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Contents Fall • 2009 • www.thepartnerchannel.com
A publication dedicated to building a community for Partners
In Every Issue Contributors
9 There’s a Reason Why These are the Experts
Random Thoughts
11 They Call it Social Networking...
News
13 100% Organic and Naturally Fat-Free
Events
17 Mark Your Calendars
Feedback
19 Three Partner Polls
VAR Profile
28 Fine Solutions
Members Only Corner
35 InGen Technologies, Inc.
TPC Interview
Advertiser Clip Page
Logo Contest
Magazine Highlights
42 Jodi Uecker-Rust 53 We Remembered This Time!
Service Profile
61 TrinSoft
Customer Profile
97 Trying Our Hand at Something New 98 Snapshot View of the Fall 2009 Issue
Departments Leadership
Inside Scoop
20 Tapping the Treasure 32 Don’t Focus on the Customer; Engage the Customer 50 Stop Bugging Me!
ISV Profile
Sales
64 The Linc Group 70 Certified for Microsoft Dynamics® 74 Nodus Technologies, Inc.
Advertiser Index
76 Big North Dakota Thank You to These Folks!
The List
77 Everything You Need in One Spot
22 36 54
Working Backward From the Client Experience Rule #1 in the Sales Process: Understand Your Prospect’s Business Rainmaking 101
Marketing
26 Lessons I’ve Learned From my Customers 40 Creating a Marketing Hourglass 58 ISVs: It’s Time to Focus Your Marketing
Features 30 45
46 62 66 72
TPC Caption Contest and Results Word-A-Ganza Use Social Media to Listen to Your Customers 2009 Microsoft Dynamics Partner Recognition Announcing the 2009 Microsoft Distinction in Marketing Awards Speaking Your Customers’ Language Fall 2009
5
note s The Partner Channel® Magazine
Fall 2009 Publisher
TPC Publishing Editor-in-Chief
Spider Johnk Managing Editor
Jenny Davis
Is It Really Fall?
Copy Editor
Kate Mund Writers
Jenny Davis Brianne Carlsrud Jasmine McNellis Contributing Writers
Bonnie Robertson Pam McGee Tracy Faleide Norm Robinson Cheryl Strege Art Director
Shawn Olson Production
Jasmine McNellis Contributing Artists
John Holland Scott Thuen Dave Swang Matt Mastrud Ryan Fritz Trygve Olson Jeff Kale Mark Armstrong
Advertisement Sales
Jane Olson
T
hat was just about the quickest summer ever. I don’t know how each one can be quicker than the last, but it never seems to fail. It’s been a good summer, though. The magazine traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, for WPC, and all the issues were gone before the week was half over. They must have made it into some new hands as we’ve heard from Partners that we weren’t currently in touch with, and they’re joining us this issue as new subscribers, profiles (like Fine Solutions, our VAR Profile, on page 28), advertisers, and List participants. You might remember (unless you’re one of the aforementioned newbies) that we put out a “Where are they now?” call about a year ago. This issue marks our first follow-up to that question as we interviewed Jodi Uecker-Rust. Jodi’s still in the channel, but now she’s working for “the other side.” Check out the interview on page 42 in case you’re not exactly sure what that is. There’s a lot of great Partner news – as has become our new norm – in this edition. We’re glad to give you some print – keep the news coming! Be sure to run through the 2009 President’s Club and Inner Circle lists, and give your colleagues a virtual pat on the back for their achievements. You’ll also find three ads highlighting our Sponsors for The Partner Event 2009. We are especially grateful for these companies and invite you to spend a little time learning more about them. As always, it takes a village to put this magazine together. Thank you to our advertisers and List participants, contributors (housed together on page 9), artists, and the rest of the team at The Partner Channel. We’ve been at this for 22 quarters now. I don’t know how each one can be better than the last, but it never seems to fail.
This label only applies to the text stock The Partner Channel Magazine is published by TPC Publishing, a business unit of The Partner Channel®, Inc., with principal offices at 222 Broadway, Suite 200, Fargo, N.D. 58102. All postage is paid from Fargo, N.D. If you wish to be removed from the mailing list, send your request, including name, business name, and mailing address to the above address, or to: jane@thepartnerchannel.com. If you wish to add names, the same directions apply. The Partner Channel®, Inc. is an independent company and is not affiliated with Microsoft Dynamics® or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries. This is a copyrighted publication ©2009, and all articles herein are covered by this copyright. All rights are reserved. Any use of the content for commercial reasons or any other form of reproduction of material herein is strictly prohibited without prior, written approval of The Partner Channel, Inc. Most articles are submitted by independent industry professionals, therefore their views and opinions may not be those of the publishers. Inasmuch, TPC Publishing cannot be held responsible for any or all comments or information held within those articles. This publication is printed in the U.S.A. by Forum Communications Printing.
On the Cover… You DO read this part! Well, a few of you anyway. The Leo Kim book will be sent out to Donna Krizik of Feterick & Associates, Inc. And now back to our regularly scheduled blurb... Did you know that more than 680 million letters and packages are delivered in the United States each day by the top three delivery companies? That is a heck of a lot of envelope licking and package taping! Cover illustration by Trygve Olson for The Partner Channel®.
Fall 2009
7
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Contributors Adrianne Machina
Adrianne Machina is the chief velocity officer of Tornado Marketing, Inc. (www.TornadoMktg.com) and an Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Coach. A huge Web 2.0 advocate, Adrianne’s marketing strategies and copywriting service help clients leverage the web to bring in more leads and most importantly – more sales! Having worked in the Microsoft Dynamics channel since 2000, Adrianne provides valuable insight into how to market complex solutions. Her clients appreciate her practical advice and business value-driven approach to marketing.
Tracy Faleide
Tracy Faleide gained 20 years of experience in communications, project and team management, planning, and results-based execution by holding several team and strategy leadership roles at Great Plains Software and Microsoft®. She is a writer and coach, helping clients tell their stories, establish confidence of purpose and see things differently. Tracy has a B.S. degree in public relations from Minnesota State University Moorhead. She and her husband Dan live in Fargo. Patrick Collins
Bonnie Robertson
Bonnie Robertson understands big and small business. She’s worked for one of the biggest – Microsoft – and now runs her own consulting company. Bonnie’s been helping business owners and managers improve their businesses for 20 years.
Norm Robinson
With 20+ years experience, Norm Robinson is a “big picture” guy. He runs his own agency and works for clients all over the country. He’s a marketing and sales consultant, a strategic planner, a PR guy, business consultant, and a direct marketing specialist. His focus is helping clients make the sale...and everything it takes to get there.
Pam McGee
Pam McGee is the principal of pMcGee Consulting and specializes in helping businesses get to the future instead of having their future get to them. Specialty areas that you can count on Pam for are building a culture, defining shared values, coaching leadership and basic HR practices. Pam has more than 20 years business experience, 10 years consulting experience, and strong leadership and management skills.
For nearly 20 years, Patrick Collins has been listening carefully to subject matter experts in order to transform complex material into concise and understandable copy. Before starting his own communications consultancy, Patrick was a senior writer for a global public relations agency and worked for Washington University in Saint Louis, the University of Wisconsin in Madison and the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) in Portland, Oregon.
John Spindler
John Spindler brings nearly 20 years of marketing and copywriting experience to The Partner Channel. Over that span of time he’s helped companies big and small get their message across, and, more importantly increase sales and profits. His experience includes more than a decade helping Microsoft and dozens of Microsoft Partners increase their marketing efforts through high-quality direct mail materials, product fact sheets, corporate brochures, customer case studies, Website copywriting, and much more.
Joe Mechlinski
Joe Mechlinski has specialized in working with high growth companies and their sales teams throughout the country for more than 10 years. With a proven track record for scaling companies, Joe teaches teams how to use emotional intelligence (EQ) vs. intellectual intelligence (IQ) to grow their sales. In addition, he helps companies harness current social and economic trends, creating successful sales structures and developing winning environments to attract and retain top talent.
Joe Rotella
Joe Rotella, SPHR, is chief technical officer with Delphia Consulting. He leads the firm’s usability practice, designing, developing, and implementing user-centric Web sites. Joe’s efforts focus on understanding the users’ needs to design solutions that are efficient, intuitive and aesthetically pleasing, and easy to use.
Fall 2009
9
DOES YOUR BUSINESS PROCESS MAKE SENSE? B.
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I.
Random Thoughts
Social Networking: What a bunch of twits. Spider Johnk
E
verybody now! Whoever doesn’t get this social networking deal, raise your hand. Don’t be shy. Hey, I see you there in Chicago…c’mon, raise your hand! Now doesn’t that feel better? It takes a whole lot less energy to step up and admit ignorance than to continue in the sham of pretending to know. I’ve done both, so I know this to be true. Let me tell you, it’s hard to be hip. You have to pay attention all the time. You have to keep an open mind. You need to stay current to the new. You need to keep track of stuff. Additional stuff. Like passwords. And secret answers to secret questions that are meant to let the “providers” of technology know that you are who you say you are. Evidently they haven’t been paying attention to my LinkedIn or Facebook entries or they would already know who I am. But they don’t have time. Like me, they too are trying to keep up. Stay hip. Social networking. Seems a bit clinical of a term. Something Masters and Johnson would have used as a study title that would have captured the mating habits of some vague population group in the upper Midwest. Which reminds me...I just saw a promo claiming that social networking had overtaken online porn when it comes to the number of users. There again, I suppose that lends to the confusion. I personally know several guys from college who would consider porn as a sub-category of (if not synonymous with) social networking, But I digress. The term itself does describe to a tee the end result that’s hoped for. I put my info out there, and I will connect with others who are interested and will dig me. I will make new friends and reacquaint myself with old ones. At the end of the day, more folks will be far more informed about all things Spider. All I have to do is keep track of stuff, remember to enter the stuff I have tracked, write it down online, and wait for a response. It seems to be working for a ton of people. Millions of people. I too have had small successes. My recent high school reunion uti-
lized FB (that’s Facebook for all you un-hipsters), and yes, it was a “by God networking dealio.” In a matter of days I was connected with at least 50 of my classmates. A huge majority of those I hadn’t networked with in years. A couple of those I had severely fond memories of social networking with. We networked a bunch and got nearly arrested for it a couple of times. Maybe that was more anti-social networking. Wow, I digressed again. See, I have to keep track better. So socially, I guess I am already a user of the existing technology. But most everyone is circling in a crazy way, trying to figure out how to make social networking a business proposition. Again the term gets confusing. Making a business out of social networking has been done and is controlled by criminal gangster types and some legal establishments in Nevada. Again, I was told this by that bunch from college. But isn’t that the golden egg? The pot at the end of the rainbow? Being able to reach those millions of eyes with your business message. The LinkedIn deal is cool if I’m looking for a reference I suppose. But I have to admit, I’m not too discerning when it comes to linking up. You might even say I’m a bit promiscuous when it comes to networking. I’ll link with anyone, and that can’t be good. I think others do the same. I can only imagine how many I have requested linking with who have whispered at their workstation, “Wow, who is this guy again? Spider who? Did what? Great Plains? I knew 800 people at Great Plains. Oh well, maybe he’s ok. What the heck?” or “Damn, he’s an ass! But if I say no or avoid him he might flame me with someone who IS important. I better link up.” The really big consideration for me these days is time. I am in my fifth decade, and the sixth is a couple exit ramps down the road. Being of my age, I have at least twice the stuff to keep track of than say a 27 year old. I probably have met twice as many people and forgotten most of their names. The mental rolodex has only so many cards. So besides needed memory upgrades, all this networking takes time. I log on to FB every day and am amazed
how verbose so many folks are. And I guess one has to be impressed with how much detail they wish to and are willing to share. Even with the character limits on Twitter, people have gotten really good at keeping it short but packed at the same time. A skill that should not go unnoticed or unappreciated. But frankly I have done a little tracking of my own time involvement with SoNetEx (Social Network Experience…just coined it. Hip, yes?) My slow typing aside, it takes a few minutes to get up and running, do a quick scan, and then comment. I rarely comment, but I do spend time deciding whether I should or not. Oh, there’s so and so, and he’s having soup for lunch. Not just any soup but some saffron thing that is so light he can hardly contain himself. And as he has posted his thoughts, I can’t help but imagine that while he was doing so his soup had grown cold. And there is Ms. Know-it-all, and she’s sharing her feelings about the benefits of honey over sugar. And she found a new study that shows that beer has the reverse effect that a good red wine has and will probably take years off your life. Oh good. This social networking technology is allowing my mother, may she rest in peace, to channel her criticisms for my behavior through people I thought were my friends. At any rate, in checking Craigslist, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn updates and requests and social related e-mail, I probably blow an hour each day. When does it happen? Never at the office! (cough) Okay…sometimes at the office…but you gotta understand… when they figure out how all this will really help my business and help my clients beyond just getting their names out there and sharing soup details, I’m gonna be ready. I’ll be smooth. “Hey…my name is Spider…come here often? Looks like you could use a logo!...I’m buying.” Yeah, I know. Terrible line. Cliché. I’ll get better. I guess I’ll have to. P.S. I was just told it’s not Twits (in the intro), it’s Tweets. Twits is kind of derisive and of course I wouldn’t want anyone to take offense. I am tragically unhip. The secret is out. I am a twit. Fall 2009
11
News Got news? Share it with us at www.thepartnerchannel.com/magazine under “News,” and we’ll print it in the Winter 2009 edition of the magazine.
