too much all at once. Just as the Cat outsmarted the Fox by getting one thing right, the smartest partners get the basics right, consistently, before building out more elaborate capabilities. When was the last time you checked in on your customers to see if they're happy?

In a world of foxes, be more cat!

James