Seamless Co-Selling: Microsoft’s Trusted Methodology for Next-Level Customer Engagement

Microsoft’s commitment to supporting Partners throughout the sales cycle is placed front and center in MCEM. The methodology is designed to provide organizations like yours with the guidance and tools you need to succeed.

The ultimate goal is to unite the might of Microsoft with the unique digital innovation and expertise of Partners – delivering success by understanding end customers’ toughest challenges and strategic goals.

MCEM Stage 1: Listen and consult

If you don’t understand what each customer needs you can’t provide the exact solutions they seek. So, the first stage of MCEM for Partners is all about learning. Before offering any advice of solutions, Microsoft works with you to understand the customer’s market, goals and performance over time. This step begins with research before progressing to meeting the client, to comprehend their priorities and their challenges but also potential solutions.

Armed with this knowledge Microsoft and Partner teams can then co-innovate and co-develop an initial solution directly aligned with the customer’s needs. This solidifies your vital role in customers’ minds and makes you a trusted advisor; a champion of their success.

By the end of Stage 1 Partners can create a Qualified Opportunity in Partner Center and share it with Microsoft sellers. In this way, your pipeline becomes healthier as co-sales success takes off.

At this stage, Microsoft offers sales conversation guides, pitch deck templates and workshop scripts as part of their PMC directory.

MCEM Stage 2: Inspire and design

This step is all about building on what you gleaned in Stage 1. Here’s where you go deeper with your customers – and it’s all about working in close collaboration with Microsoft. Unity is a vital ingredient throughout the customer journey, helping to comprehensively assess and respond to their exact needs.

Depending on the customer’s situation and their own preferences for potential solutions, either you or Microsoft can lead on solution strategy and design. All that matters is the solution aligns directly with the customer’s requirements.

To make sure everyone is focused on delivering the correct solution Microsoft provides Partners with a set of customer scenario frameworks. These can be found on the Microsoft Cloud AI Cloud Partner Program website.

By the end of Stage 2, combined Partner and Microsoft teams will have clarity and agreement on the solution that will do the best job possible for the customer, and be able to demonstrate the value of the solution in question by identifying technical and business requirements.

Discover more about ‘Inspire and design’ with Microsoft’s additional pre-sale resources, and its Business Central Concierge program.

MCEM Stage 3: Empower and achieve

In this stage you will help customers agree on the right solution to implement, and finalize an agreement to make it happen.

This is done by blending teams, technology and subject matter expertise into a seamless mix of innovation; reassuring the customers that the solution you showcase is optimal for their organization.

Activity includes demonstrating how the proposed solution will help the business turn its challenges into success: proof of concept, pilots, prototypes and demos are all decent options here. In such a way you can set out the technical proof that the solution will act as expected – and provide the desired outcomes.

It’s a good idea to call on all available resources to make this proof point. Bring along your own experts, but also those from Microsoft and other customers who can show why buying into your service is essential.

Once the customer is convinced, the final step is to construct an agreement. This involves stakeholders from tech specialists and cloud solution architects to industry solutions delivery and support personnel. And, of course, key representatives at the customer organization.

When all parties sign the agreement, the ‘Empower and achieve’ stage is done – and your deal is won.

Find out more about pre-sales in the Business Applications solution areas here.

MCEM Stage 4: Realize value

This stage is arguably the most critical of all five MCEM steps, as it ensures the customer realizes the value of the investment decision. It’s also the essence of the MCEM co-sell play, with Microsoft and Partners driving a successful implementation to deliver exceptional value for the customers.

The product design is finally brought to life as a live solution, by Microsoft customer success managers and solutions architects collaborating with your experts and the customer team. Necessary training and support for successful implementation is also provided.

Teams stay vigilant to find and fix any implementation issues; validate solution architecture; and address any emerging risks. When you and Microsoft are satisfied the solution is good to hand over to the customer, they are asked for their feedback along with their proposed measure of success.

Ultimately, at the end of ‘Realize value’ your customer should be fully satisfied with implementation; and both Microsoft and the Partner business should meet project outcome metrics.

To find out more about how Microsoft manages the deployment stage, click here.

MCEM Stage 5: Manage and optimize

The final step in the MCEM process is designed to ensure the joint customer stays satisfied with the deployed solution, by evaluating whether the expected business value is being achieved.

That involves comparing performance with stated KPIs, but also active monitoring of the overall health of the customer’s solution. For example, legacy systems may need to be factored in or the tech tweaked to provide the most value. Microsoft is able to guide Partners through this process.

Meanwhile, along the way new opportunities to provide additional solutions to the customer may have been discussed. In these cases, the co-sell team can engage the customer further to explore requirements – and we go back to Stage 1…

It’s all part of building a long-term relationship between all parties. Because when ties are strengthened they bind business success together for everyone involved. Transformation and growth happen in tandem, and the tech drives continued innovation and success.

MCEM is an impactful approach to Microsoft/Partner co-selling that is proven to succeed, for your benefit as well as the customer’s.

You can discover more about the power of MCEM by watching a series of short videos, available on Microsoft’s Partner website here. Are you ready to take your co-selling strategy to the next level?

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