Advanced Systems Integration, Inc. (ASi), a Microsoft Dynamics® AX Gold Certified Business Solutions and Learning Solutions training Partner, is pleased to announce the release of a new Microsoft® Partner Solution Case Study featuring Advanced Systems Integration. This new case study, funded and written by Microsoft, recognizes ASi’s history as one of the original U.S. Damgaard Axapta Partners (now Microsoft Dynamics AX) and highlights ASi’s successful use of various Microsoft Dynamics tools on its recent implementation at Felt Bicycles including the Microsoft Sure Step Methodology, Rapid Configurator Tool, Task Recorder and Microsoft Sure Step Business Modeler. ASC Software is excited to announce to not only achieve Microsoft® Gold Certified status, but also to have ASCTrac become “Certified for Microsoft Dynamics”. ASC Software sends a big thanks to its team that worked on these accomplishments. Visit www.ascsoftware.com to learn more. AVF Consulting, a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics® NAV and Serenic Navigator, is proud to announce its selection as Serenic Partner of Excellence for 2009. This is the second consecutive year that AVF has received this award. The recognition is based on a combination of revenue attainment, number of customers renewing maintenance, commitment to Serenic, marketing efforts, and extension of Navigator. BroadPoint Technologies is proud to announce a recent addition to its executive team. Scott Stevenson joins BroadPoint as director of professional services. Stevenson joins BroadPoint with 15 years of consulting experience related to financial applications, primarily Microsoft Dynamics® GP. Before joining BroadPoint, Stevenson accumulated nine years of experience through his ownership of a competing consulting firm, Evo-
lutionary Business Solutions, Inc. Stevenson plans to further develop a consulting/ support team that is scalable in the market space as well as increase efficiencies in how BroadPoint provides services to its clients. Crowe Horwath LLP announces that its Industry Vantage™ ERP for Wholesale Distributors, a business management solution designed to improve the performance of midsize companies in the wholesale distribution industry, has been awarded the SAP seal of approval. As a qualified SAP® Business All-in-One channel Partner, Crowe provides midsize wholesale distribution companies with the affordability and expertise of the SAP application combined with Crowe’s industry knowledge. Eclipse Computing, Inc., a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner, is happy to announce the release of version 10.70b of its flagship product, Eclipse Royalty & Rights Management System. The latest release includes enhancements to the advance payment features, functionality to manage contract sales with field services, sales of kits and BOMs, and new Microsoft SQL® Reporting Services reports. With this latest release, Eclipse looks to expand market leadership for intellectual property companies in merchandising, music, and publishing. Encore Business Solutions is pleased to announce that its Advance SmartList solution has obtained “Certified for Microsoft Dynamics®” designation. Advanced SmartList is a seamless extension to SmartList that adds Microsoft Excel®-like functionality, allowing users to sum, sort, filter, and reorder columns right in the query. “We pride ourselves in delivering innovative software solutions to our customers. The Certified for Microsoft Dynamics achievement is representative of this and gives both reselling Partners and end users additional confidence in the stability of our products,” said Brent Twist, CEO, Encore Business Solutions. To
learn more, visit www.encorebusiness.com. Experlogix, Inc., a leading developer of sales and manufacturing configurator solutions for Microsoft Dynamics®, announces that Strongco Equipment, the largest volume dealer of Volvo Construction Equipment in North America, has successfully implemented the Experlogix Configurator with Microsoft Dynamics® CRM to simplify its quoting process. Strongco sells, rents, and services mobile equipment to sectors that include construction, road building, mining, forestry, utilities, and municipalities and employs more than 700 employees. Strongco’s sales team relies on Experlogix with Microsoft Dynamics CRM to create customized equipment proposals with speed and accuracy – even while traveling or on a job site in an offline mode. Feed Management Systems announces that its Feed Mill Manager software, an information management solution that integrates data from production, formulation, manufacturing, and accounting into a single system for commercial animal feed manufacturing operations, is now “Certified for Microsoft Dynamics”. This accreditation signifies that the solution has met Microsoft Corporation’s highest standard for Partnerdeveloped software. First Tech Direct, a provider of Microsoft Dynamics® software and services, will be partnering with PTC, The Product Development Company, to provide a range of product lifecycle management systems for discrete manufacturing companies in the United States. The systems will focus on the automotive, electronics and high technology, medical, aerospace and defense, and consumer industries. GoIWx, a leader in application hosting for Software Plus Service (S+S) and Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings, announces a hostFall 2009
13
ed software deployment for Native Oilfield Services in coordination with Tribridge. For this project, a Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2009 solution was developed in an S+S model, which is hosted by GoIWx. GoIWx provided a multi-server deployment platform and hosts the infrastructure where the software modules reside at its Minneapolis data center. A key component of the deployment was a customer-provided PeopleNet GPS device integrated into the infrastructure. Information is queried from the Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2009 Microsoft SQL® 2005 x64 database and the GPS system in order to track a multitude of data derived from N.O.S. fleet vehicles as part of the all encompassing solution. ICAN Software Solutions announces a joint marketing campaign with SSYH, Inc. promoting Microsoft Dynamics® GP and ICAN’S Investment Asset Management solution to the state of Florida. SSYH is a Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner in Florida with significant presence and penetration in the region. ICAN is pleased for the opportunity to combine its marketing efforts with a prestigious and long-standing Partner in Florida and looks forward to a successful relationship. For more information, visit www.icansoftware. com or www.ssyh.com. Kerr Consulting & Support is pleased to announce its partnership with Certify.com, the leading provider of online expense management for small and medium businesses. Kerr Consulting will provide integration between Certify.com and American Express, MasterCard, and VISA along with many of the leading mid-market accounting software products such as QuickBooks, Sage ACCPAC, Microsoft Dynamics®, and CYMA. Kerr Consulting will also provide training and setup services for Certify as well as sales and marketing support to existing Kerr Consulting clients. MBS Dev announces the release of “Solution in a Box”, a new pre-configured software deployment for distributors. MBS Dev can now offer customers a time-saving and cost-minimizing software implementation based on industry best practices. MBS Dev developed the Solution in a Box to offer a 14
The Partner Channel Magazine
streamlined implementation methodology and a pre-configured template that meets distributor business requirements. The Solution in a Box is a template and methodology that minimizes both the time and resources typically needed on a solution implementation for Microsoft Dynamics® AX and the MBS Dev Wholesale Distribution Suite. Solution in a Box compresses the timeline typically required for the software installation, creating rapid time-to-market and reducing impact and distraction to the distributor’s business. NexVue Information Systems, a leading provider of financial and operational business solutions for small and mid-market companies, announced an agreement to install, implement, and support a new finance and accounting system for Olympus Power, LLC. Nodus Technologies, Inc., a leading business process automation company, announced the industry’s first comprehensive product suite designed for small- and midsize multi-channel retailers. Presented during the Microsoft Worldwide Partners Conference, the product suite consists of Credit Card Advantage for Mail Order Telephone Order, eStore Solution Stack for eCommerce, and Retail Advantage for brick-andmortar stores who use Microsoft® RMS. Fully integrated with Microsoft Dynamics® GP, this suite enables retailers to manage inventory and sales from e-commerce and physical storefronts via a single interface. Paramount Technologies announces that it has joined the 2009 Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies. The Inc. 5000 list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy – America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs – and is widely recognized as a prescient indicator of companies and industries that are on a track for sustained success. Business demand for spending control and increased employee productivity fueled the record growth that made Paramount Technologies the fourth-ranked software company in Michigan. Paramount Technologies is a leading global provider of Web-based employee workforce automation solutions, automating procurement, project
accounting, time, and expense transactions to make internal workflow processes more efficient, improve employee productivity, reduce time and errors, and save money. Visit www.paramounttechnologies.com for more information. The Partner Marketing Group turned one year old in June! Formerly affiliated with The Partner Channel, just one short year ago TPC encouraged the “little birds” to fly the nest and start a new company. The marketing consultants, now up to six strong, work specifically with Microsoft Dynamics® Partners on their marketing strategies and execution of their lead generation programs. The Partner Marketing Group thanks its clients, The Partner Channel, and its team for a strong year. RedTail Solutions announces that it has been named by Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine to the eighth annual listing of the Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100. Final recipients are featured in the cover story of the June/July 2009 issue as well as online at www.SDCExec.com. Supply & Demand Chain Executive has identified leading providers of supply chain services and technologies who are helping their customers and clients both respond to the downturn and, more importantly, position themselves for growth ahead. Saratoga Technologies announces it has once again expanded with its recent acquisition of GilCom Networks located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. This marks Saratoga’s second acquisition of a Pigeon Forge-based company and its 15th overall. GilCom will move to and operate out of Saratoga Technologies’ office located at 129 Showplace Boulevard in Pigeon Forge. SBS Group announces its acquisition of a significant Microsoft Dynamics® SL practice from Evolutionary Business Solutions, Inc. (EBSI) of Virginia. SBS Group is a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner ranked among the top 100 business management solution providers by Accounting Technology magazine. A Microsoft Dynamics® President’s Club member for the past five years, SBS Group maintains competencies in a variety of business management solutions, network
infrastructure, and information worker technologies. With the addition of EBSI’s Microsoft Dynamics SL practice, SBS deepens its market penetration in the DC metropolitan region. SBS Group now supports clients from northern Virginia through southern Connecticut and employs one of the largest Microsoft Dynamics SL support teams in the country. Sandler*Kahne Software (SK) announces that it achieved Microsoft Dynamics® President’s Club for the fourth consecutive year and thanks all its Partners and customers. Additionally, SK has met Microsoft’s highest standard for Partner-developed software in that its eBanking Suite for Microsoft Dynamics® SL is now “Certified for Microsoft Dynamics”. Additionally, SK’s eBanking Suite has also been enhanced to support NACHA’s new International ACH Transaction (IAT). And coming soon: Outlook Integration with PREP for project-driven organizations – providing two-way synchro-
nization between PREP resource schedules and Microsoft Exchange. And, SK is proudly providing a renewable energy benefit for all of its offices and employees, enabling them to maximize their use of renewable energy (largely wind and hydroelectric). Learn more at www.sksoft.com. Solutions, publishers of The Accounting Library, one of the most respected software selection tools for middle market firms, launched an On-Line Edition in late August. While the primary focus of the site will be software selection, the site will also help prospects find resellers, learn more about each reseller, and then make first contact. Thus the site will become a lead generation source for Microsoft Dynamics® resellers and ISVs. Sunrise Technologies announced that its Apparel & Footwear Template is now “Certified for Microsoft Dynamics®”, which signifies that the solution has met Micro-
soft Corporation’s highest standard for Partner-developed software. Solutions that are “Certified for Microsoft Dynamics” have demonstrated development quality and compatibility with the Microsoft Dynamics® product. Additionally, the Microsoft Dynamics Partner must have customers who are successfully using the certified solution and are willing to recommend it. Tribridge, a leading U.S.-based IT services and business consulting firm, announces Chairman and CEO Tony DiBenedetto has been named the Ernst & Young 2009 Florida Entrepreneur Of The Year in the Technology category. DiBenedetto was selected by an independent panel of judges and was presented the award during a gala event at the Omni Orlando Resort at Champions Gate. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses.
Prescription Strength Sales Tax Management
Call Now For A Free Consultation (702) 948-6554
No known side effects. Mixes well with other Microsoft Dynamics® GP add-ons. Kamp-Data’s Product Support has been known to promote strong partnerships and large amounts of customer appreciation. Intended for productive use only. Do not mix with alcohol. Only available at www.kampdata.com. Beware of generic alternatives! Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Fall 2009
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Events Upcoming Events…
Going somewhere, but it’s not on the list? Let us know, and we’ll include it in the next issue! Go to www.thepartnerchannel.com/magazine under “Events” to submit details. September The Partner Event September 20-22 Fargo, ND www.thepartnerevent.com
Microsoft Dynamics® SL Partner Academies September – December Online https://training.partner.microsoft.com/ learning
Demo2Win!® Workshop for Microsoft Dynamics® Partners September – December Various Locations https://training.partner.microsoft.com/ learning
Microsoft Dynamics® NAV Partner Academies September – December Austin, TX, Fargo, ND, and Online https://training.partner.microsoft.com/ learning
Discovery2Win!® Workshop for Microsoft Dynamics Partners September – December Various Locations https://training.partner.microsoft.com/ learning
Microsoft Dynamics Advanced Technical Workshops September – December Fargo, ND, Irvine, CA, and Online https://training.partner.microsoft.com/ learning
Microsoft Dynamics® AX Partner Academies September – December Fargo, ND and Online https://training.partner.microsoft.com/ learning
Partner Hosted Events Various Dates and Locations www.clicktoattend.com
Microsoft Dynamics® GP Partner Academies September – December Fargo, ND and Online https://training.partner.microsoft.com/ learning
October Microsoft Dynamics® CRM Partner Academies October - November Fargo, ND and Online https://training.partner.microsoft.com/ learning
Convergence 2009 Europe October 27 – November 5 Various Locations www.microsoft.com/dynamics/convergence Partner Hosted Events Various Dates and Locations www.clicktoattend.com
November Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Conference 2009 November 9-11 Fargo, ND www.microsoft.com/dynamics/ fargodeveloperconference Directions 2009 November 11 – 14 Austin, TX www.navdirections.com Partner Hosted Events Various Dates and Locations www.clicktoattend.com
December Partner Hosted Events Various Dates and Locations www.clicktoattend.com
Fall 2009
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Individual Individualstrength. strength.
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Enhancement EnhancementProducts Products Development DevelopmentServices Services Consulting Consulting Services Services
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Products Products & Services & Services to Enhance to Enhance Microsoft Microsoft Dynamics® Dynamics® GP Payroll GP Payroll andand Human Human Resources Resources
Feedback We recently polled Partners on a variety of topics. Check out www.thepartnerchannel.com to answer weekly polls and surveys, and check out www.thepartnerchannel.com/magazine to share your magazine feedback.
How many e-mail accounts do you monitor?
Which search engine is your go-to?
1
5+ ( 5%
Did you attend WPC 2009?
(3 ) %
3
)
(39%)
2
YES (29%)
(18%)
BING NO
(71%)
(20%)
GOOGLE (80%)
4
(24%)
(Based on 33 submissions)
(Based on 101 submissions)
(Based on 66 submissions) We also provided the options of Yahoo!, MSN, Ask.com, and Wolfram Alpha. No dice for any of those options.
Illustration by Trygve Olson for The Partner Channel
Fall 2009
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Leadership Bonnie Robertson
W
hat does the future hold for Partner organizations? I have been asked this question with increasing intensity over the past couple of years. The truth is, if I really knew what it takes to be hugely successful in the next several years, I would probably do it and not just talk and write about it. For me, predicting the future comes from speculation (and hopefully some insight) from my years of observing and learning about this market and from learning from many of you, successful entrepreneurs. But changes in market adoption, vendor programs, and the economic conditions should cause you to pause and ask, where to from here? What are the risks your organization faces in the future? What opportunities are available for growth? What should be your key priorities and strategies? As vendors change channel strategies, how will that impact your business? Do you need to change how you do business? What do you offer to customers? Who holds the information and insight that can help answer all of these questions? You should already know them and know them well: they are your customers. They know what business needs they have today, and with some curiosity and process, you will be able to identify patterns of what they need in the future. Why do I say curiosity? Because many organizations claim to know their customers and to really understand them – but I am not talking about what version of software they have. I am talking about what business issues they have and what will be priorities for them in the future. How do you tap into this tremendous marketing research resource known as customers? Ask them questions.
Tappi e r ng the Treasu Find the Vein of Gold I know it sounds simple, but find those customers that are true evangelists for your company and ask them why they love you. Many people assess win/loss sales data (if you don’t, you should, so start there), but often we miss asking our greatest champions why they are believers and why they continue to invest with us. What is it that drove their decision to you? Can you find a pattern amongst your best customers? Finding and following what you do best is a good start to finding out how you can expand on that competency and grow your business with new as well as existing customers. 20
The Partner Channel Magazine
Face the Music If there are customers that you have lost (or prospects that went with someone else and made you their second choice), do your best to find out why. Existing customers who have not made recent purchases are at risk; contact them and find out what is happening with their business and work at understanding their issues. This is not the time to defend or try to explain away issues; rather, it is the time to clearly understand customers’ pressing needs or unresolved problems. Maybe you have the right services and products but the wrong kind of customers for your offerings. Maybe you need to adjust how
and what you deliver. Whatever the truth is, seek it and face it head on, because in today’s world, there is no place to hide. The old “wordof-mouth” takes on an entirely different scenario in today’s world of customer reviews on the Web. Whether you are a large corporation or a small local business, unsatisfied customers will find ways to be heard. It is far better if you hear it first and find solutions quickly. Search for New and Open Territories If your customers have business issues that need to be addressed for their future, there certainly are others out there like them. Learn from your customers what needs they have. Don’t sell immediately – just be curious and learn. Then study the competition, assess the size and availability of the market, and strategize what you can deliver or what you need to develop to deliver. Ensure your customer service is focused on delivering to customers – not just selling what you want. Remember that timing is everything. You might have the most brilliant product and service mix, but if what you are offering is not high on the priority need list for customers, they won’t buy it. Be realistic but open to delivering products and services that are new to your organization. Sometimes the biggest hurdle to innovation and new growth is past success. We think we have it all figured out. It worked for years – but the world continues to shift and change, and new trends continue to show themselves.
there. Online surveys can be brief and to the point and still provide excellent insight and feedback. The best of social networking is still evolving, and the true return on investment (ROI) is not clear. However, if you are involved in social networking, make sure someone in your organization understands how to do it effectively. Otherwise, hire it done. Don’t make the same mistake that one of the biggest recipients of U.S. tax dollars made in saying, “We are a new car company. Go to our Web site and ask our CEO any question.” There were hundreds and hundreds of posted questions – with no answers. That was a costly error in trust. The old-fashioned voice-to-voice connection is still a viable tool; however, it should be strategized and pre-planned. Even our best customers will be difficult to just call and “get on the line” without some understanding of what you want to discuss and why. And for those who are most valuable and are willing to talk – faceto-face remains one of the most significant means of building relationships. When was the last time you took the leaders of your top customers to lunch and didn’t try to sell them something? That you asked and listened about what was happening in their business and what they were seeing as priorities in their strategies? Most customers are so flattered to be asked without being sold; they will respond more openly than imagined.
The How of the What and Why So if by now you are convinced that customers themselves are very valuable market research resources, how do you go about getting the information needed to further develop your strategies? There is no one “right” way to gather information. The key is to gather it and then to use it as data to provide further insights. The Web is a huge and efficient way to gather input, either through surveys, online communities, webinars, or blogs. But remember: the point of this strategy is to gather information – not just push it out
Putting it All Together Whether it is the analysis of a Web survey, a conversation of a project manager, a response or question on a blog, or the notes from a lunch – what makes the information useful is to gather it into a central area (either make it someone’s job or use an internal data point) and then use it to make informed decisions about opportunities, risks, and organizational strategies. Adaptation to new economies and markets is far less risky and far more opportunistic when approached with the insights and feedback from customers.
Thank You to the Visionary Sponsors of The Partner Event 2009
www.thepartnerevent.com Fall 2009
21
Sales
Working
drawkcaB From the
Experience
Joe Mechlinski
W
hether facing an environment of economic decline or recovery, Partner companies must constantly reinvent. As the leader of your organization, you must continually find new ways to differentiate your company from the competition. After all, when you get right down to it, what separates you from the next Microsoft Partner? You all sell services. You all sell software. You all have a “customer-centric” approach to growing your business. What’s the difference? According to the most successful sales organizations, it all comes down to your approach to the client. Having a customercentric approach is one thing. Having a “client-experience” approach is quite another. Know the difference, and you will be in a position to lead your team to greater levels of sales achievement. Client-Experience Versus Customer-Centric The difference between client-experience and customer-centric is simple. The client-experience approach requires that you design the engagement with the ultimate outcome in mind, and then work backward to achieve it. By contrast, the customer-centric approach is about working forward toward a goal of surrounding your customer with attention. Ironically, the customer-centric approach is not actually about the customer. It’s about the salesperson and what the salesperson needs to do to surround the customer. To reach growth goals, Partners must adopt the client-experience approach. 22
Client
The Partner Channel Magazine
Illustration by Jeff Kale for The Partner Channel
A New Way of Thinking To understand this key point, let me tell you a story of a mountain climb. A few years back, I had the opportunity to join an expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Now, Kilimanjaro is not the tallest peak in the world. It’s the seventh tallest. Nor is it what is termed a “technical” climb. However, it is an extremely challenging climb for a city kid who had never even camped before. For me, the expedition pushed my physical, mental, and emotional limits like nothing I’d ever known before. Working Backward To keep me and the other climbers mentally focused, our guide encouraged us to use our imagination to picture the ultimate experience as though we’d already accomplished it. With that picture in our mind, we were encouraged to “work backward” from the goal. “Imagine you’ve climbed and reached the summit,” he told us during the climb. “Imagine what that experience will look like and feel like. Can you picture the view, the exhilaration you will feel? Can you feel the wind in your face and the sun in your eyes? Can you taste the sweetness of the thin mountain air?” I was there, in my mind. I could picture it. I could feel it. I could taste it. The instructor went on, “You’re feeling the experience of success. Now, work back from it. What do you need to do at this Fall 2009
23
moment that will lead you to the experience you are imagining?”
traditional “solution selling” method of sales. How does the client-experience approach mesh with the solution selling method?
Peak Sales Performance Delivering a remarkable experience for your clients can be a lot like climbing a mountain. As with sales, climbing a mountain requires a plan. It takes hard work. It takes strength of personality and courage and teamwork. But it also takes something unusual, even extraordinary. It takes a special kind of mental attitude about the experience. We call this the experience mindset. Rather than allowing us to focus on our exhaustion, fear, and doubt, our guide put us in the state of having already reached the summit mentally, well before we ever got there physically. He had us looking back, so to speak, on our current actions from the perspective of already having achieved our goals – before we ever actually did. It worked. During the climb, I kept thinking, “Since I can imagine that I’ve already made it to the top, I can imagine what it looks like, feels like, smells like, and sounds like. Everything I am doing now will help me enjoy the experience that I know is waiting for me.” And I did it. I reached the top. I achieved my goal.
The Problem with Solution Selling Solution selling is a highly effective methodology, in most cases, because it focuses on the buyer’s pain. The problem is that it is centered on the seller who tries to move the buyer through a series of steps that are seller-centric. What about a client’s experience? How do you want the client to feel about the experience? What view do you want him/her to have? How will the air taste to him/her? For some Partners, this point of view requires a radical shift. If we stop thinking about the surrounding the client, they ask, how do we sell to him/her?
Be Different: Be a Peak Performer The same holds true when taking your company’s sales performance to the peak. Effective selling can be thought of as an activity – or series of activities – that leads to the best possible experience for your client, one that is exhilarating for both of you. This means thinking from the client’s point of view, not the seller’s. It means envisioning the successful outcome – the peak – and working backward from there. Creating a Client-Experience Sales Organization To develop a client-experience approach, start by asking yourself: »» How do we design a sales process that centers upon the client’s buying experience? »» How can we move our prospects and clients through the sales process without making them feel like they are being “sold”? »» How can we stay connected to our prospects and clients in a meaningful way? As with any new adventure, the answers bring up more questions. Many Partners, for example, are very comfortable with the 24
The Partner Channel Magazine
Working Backward From the Sale There are specific steps to creating the client experience during the sales process. As with the mountain climb, envision the end game, the experience you want the client to have, and work backward to understand what you need to do to reach that outcome, based on where the client is on the mountain. We have reduced the solution selling process to its core components and converted it into a client-experience process. These steps will help your sales team to maintain a client-experience perspective to the point where, ideally, the client has no awareness of the process. The simplified client-experience sales process looks like this:
STAGES OF THE CLIENT-EXPERIENCE SALES PROCESS Suspect
• Targeted lead generation / marketing campaigns • Reach out to companies we suspect could become clients
Raw Prospect
• Start of the sales pipeline • Prospect has expressed interest in exploring your offering
Smart Prospect
• Prospect is SMART about your offering, scope, value and pricing • Prospect also feels you are SMART on them, too
Proposal Prospect
• Prospect has everything they need to say “yes”
Client
• Prospect has accepted the proposal, signed the contract, and made the first payment
Repeat Client
• Client has a REMARKABLE experience and wants MORE
Stages of the Client-Experience SUSPECT. Every Partner suspects there is more business out there that we are not capturing. Start with the end in mind and work backward. There are companies with pain that you can solve. Looking at it from the client experience, envision what it will look like and how they will feel when their pain is resolved. Holding this image, conduct an analysis of your current accounts to determine who your ideal SUSPECT audience is. Then design a thoughtful lead generation program to attract the clients to the experience you are picturing. RAW PROSPECT. The experience begins when we have a RAW prospect. A RAW prospect is defined as a decision-maker who is interested and has a timeframe. Define them as “RAW” prospects because – from their perspective – they are new to the experience and
are highly sensitive. They don’t know where they are in the experience with you. But you know. You’re holding the vision. Soon, they will, too.
is no. Not every prospect will become a client. To find those who will convert, have your salespeople ask questions that uncover the buyer’s goal in terms that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Recorded (meaning, you write them down), and within a Timeframe. When the buyer can “hold a vision of the solution” (in the words of Mike Bosworth’s Solution Selling process), and that vision is a match to your vision for the client experience, there is a much higher likelihood that the vision will come true. PROPOSAL PROSPECT. The buyer feels he/she is ready for a proposal when the salesperson has listened and can describe back to the buyer the experience that the buyer wants. Working backward, the salesperson designs the steps that lead to that experience, in the form of a proposal or statement of work.
once your salespeople have a
decision-maker who is interested, they can start to connect with that person’s ultimate mission or vision. SMART PROSPECT. A buyer is SMART when they feel we understand their ultimate or “end” goals. So many times, salespeople can comprehend the “means” needs – as in the means to the end – but not the big picture. Once your salespeople have a decision-maker who is interested, they can start to connect with that person’s ultimate mission or vision. Does it line up with our ultimate vision for the client experience? It’s okay if the answer
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CLIENT. The client becomes a client when the next logical step for achieving the experience they want is to give you a signature and a payment. Now, it’s up to you to deliver on the promise. REPEAT CLIENT. When a client gives us repeat business, this is proof that our clients and our company have a shared vision of the ideal client experience. Anything less and they would not repeat the experience. So celebrate your repeat clients. Focus your team on how they can continue to overservice the client from his/her point of view, and always remember who the experience is designed to please: the client. Onward, to the Summit Similar to climbing a mountain or tackling any significant challenge, the key to having a client-experience approach is doing it. You have to be willing to devote the resources, time, and energy it takes to serve the client. If you are committed to the client experience, it is inevitable that you will lead your team – and the client – to the zenith of their success.
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Marketing
Lessons A Learned
I’ve
Cheryl Strege
26
s a person who has the enviable job of telling other people what to do (in a nice way, of course), one of the basic principles I advocate as a marketing consultant is “listen to your customers.� Too often we become disengaged from our customers while we focus on tackling marketing strategies, tracking metrics, creating presentations, following up on prospects, and 100 other things that can consume our time.
Customers from my
The Partner Channel Magazine
In the last four-plus years of consulting, I’ve had the opportunity to work with numerous wonderful clients (aka Partners and ISVs) and a few less-than-wonderful clients. Every one of them has taught me valuable management lessons, pushed me to learn more, and made me better for the experience. Here are my top five marketing takeaways that you can apply to your own customer base: Change Your Mindset Are you part of the team? Or are you regarded as “just a vendor” who is only contacted when absolutely necessary? If you are part of the team, then congratulations! It means you’ve established that “trusted advisor” relationship with your customers that we all desire. It also means that not only will your customers call you when they need your products and services, but they will also talk about you positively with their associates, they will be a great referral or influencer resource, and they will be happy to give you testimonials for your marketing collateral. If you’re not part of your customers’ team, they will often search for other vendors or resellers when they need something. We all know how easy it is to just pop on the Internet and start looking for the product/service needed instead of calling the Partner. Case in point: one of my clients expressed great frustration to find out that a customer had bought Microsoft Dynamics® CRM from a competitor. When I asked how often this Partner contacted the customer, the answer was, “We check in once a year to see if they need anything.” No wonder the competitor was able to get the business – the original Partner wasn’t even in the running when the customer needed new software. Don’t Be Afraid to Give When economic conditions are tough, it can be hard to think about giving something away. After all, you’re concerned about making payroll, paying the bills, supporting the marketing budget, and everything else that comes with running a business. But something I’ve learned from my customers is the value of giving. Sure, it’s likely to mean you’re not going to get paid for some of your time, and that potentially means lost billable revenue. On the positive side, you’ve made an impression on those customers they’re not likely to forget. And better yet, they might even tell one, two, or five more people about it. However, that shouldn’t be the sole rea-
son you give. Do it because you want to, do it because it’s the right thing, and/or do it because it makes YOU feel good. Remember to Say “Thank You” This can be/should be a hugely important part of your relationship with your customers (and your spouse, your children, your friends, and so on). It’s not hard to say thank you when on the phone or in an e-mail, but taking it the extra step is well worth the time. »» Send a hand-written note of thanks to your client (tuck your business card in it) for their business, for a referral, for a testimonial, or for completing a favorable review of your firm on Microsoft PinPoint™ (www.pinpoint.microsoft.com/en-US/). »» Send a gift to commemorate their company anniversary, your company anniversary, or other significant occasion. For example, I sent environmentally friendly water-powered clocks to clients and associates to celebrate the one-year anniversary of The Partner Marketing Group. A personal note of thanks for their support was included. »» Thank your customers by making a donation to their favorite cause. Everyone benefits (you, the customer, the charity)! »» Thank your customers for attending functions – user groups, lunch ’n’ learns, launch events – by having the event collateral (presentation, handouts, brochures) on a company-branded jump drive they can take back to the office. Another example: when at Great Plains, we always stashed a few t-shirts or hats behind the booth to thank any customers who happened to stop by and say hello. It doesn’t cost a lot, and people will remember it. Have Fun This lesson might seem a bit odd. We all want to have fun working with our customers, don’t we? Examine your attitude: do you convey enthusiasm, excitement, anticipation, and happiness when you’re communicating with a customer? Do they feel appreciated and welcomed when speaking with you? Or do you make them feel like they’ve interrupted your important day, and you’ll get to their questions when you’re good and ready? When I get on the phone with a client for our weekly marketing call, I’m ALWAYS in a great mood. (Or at least the client should think so.) My customer doesn’t really care if I’m tired, or suffering from a cold, or in the
“I don’t feel like working today” mood. Plus, if I act as if I’m cheerful, then it doesn’t take long before I truly am. NOTE: After you’ve left the meeting, the customer should remember that (a) you were prepared, (b) you were enthusiastic about his/her business, and (c) you had a solution for him/her or will find a solution. See You Around My local Sunday newspaper has a section called “See You Around.” The roving photographer takes photographs of people at events, ice cream socials, fun in the park, craft fairs, and the like. Readers examine this section closely each week to see if they or their friends show up in the photos. Do your customers “see you around”? Are you featured in any press releases or customer stories? Do you participate in networking functions at your local Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Administration? Do you hold user group meetings or a holiday gathering so you can personally meet with your customers? Do you advertise in the publications or on the Web sites where your customers are reading? Take that one step further – in a virtual way. Are you connected to your customers via LinkedIn or Twitter? Do you write a blog or send a newsletter so they can see you around (online)? All in all, my lessons learned are probably not much different from the ones you already know. It all goes back to the concept of nurturing the relationship with the customer. You don’t have to “friend them” (to use a Facebook term), but they do want to know you’re more than just a salesperson looking at your own bottom line. Remember, you have the ability to create the experience a customer has with you. After all, they can get “debits and credits” from anyone up the street. Customers buy the experience (you and your team!) in addition to the product you’re selling. If it is a good experience before, during, and after the sale, that customer will keep returning, referring, and being your biggest asset. If you incorporate the five lessons above into your customer marketing, you’ll notice the results! You can see Cheryl Strege of The Partner Marketing Group around at The Partner Event in September, online at www.thepartnermarketinggroup.com, via a blog at http://www.channelprosmb.com/blog/13/ Cheryl-Strege, or perhaps high atop Devils Tower some evening. Fall 2009
27
VAR Profile
Fine Solutions I
magine the perfect customer. They understand your business model. They’re already vested with Microsoft products. They don’t like long sales cycles any more than you do. Imagine that your perfect customer is…a Partner. Fine Solutions, a Partner based in the Pacific Northwest, is betting that their next great customers are already Partners; “classic” Microsoft Partners, that is. After looking at the revenue pulled down by resellers over the last year and deducting that the Microsoft Dynamics® business is just a fraction of that total revenue, Fine saw the opportunity to approach Partners about implementing Microsoft Dynamics® AX within their own organizations to help them improve their management capabilities and achieve their business goals. “Although I had an idea of what this could be, I knew it would likely take a lot of work,” says Fine. “It has taken a lot of work, but now we have some traction in that world.” Based on the company’s research, many Microsoft Partners are running their organizations on QuickBooks or Peachtree, which can only handle a portion of what a Partner needs to track within their organization. “I’ve run professional services organizations for almost 20 years, and there’s nothing better than Microsoft Dynamics AX when it comes to keeping all aspects of your business in line,” says Fine. Step one of Fine Solutions’ business plan
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The Partner Channel Magazine
was to attend Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) this past July in New Orleans, Louisiana. The company sponsored a booth in the Expo and spent time talking with classic Partners about running Microsoft Dynamics AX in their own organizations. “It’s still a bit too early to tell what sort of response we’ll receive,” says Fine, “but many said it makes sense, and three or four (Partners) based up here have already converted.” Upon their return from WPC, the Fine Solutions team mapped out a multi-touch marketing campaign to Partner organizations that focuses on the following message: “Is managing billable hours one of your biggest non-billable jobs?” Since other Microsoft Partners are already
familiar with the “stack” and its benefits for customers, Fine’s continued messaging hones in on how Microsoft Dynamics completes the stack and affords them the insight they need to be smart with their own business practices. The campaign consists of a postcard, email, mailer, and phone call, in addition to commercials broadcast on public radio. “We’re in the final stages of having our contact list appended, but the radio commercials have already begun,” says Fine. “I’ve even started to hear from some people who’ve heard the commercial. The pub-
lic radio audience is a great one for us as many of them are executive level within their businesses.” Fine also devised return on investment scenarios for the plan, showing his Microsoft Partner Account Manager (PAM) the benefit to Microsoft if even four sales resulted from the campaign. Microsoft was interested and plans to host a webinar within its Professional Services group to highlight Fine’s action plan. The marketing campaign will kick off in September and run through November, and Fine team members are prepared to handle this new focus by shifting their own. “We’ve set up a professional servicesfocused team that will address this new business,” says Fine. “They’re trained in services and finance and as far as implementation goes, we’re going to be able to reuse a lot of the same set-ups, IP, and discovery because there is so much similarity between service organizations.” The company has also segmented itself to have a regional focus (Washington, Oregon, and Idaho) on manufacturing, distribution, and professional services, and a primary professional services focus for clients based outside of that region in the western United States. “I’m really excited about this new venture,” says Fine. “Again – when you look at the number of Microsoft Partners out there, I just want to call up Steve Ballmer and ask him why they haven’t thought of this before.”
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Monthly Hosting Fee includes: • Dedicated or Shared Infrastructure (hardware) • Microsoft Dynamics Licenses (either BE or AM) • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Microsoft Word and Excel 2007 • 24/7/365 Connectivity support and monitoring • Daily, weekly, monthly and annual backup services • OS patches, intrusion detection, hot fixes, enhancements and upgrades at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE • 10 GB of personal or shared storage • Two Data Centers for replication and disaster recovery • SAS 70 Type II Audited and SOX Compliance Library • 18 years experience with Microsoft Dynamics GP and 9 years of Hosting experience
RoseASP is now offering monthly subscription or SPLA pricing to Microsoft Dynamics® Partners.
Additional Services:
Partners on behalf of their customers will now have
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM • Microsoft Dynamics SL • SharePoint Enterprise Server • Microsoft Exchange
the ability to deploy Microsoft Dynamics GP in a secure, managed environment with 24/7 support and monitoring —without the capital expenditures
• eCommerce applications • Customer specific applications
associated with hardware and software purchases. Microsoft Dynamics Partners will maintain complete control of their customers with our Hosting Partnership Agreements. Use our pricing below and receive monthly commissions, or design
Hosted only prices (no Microsoft Dynamics license) run $250.00 per user per month - 2 user minimum and only $25 per user for each user above the concurrent count.
your own pricing and earn additional revenue.
More information: (858) 794-9403 • sales@roseasp.com
John:
J
Kevin:
TPC Photo Caption Contest
ohn Stulak and Kevin Rasmussen, both of EthoTech, have been attendees and Sponsors of The Partner Event for years. What do you think John and Kevin were thinking as they sat in Bonnie’s session at The Partner Event 2008? Were they talking strategy or figuring out who was 30
The Partner Channel Magazine
due for picking up the tab for dinner? With this contest, it’s up to you to decide and fill in their caption bubbles. Simply e-mail your captions to Jenny@thepartnerchannel.com. Submissions will be judged on creativity, relevance, and sense of humor.
Basically, do we buy that John and Kevin could be saying what you think they’re saying? The prize for this contest is two (2) tickets to your local cinema. Keep it clean folks, because in addition to printing this edition’s winning captions, we’ll also print all other entries we receive.
Hi! My name is Spider. I’m a Partner-oholic and this is my story...
Last Issue’s Photo Caption Contest Winner
M
ike is on a roll! Congratulations again, Mike Mozeko of Hawk Mountain Software! Your movie tickets are in the mail. As for the rest of you in Partnerland - we look forward to seeing your entries for the Winter 2009 contest!
And to our runner up, Charles Bucholz with Diamond Municipal Solutions, a very timely caption! That’s right I search with BING – B.I.N.G. You know, like in Crosby.
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Illustration by Dave Swang for The Partner Channel
The Partner Channel Magazine
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Don’t
Focus
engage
on the the Customer; Customer Pam McGee
T
wo years ago, a study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) revealed that four out of five executives believed that companies were losing sales every year because of a failure to engage customers. Furthermore, 80 percent suggested that increased customer engagement would translate into improved customer loyalty, and 75 percent said it would translate into increased revenue and profits. So how do you engage a customer? Conventional methods of customer engagement include asking for their feedback on surveys, training your employees to provide good customer service, and holding a customer appreciation event. Those activities are great gestures, and customers certainly enjoy being listened to, treated well, and appreciated; however, they are not enough to sustain a customer relationship. With today’s sophisticated customers, those customer satisfaction and feedback processes are almost implied. It is customer engagement that drives loyalty and return on investment (ROI): 68 percent of the time, an engaged customer leads to increased sales; 67 percent of the time, an engaged customer will recommend a product to someone else.1 Engaging a customer creates relationships. Engagement is the deep connection a company or brand creates with a customer, a connection that drives purchase decisions, interaction, and participation over time.2 Studies also indicate that customer engagement results in higher employer satisfaction and increased competi-
tive differentiation. How do you create a company focused on engaging the customer? Trust To engage a customer, how about you trust them? I don’t want to be “engaged” to anyone that I don’t trust. The same rule applies to engaging consumers. Most companies have policy after policy that protects them from the “evils” of customers. Some of those policies – but not all – are necessary safety nets. Policies sometimes get developed because management does not want to fix what the underlying problems are. Years ago when I worked at a Dayton Hudson department store, a customer could return anything, without a receipt, within 90 days of purchase, even if it had been worn or returned in an open package. Mr. Dayton believed that most people are trustworthy, and he would not punish all customers because of the 10 percent or less that abused the policy. Mr. Dayton gave trust to customers. He was also able to prove on the books that the loss he took on the 10 percent that abused his policy was far less than the gains he earned on the 90 percent who were much more loyal because of his liberal return policy. If you want customers to engage with you, trust them. Community Recently I was in Chicago at a World Future Society conference. When my buddy Mike and I got out of the taxi to register, we were
overwhelmed by hundreds of people in the hotel lobby wearing Chicago Blackhawks jerseys. There was a Blackhawks convention that same weekend in our hotel. I have to admit: I didn’t know what a “Blackhawks convention” was. What would fans of hockey players do at a convention? It seemed peculiar to me. What seemed even more peculiar was the amount of excitement, chatter, commitment, and loyalty these people radiated. Matter of fact, fans were riding up and down the elevator with the hopes of talking to a player. After a weekend of elevator conversations, it was very clear that it was more than just about being a sports fan; it was about being a part of a community. Hats off to the Blackhawks team for creating such engaged, committed fans. It wasn’t a user conference. They were not trying to sell anything. They were merely engaging in dialogue with people who have a common passion and interest. If a hockey team can do this, surely a business can! Wouldn’t you just love it if your consumers were so excited that they rode the elevators to just talk to you, your leaders, or one of your employees? Passion Ever want to be around someone or something just because they are so excited about what they are doing? Recently I attended a summer play and had the chance to talk to some of the young cast members (14 and 15 years old). They were so excited about having spent their summer studying drama and the-
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atre; they almost had me convinced to audition for a play. Passion breeds passion, and people want in. Genuine passion is impossible to fake. Does your company have an excitement about your product, customers, and employees that is contagious? Are you having some fun with your product and services? The play’s director spoke at intermission. I thought he would give us the traditional “thank you for coming, thank you for your money, and thank you to the people who helped put this on.” Yawn. He didn’t do that. Instead he talked about the love for the theatre, the love for the kids, the purpose of comedy in society, and why the world just could not live without the theatre. By the end of his genuine, passionate speech, I was on the edge of my seat with my pocketbook open. You may be thinking, “but how does this apply to business?” According to Betsy Sanders, author of “Fabled Service”, the number one broad reason why customers “defect” from a business is “perceived indifference.” Isn’t a part of perceived indifference the lack of passion? Creating a contagiously passionate environment is a way to engage your customers. Processes There is nothing more frustrating to me than when a company asks me to engage with them, and then they make it almost impossible. A few years ago, a cell phone company asked me to pay my cell phone bill online. I thought, “okay…bill paying online is so mainstream… I better get on board.” During this process, I had to fill out six forms, create two passwords, and sell them my firstborn child (okay, that last one was an exaggeration). However, the process for paying online was so broken that it took six months for them to resolve my password problem, another three months to erase previous inaccurate information, and another six months to win me over again to pay my bill online. I think you get my point. How in the world can you think about engaging a customer when some of the “processes” you have created may be alienating them? These processes are usually sacred cows that have become taboo to talk about. As Jim Collins states in “Good to Great”, “surface current reality fast, and listen to the brutal facts.” If you want to do a process review, invite four unhappy customers into your office and ask them to tell their story. Your part is to listen without providing excuses or platitudes. If that doesn’t work, try doing business with yourself and see what it is like. I most recently became a “mock student” at the university where I work. I tell you, it was a lot different registering for classes as a student than it was the few times I took classes as a faculty member. Engaging customers is 34
The Partner Channel Magazine
more than just being nice or listening to them. It is about designing a company that works for the customer. It’s about reviewing all your processes to see if they are customer-friendly or customer-alienating. Broken processes often lead to broken promises. Who wants to engage in a community that breaks their promises? I realize there are many more ways to engage a customer. You can engage them on Facebook, have a user conference, interact with them on Wikis , schedule customer advisory board meetings, and ask them for their opinion; however, I believe that if you do not have trust, passion, community, and
customer-friendly processes, the other activities are good gestures with little ROI. An engaged customer is worth the money, and an engaged community is almost indestructible. Would your customers ride the elevator up and down in awe of your community? To learn more about what you can do to engage your customers, contact Pam McGee at pmcgee2@hotmail.com.
(Neil Davey, A Customer Experience, 2008) (Forrester Consulting Study, 2008)
1 2
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ncore has been providing real solutions to customers through you, their Partner, for over 18 years. We’ve built our business on our record of product stability and effectiveness.
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5/7/09 10:08:55 AM
Members Only Corner Congratulations!
Thank You for Your Membership!
2003 2004 2005 2006
Every two months, The Partner Channel hosts a conference call with its members. Each 30-minute call has a specific focus with tips and tricks to help continue the success of your business. You will have the opportunity to ask questions of the presenter as well as discuss what is going on in your world. Calls take place the third Tuesday of every other month at 11:00 a.m. CT. The call-in number, topic, and presenter information are sent via e-mail prior to the call. For information on the conference call or the Membership Program in general, please contact Jasmine McNellis at 701-478-6880 or Jasmine@thepartnerchannel.com.
2008 2007
Members Only Tips and Tricks Conference Call
The following Partners are celebrating their membership anniversary with The Partner Channel this quarter: november • Rockton Software october • AIM Technologies • InterDyn LANAC Technology • Olsen Thielen Technologies, Inc.
november • Feed Management Systems
september • Socius
november • Corporate Renaissance Group
september • Martin and Associates october • RockySoft
november • Shaggy Dog Solutions, LLC
• Open Door Technology, Inc.
november • Balance Point Technologies, Inc.
• Sierra Computer Solutions
october • Axis Accounting Systems, LLC
• Intellitec Solutions, LLC
Thank you to the many Partners who have joined The Partner Channel’s community. If you would like to discuss your new or
existing membership, please contact Jasmine McNellis at 701-478-6880 or Jasmine@thepartnerchannel.com.
Word Association Answers: Company Description: InGen Technologies is a software-plusservices provider of integrated information technology (IT) solutions that empower public utilities with intelligence for both recovery of lost revenue and compliance with federal and state regulators. Specifically focused on water, sewer, gas, and electric utilities, InGen provides solutions for meter data management, utility billing, customer service, cash receipting, online payment, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) visualization, and Supervisory Control and Data Aquisition (SCADA) integration. These solutions provide seamless intelligence between real-time systems throughout the community and financial decision support systems located at city hall.
Word
Mike Halbig, President
Customer
Important
Autumn
Beautiful colors
Membership
Community
Specialty
Focus
Team
Together everyone achieves more
September
The Partner Event in Fargo
Partner
Leverage strengths
Technology
Communication
Interest
Family
The Partner Event New relationships
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The Partner Channel Magazine
Illustration by Mark Armstrong for The Partner Channel
Rule #1 in the Sales Process:
I
Norm Robinson
know you don’t want to hear the now-tired phrase “in these trying times,” but it looms heavily in our everyday business lives. The reality is you simply must be on the top of your sales game to win the confidence and final order from a prospect. This article is focused on something many of you already know. Others – especially those newer to the business – may not yet fully understand it. First, let’s get something straight: prospects expect you to understand the software solution you sell. Let me say it again: possible buyers of your products and services assume you have a solid working knowledge of the features and benefits and all the technical aspects of your software. The reason I bring it up is that too many of us focus our sales presentations on our product, our experience, the main features of the software, how it integrates with other programs, and so on and so on and so on. The most important part of the sales process – whether today “in these trying times” or in normal times – is to present your knowledge of THEIR BUSINESS. In other words, show your prospects that you understand their specific business category, that you understand the buzzwords in their industry. Demonstrate that you understand the challenges their business faces day-to-day AND how your software solution can make life easier for them. Sounds like a tall order, and it is. Of course this requires that you take a hard look at the expertise your team has in certain business segments. You’ve heard us talk in the past about “targeting” and understanding your vertical markets.
This rule applies even more so today. You simply must examine your past successes and categorize them by business category. Those of us in marketing call it standard industry code or SIC. We’ve also called this rifle shot marketing and sales as opposed to the old shotgun/ scatter gun approach also known as horizontal marketing. Horizontal sales and marketing is really targeted at “anyone with money.” Here’s a perfect example of how understanding a prospect’s business recently helped open the door for a Partner. Our hero heard through the grapevine that a motel management company was dissatisfied with its software solution. Our super salesman called the IT director in an attempt to get an appointment. He was met with, “I’m sick and tired of having to train software people the motel business only to find out they have a vanilla solution. It’s a waste of time.” This was the perfect opening for the Partner. Not only had his firm worked on several installs for hospitality industry management groups, but he himself had worked in a large motel for three years while going to college. As we say, “he got it.” He understood the general challenges of the motel business and could speak some of the language. Somehow he convinced the IT director to give him a half-hour of time. The most interesting part of the conversation came after about 20 minutes. The IT director said, “I thought you were a software guy. It sounds like you work in our industry.” Those are the sweetest words our super salesman could’ve heard. Those words meant the prospect had confidence in him and would at least allow him to go to
Understand Your Prospect’s Business Fall 2009
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the next step in the sales process. Our super salesman used the classic sales approach of asking questions, listening well, and talking little. When he did talk, he used terms and buzzwords familiar to the hospitality and motel business. Of course that made the prospect more comfortable, and he let his guard down much quicker than expected. Assuming you have been a salesperson for your firm for a while, identifying the industries in which you have a working knowledge should be easy. If you can’t focus on specific industries quickly, sit down with your team and have a brainstorming session. The “two heads are better than one” cliché really applies here. As a group you’ll be able to remind each other of the areas in which you’ve had success, businesses you understand, and, most importantly, the target markets from which you’d like more business. If you are a new salesperson to the firm, see the above paragraph. Same deal: if you aren’t familiar with the targets the firm has had success in, pick the brains of the folks who’ve been around for a while. Then you may have to do some homework yourself. Read some industry publications. Look at some of the industry and association Web sites. Get yourself familiar with some of the buzzwords of the industry. Do all this so that you can ask intelligent, probing questions that will: 1) show you have a deeper than average interest/knowledge of the prospect’s industry; and 2) stimulate the prospect to
think about his/her own business and pain points based on the intelligent questions you’ve asked. See where this is going? This whole concept of understanding your prospect’s business is not unique to the software industry. In the world of selling right now, this needs to be the mantra for any sales team. Demonstrating to prospects that you and your team have a working knowl-
trying to sell a new software product. You don’t have much of a track record of past sales, and your stories… well, there aren’t any stories. What do you do? Same rules: figure out a target market that your software solution will serve well AND that someone on your team understands. We don’t care if that “someone” is a programmer. If team members have experience in a specific business category, leverage whatever knowledge they have and then do the research you need to get yourself up to speed. Together, as a team, you can talk about the target industry and how your solution will work to make life better for the prospect. Remember, you must be able to make a presentation to a business person and show how your software solution will make his/her life easier by providing important information to people within the business. And you have to show that the solution is a justifiable expense. Back to the beginning of the article. To be a successful salesperson today, you must know your product inside out and backwards – the features and benefits – and you must be able to speak the language of your prospects. You must be able to convince your prospects that you understand their business and how your software product can help them make it better. And remember, no slick-sleeve sales approach here. You’ll get caught every time you try to pull the wool over someone’s eyes. We know you have areas of expertise; now it’s time to leverage that knowledge in the sales arena.
to be a successful salesperson today,
you must know your product inside and backwards – the features and benefits – and you must be able to speak the language of your prospects. edge and understanding of their businesses is critical in the sales process. Remember, people don’t buy software, they buy solutions. They want to know (although unconsciously) that you and your team understand the pains of their business. They want to be made to feel that IF they were to make a software change, it would be because they were convinced (by you) that the solution fit their business and can help change the way they do things for the better. Another way of looking at it is that people don’t buy solutions, they buy relationships with people who provide solutions. Read that sentence again because it speaks directly to the subject of this article. Now let’s address the issue that may be plaguing some of you. You and your team are
Thank You to the Innovator Sponsors of The Partner Event 2009
www.thepartnerevent.com 38
The Partner Channel Magazine
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The Partner Channel Magazine
Illustration by Dave Swang for The Partner Channel
Creating a
Marketing Hourglass
I
Adrianne Machina
f leads were all you needed to grow your business, you’d hire a telemarketing company and a decent salesperson and be done with it. But lead generation is not enough. Lead generation is expensive – and worse yet – lead generation is ineffective if you don’t also have credibility in your marketplace. In fact, the most expensive way to grow your business is to pour all your marketing resources into the top of your sales funnel to generate new leads. You are far better off if you spend some of your marketing resources fixing the leaks in your sales funnel and expanding your efforts into a marketing hourglass. If you aren’t familiar with the marketing hourglass concept, let me explain. The Duct Tape Marketing System breaks down the sales cycle into seven stages: Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, and Refer. Once leads squeeze through the narrowest point of the sales funnel by buying from you and becoming a customer, you continue to market to them to generate additional business and referrals. Each stage of the sales/marketing cycle leads the prospect directly to an appropriate next stage. For example, you may have learned the value of filling the sales funnel with low-risk, low-cost offers like whitepapers, newsletters, and educational videos. But have you tried to send those leads to sales? They’re usually quickly rejected as “unqualified.” You can avoid letting that lead fall through the cracks by implementing a stratified hourglass strategy, where each stage has specific objectives, tactics, and materials. People who subscribe to your newsletter or download a whitepaper may be looking for software, but they’re not usually a “sales-ready” lead. They don’t have a budget or timeframe set. They’re often at the early stages of their evaluation and need a lot more nurturing before they convert into a sale. In creating a marketing hourglass, we ask, what’s an appropriate next step? If they downloaded a whitepaper, maybe the next step is to watch a five-minute video. After the video, maybe they’re ready for a one-hour webinar. Once they attend the webinar, the next step might be a face-to-face meeting. Your marketing strategy doesn’t have to be complicated; it just has to be consistent. And once your prospect becomes a customer, is that it? Of course it’s not. That’s where
you need to focus on the bottom half of the marketing hourglass. How do you create premium customers with a larger lifetime value to your organization? How do you control the process so that customers continue to buy additional products and services from you as well as refer you business? You create a system that asks for additional business and referrals. You create an expanded set of offerings to create premium customers, setting the right expectations at every stage.
to build an effective marketing hourglass,
you’ll create pre-defined messages, materials,
and offers that support your objectives for each stage of the sales and marketing cycle. Lead generation will always be important, but before you spend a dime on new leads, make sure you fix the leaks first. Building a strong, stratified marketing hourglass will deliver a far more affordable and more predictable flood of new business. For help in creating your marketing hourglass, contact Adrianne at Amachina@tornadomktg.com Fall 2009
41
Illustration by Trygve Olson for The Partner Channel
Interview
jodi
42
The Partner Channel Magazine
J
odi Uecker-Rust assumed the position of president of Sage Business Solutions, North America, in May. Sage Business Solutions is the combination of the Business Management and the Industry & Specialized Solutions divisions at Sage. Jodi was a corporate vice president at Microsoft and chief operating officer at Great Plains Software prior to leaving the industry in 2004. In this TPC interview, Jodi talks about being back
in the industry and provides some advice to Partners.
TPC: For the past couple of years, Partners have been asking– “Where is Jodi?” – and now you are back. What made you decide to return to the industry? JUR: A driving reason for leaving the industry was to spend more time with my family and take a much needed break. It gave me the chance to be a “soccer mom” and to enjoy my family during important development years. At different times I had occasions to return, but I was not ready. Timing for my family was an important factor, and I also wanted to find the right opportunity, one where I could make a difference. TPC: Why now and why this role? JUR: In spite of the economy, I believe the mid-market is full of opportunity, and Sage is positioned well in the mid-market. Even with all of the current mid-market ERP products in North America, including our competition, we still only have collectively a small portion of the market share. That says “opportunity” to me, and I am intrigued by the possibilities. TPC: You helped build Great Plains into the market leader in North America. What has the transition been like going to work for Sage, which is a competitor? JUR: Throughout my career, I have never been one to say things detrimental about the competition, so at least I don’t have to eat
my words! (chuckle) Good, solid competition helps everyone up their game, and at the end of the day, the real winner of healthy competition is the customer, and I am good with that. So while yes, there were a few times at first that it felt odd, the truth is that Sage’s mid-market focus and strong Partner and customer relationships are what I believe in and have always believed in. I guess you could say that my years at Great Plains were good preparation for me to help guide Sage into the leadership of the mid-market here in North America. With Sage’s broad portfolio, I have a lot more to offer Partners and customers than I’ve had in the past, and that’s a very good thing. TPC: There has been a lot of talk in the market about the success and failure of channel models and Partner businesses. What is your take on the future for Partners’ businesses? JUR: Partners are independent business owners. They take their own risks, and they make their own decisions. When they succeed, it is because they have adapted well. When one of them has a failed business, while it is painful, it is not something within the control of a software publisher. Partners need to adapt to a changing marketplace, regardless of the technology they offer. That’s not to say a publisher can’t have a positive impact. When I was approached by Sage,
one of the things that really impressed me was the commitment to Partner success. It was clear that the legacy here has been one of helping Partners to grow and develop. Sage definitely has a strong value proposition for Partners. TPC: What is the value proposition for Sage Partners? What do you think makes it strong? JUR: Sage has a very strong value proposition for Partners and one that we are continually improving in order to provide opportunities for growth. The value proposition is essentially this: We care about your business success; we have the Partner rewards and recognition, learning and development, and marketing programs to ensure your success; and we have a leading portfolio of solutions for your customers’ success. The “special sauce” that I believe Sage delivers is in the area of “working together” with our Partners to ensure our mutual success as an ecosystem. Sage is uniquely positioned to engage and unite business Partners who are “focused” solely in the small and mid-market business segment. Finally, we really believe that our Partners are critical to our success, and we are in this together with them. TPC: You mentioned the product portfolio as part of the value proposition. How do you see it being such a differentiator?
uecker-rust Sage Business Solutions
Fall 2009
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JUR: What Sage has done really well is develop a portfolio approach that takes customers from startup to mid-sized, and from core apps to what we call the extended enterprise with CRM, HR, and other functions. Our verticals in construction, real estate, HR, nonprofits, and payments systems are market leading, and they’re ours – developed by Sage – which gives Partners more opportunity to diversify. We offer choice in technologies that other vendors don’t match. Hosted and on-premises, Windows and Linux, and database options. Choice is a real differentiator. A few weeks ago we had one of our competitor’s top Partners join us, and they told me three things drove their decision: our personal touch, the opportunity to expand into new geographies, and the ability to offer much more choice to their customers. I know this sounds like a corporate pitch, but you asked! TPC: You have been part of in this industry for decades and have seen a lot of ups and downs in the market? What advice do you have for Partners to succeed going forward? JUR: Whew…“decades” sounds older than I am…can we word that differently? TPC: Okay, how about: as a leader in this industry with significant experience and insight, what advice do you have for Partners? JUR: Thanks; that’s much better! (chuckle) I have seen days in this industry when the value proposition Partners brought to potential customers was to go from paper and pencil to automation. It wasn’t easy to convince people to trust their financial data to software – the sales skills of those early Partners, many who are still doing business today, were inspirational as well as success-
ful. Once the market moved past the early adopter stage, the next wave of market evolution marked the really good years. Partners were making money, and new customers were easier to find. But now the market has evolved to a new phase. Customer needs have changed as most companies in the midmarket already have some kind of software and system, even if it is a homegrown system. The value proposition to the customer now has to be about efficiency, integration, and optimizing their data. TPC: How do Partners turn this phase of the market evolution into opportunity? JUR: Partners need to know their existing and potential customers better than ever. What are their business needs and issues? How can they assist them with becoming more effective with their own customers? How can Partners help customers optimize their technology in order to meet these business needs and grow their customer base? In other words, it really is time for Partners to not just sell technology but to sell what technology can do to solve business problems and improve customers’ business success. The successful Partners are doing this now, and we need to spread that best practice across industries. There are still a lot of homegrown industry solutions out there that probably will not keep pace with technology changes; we need to find ways to reach those potential customers with new options. This is part of providing customers with a great experience, both with the technology that drives business growth and with the relationship that Partners deliver. Every Partner should use something like Net Promoter scoring (www.netpromoter. com) to track customer experience and loyalty. It’s a great tool for keeping everyone in the business focused on customers, and it’s really motivational.
TPC: Many Partners have been able to remain stable but have had difficulty growing at the rates they would like. How important is growth in the future success of Partners? JUR: It is crucial not only for Partners but for Sage as well. Many Partners have survived through this economy by staying close to their existing customers and providing services and additional technology that improve their success. But that is survival for today. Partners need to continue to grow their customer base in order to have success in the future, and that requires focus. Partners need to know what they do best and most profitably as a company and then focus, focus, and focus on that target market. We need to do the same at Sage; “managed growth” is essential. At Sage, we are linked to the success of our Partners. We plan to work together with our Partners to drive growth in revenue and market share that is well managed, sustainable, and focused. TPC: The Partner Channel is excited that you and your leadership are back in the industry. So, “officially” we want to say welcome back, Jodi! JUR: Thanks! It feels good to be back – there is a lot of work to be done to adapt to this evolving market, and it will not be easy – but I am optimistic about the future of the midmarket. Can I mention something before we end this interview? TPC: Of course; what would you like to add? JUR: I want to say “Thank You” to Partners, to those I have worked with in the past and to those who I currently am working with, for their continuous dedication to their customers’ success. It is the perseverance and adaptability of Partners that continue to inspire me!
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C
W O R D
ongratulations to...Samantha Drab with J&B Software, Inc.! Your $10 Starbucks gift certificate is in the mail!
Now for round VII of the TPC Word-A-Ganza! Posted below are 25 words that relate to the topics and themes included in this edition of The Partner Channel Magazine. These words can be found in the grid horizontally, vertically, diagonally, backwards, and forwards. You can submit your completed word find to us for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to Starbucks so you can enjoy future word finds over a latte or cup of joe! Simply fax your completed puzzle to 701-478-1077, attention Jenny Davis, or scan and e-mail it to Jenny at Jenny@thepartnerchannel.com. If you prefer, contact Jenny and she’ll e-mail you an electronic version of the same word find. Fine Solutions
Leadership
Rainmaking
Client Experience
Focus
Lessons
Recognition
Distinction
Hourglass
Marketing
Sales
The Partner Event
Engage
InGen Technologies
Nodus Technologies
Social Media
Treasure
Fall
Jodi Uecker-Rust
Partner
Stop Bugging
Trinsoft
T H E P A R T N E D I S T I N C T I O N O D U E A
R R A I N M S A L E N G A G S O C I A L M E D N I
I S I N G U R S E I G O L O N H C E T N E G N I D
N N T N C D C A T F H E E I H S R E D A E L O N E
S O D O S E N N A I C H L E A D E R S H I P D G M
O I F D P O L T H T R E N T R L E A D A D A S E L
C T H E L B F E H R L C E R J E N G A S S R M N A
I U R S E S U T L E I E R O T N D D T F E T A T I
A L E A D E R R S C N R D F I N T S H H F N R E C
L O E E I N G E N T C I D S A A W O E A A E K C O
T S D C N N D N O D U S T E C H N O L O G I E S S
H E E E N S M A K E R N R P M C R L I P S N T T R
E N M R O E S A C M E E E L O R A E N A N G I O E
P I L T D O I K K A A E A E O E V S C R O E N P C
A F A I U J E R G I D D S A E N S S G T S N G B O
R O I H S R N I E D N A U S Y T A O R N S T D I G
T C C O R J E M R P S G R E O R I N O E E E R T N
N U O U E O L A K E X I E P N A L E U E L E S I I
The Linc Group
The Partner Channel
E D S R C D D S E E D E B I O P S D P A N N A N T
R T E G O I E T G M L U T C W E S D F T O G E G I
E R S L G L D A I N G S O N D H L H R S W A A S O
V E L A A D S F S G A D S D E T D A G E D L F G N
E A I S S S O P I M E M B E D I P D A D R E S S E
N S A S D F I N E S O L U T I O L E A D E D D I S
T U S R E C G E N T E C H N O L O C L I E N T D S
-A-Ganza
Certified
Fall 2009
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Use
Social Media to Listen to Your Customers Joe Rotella
Y
ou’ve probably heard the statistic many times. The most significant reason customers leave one provider for another, coming in at a whopping 68 percent, is “perceived indifference.” Simply put, customers don’t feel like their service provider cares about them. Customers want to be heard and want to know you understand their needs and wants. If you’ve worked to position yourself as their “trusted advisor,” they may even expect you to know their needs and wants better than they do. Showing that you really understand your customers and their industries can help you deliver exceptional service – the kind of service that separates you from your competitors and creates intensely loyal customers. The incredible surge of social media means more and more people, including your customers, are sharing their thoughts and feelings on the Web. And, it continues to gain momentum. While individual sites
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Illustration by Mark Armstrong for The Partner Channel
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or tools come and go, the overall trend is toward faster and faster adoption of social media. According to survey of 2,253 adults by Pew Internet & American Life Project, one third (35 percent) of American adult Internet users have created a profile on an online social network. This is four times as many as three years ago. How do you listen to all the chatter on the Web and find what’s important to your customers and your industries? Four Free Tools to Help You Listen to the Web »» Google Alerts – www.google.com/alerts Set up alerts to monitor your top-tier customers as well as your company name and the names of your clientfacing staff. Google does the work of crawling the Web to find mentions and then sends that information to your inbox. »» LinkedIn Network Updates – www.linkedin.com As you build your LinkedIn network, include your clients. The network updates you receive will begin to provide insights into their world. Profile updates could indicate a single promotion or reveal a broader reorganization. Status updates often include glimpses into current projects. Events could show you where your customers are going to get their information. »» Monitter – www.monitter.com It seems like everyone is sending a 140-character “tweet” on Twitter about everything from what they did that morning to an interesting article they read. Keeping track of it can be overwhelming. Beyond the integrated search of Twitter apps like Twhirl and TweetDeck, Monitter provides realtime monitoring of the Twittersphere. »» Technorati – http://technorati.com Billed as the “leading blog search engine,” Technorati helps you find postings that can provide insights to challenges your customers are facing or what industry trends are heading their way. Tune your listening skills to focus on information you can use. Listening to everything all your customers say on the Web would be nice, but it’s unrealistic. Focus on your most profitable customers and on things you can use to make a difference in your service delivery. Five Things to Listen for on Social Media »» Complaints Some customers have trouble being 48
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candid with their service provider, no matter how many times we ask if they are okay. Unfortunately, some of those same customers have no trouble posting their frustration on the Web. When you hear a complaint, do something about it. Bring a solution to the table and show your problem-solving skills. In many cases, the most loyal customers are ones that have had a bad experience that was promptly resolved. »» Needs If you’re listening carefully, you could catch wind of a need. A customer sharing a “pain” or “gain” is an opportunity for you to rise to the occasion and help. Even if you don’t directly offer a solution, you might be able to refer them to a Partner. A true “trusted advisor” sometimes offers advice that doesn’t put a penny in his/her pocket. »» Successes Everyone loves to be recognized when they’ve achieved a goal. A word of “Congrats!” to a client who has won an award, closed a big deal, or made a difference in the community shows you are listening and take pride in seeing your clients succeed. »» Praise If a customer says something nice about you, thank them! A hand-written thank you note for a glowing comment is going to make them feel appreciated. It might also give you the opportunity to ask for a testimonial for your Web site or a recommendation on LinkedIn. »» Tips and Trends A key component of social media is sharing – finding useful information and passing it along. As you listen, you will come across information that might interest your clients. For example, if you listen to #nonprofits1 on Twitter, you will frequently see posts with links to articles showing how non-profits are using technology to fulfill their mission. You could pass those same links along to your nonprofit clients through social media, email, or a newsletter. Be Prepared and Take Action Listening is just one step in the right direction. Listening can help you understand the industries your customers work with, what your customers are doing, what challenges they face, and where they are succeeding. This is valuable information for both presales and account management.
Listening alone does not make your customers feel special. You have to take action so they know you heard them and care about what they have to say. Those actions can be as simple as an e-mail, as warm as a card in snail mail, or as personal as a phone call. Develop systems and processes to make it easy to listen and respond to what you hear. For example: »» Create a system to set up Google Alerts to listen to top-tier clients as soon as you get the engagement agreement »» As part of your project kickoff, build in the process of inviting clients to connect to your network on LinkedIn »» Have greeting cards on hand for special occasions and words of thanks »» Have template e-mails ready to share tips and trends you’ve found on the Web »» Collecting resources for a newsletter? Develop a process to harvest and store articles you find while listening Social media has made it incredibly easy and inexpensive for people to share with one another, sometimes reaching a bigger audience than they ever could in the past. If you can carefully listen, you’ll be able to think more like your customers and less like a service provider. If you can act on what you hear, you’ll build stronger relationships with your customers and be more likely to deliver exceptional service. Joe Rotella is CTO at Delphia Consulting where his team helps clients define, design, and build an exceptional Web presence. According to Bob Scott, he’s “…something of a one-man think tank and has been doing more innovative things with the Internet than anyone I’ve met yet.” When he’s not working, geocaching, speaking, or riding his Vespa scooter, he’s busy tweeting or posting to his blog, www.JoeRotellaSays.com. Look for Joe’s three sessions – Social Marketing Strategies & Metrics; Twitter; and Web Site Checkup: How Healthy is Your Web Site – at The Partner Event this fall.
The pound symbol (#) before a word or phrase (without use of spaces) is called a “hashtag” in Twitter lingo. Hashtags are used to track postings about a particular topic. You can either enter the pound symbol plus word or phrase into your search bar or check Web sites such as www.tweetlater. com, www.tweetbeep.com, or www.search. twitter.com to read tweets involving your desired topic.
1
Grow Your Microsoft Dynamics Pipeline with Effective Marketing Strategies
from The Partner Marketing Group. (And GIVE at the same time!) To learn how, simply subscribe to the monthly edition of The Partner Marketing Group newsletter. Not only will you receive insightful, inspired and inexpensive marketing ideas, but you’ll be helping a good cause. For each partner organization that completes the Contact Us form on the website, we’ll donate $1.00 to one of the deserving charitable organizations on the Pay It Forward page on our website. It feels GOOD to give—and you can perfect your marketing know-how at the same time! Your Action: Sign up for The Partner Marketing Group e-newsletter at www.thepartnermarketinggroup.com. Deadline: Thanksgiving, 2009. (November 26th) The Result: We’ll contribute to a worthy non-profit such as the Nature Conservancy!
The Partner Marketing Group TPCM Fall 09.indd 1
www.thepartnermarketinggroup.com info@thepartnermarketinggroup.com 605-574-9432
8/10/09 11:57 PM
A Good Rant Can Be a Big Help Tracy Faleide
R
ecent years have brought two notable changes to the town of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota: the newly finished Highway 10 bypass and an upscale grocery store complete with gourmet cheeses and an olive bar. Since I’m somewhat of a weekend gourmet, you’d think I would frequent the latter, an oasis of smoked Gouda amongst the Fritos. I tried, but I just can’t take it. Case in point: a few weeks ago, I ended up at said “Fancy-Mart” with my husband to stock up for the weekend and a cabin-full of guests. The store was crowded, but I had high hopes once I saw the produce section, literally ripe with promise. My mood had soured when we reached the dairy section, and was downright prickly by the time we reached the Pringles. Having unknowingly exacerbated the situation by placing myself directly under a loudspeaker, I nearly came unglued when the 47th plea for checkers, baggers, or a price check on Pampers screeched into my ears at full blast, clawing at my last nerve. I dropped the can of enticingly-flavored potato crisps I was contemplating and covered my ears, pleading “please make it stop” like a lunatic. Just then, a store employee came around the corner, his cheerful grin quickly turning into a puzzled stare. He kept right on walking, more briskly than before, I noticed. “Maybe he’ll say something to his managers,” I told my husband, who was busy ignoring my current superstore mood swing. “I doubt it,” he said, while wheeling our cart toward the Texas Toast. I doubted it, too, although I held my tongue
until we were back on the road to our cabin, at which time I unleashed a 15-mile rant about how easy it would be for this annoyance to be eradicated. Individual headsets that only store employees can hear, I ranted. Or, better yet, orientation that involved store employees standing under the loudspeakers listening to pre-recorded tapes of their own screeching voices for at least two hours, I raved. That’d solve the issue, for sure, and without the cost of high-tech headsets. As much as I enjoyed the garlic-stuffed olives and perfectly ripe cantaloupe I purchased at Fancy-Mart, I won’t return. Not even next-dayair-shipped Alaskan king crab could dim the piercing shrieks that would certainly assault me during future visits. You may think I’m overreacting, and you may be right. Heck, I’ve been known to pass on even test-driving cars with poorly designed cup holders. (I imagined careening into oncoming traffic while contorting to fit a hot latte into an almosttoo-small hole placed behind my natural arm
My point is that seemingly small annoyances can and do turn customers away on a
daily basis, and potentially good customers at that.
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span. But that’s another story.) My point is that seemingly small annoyances can and do turn customers away on a daily basis, and potentially good customers at that. (Given my propensity to select $10-a-pound cheese, big bags of ridiculously priced Rainier cherries, and vast assortments of mixed greens, I think I’d be considered a good customer at Fancy-Mart…if I could stand to shop there.)
Illustration by Dave Swang for The Partner Channel
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Do you ever wonder if you – metaphorically speaking – place screeching loudspeakers over your customers’ heads? Previously in my career, I led a customer experience team. On a fairly regular basis, we held informal rant sessions during which we’d share our “worst of ” experiences. Doing so allowed us to purge pent-up frustrations, share good humor, and then turn our attention to our customers and the annoyances we were undoubtedly forcing them to endure. Starting these sessions with our own experiences helped us relate more closely with our customers. We could almost hear their heavy sighs while they tried to navigate our convoluted phone trees, or see their eyes rolling when they received a fourth reminder e-mail about an offer they weren’t interested in the first time. Sure, you can spend a bundle on sophisticated surveys. (And I’m not suggesting surveys are bad. However, even the best surveys can be somewhat leading and self-serving, in my opinion. And they often don’t capture the annoyances that customers don’t think about
until they’re experiencing them.) Or, you can channel your everyday irritation over common business interactions into deeper empathy for your own customers. It’s simple. All you need are a few good rants and the desire to turn down the volume on whatever screeching loudspeakers you may have inadvertently placed in your customers’ paths. You could
Now, if I can just get my local grocery store managers to do the same. I mean, can’t they see the exasperation on my face when I try to “save time” by scanning my own groceries? While I’m struggling to scan my items in a certain way just to avoid constant beeps, there’s at least one employee standing three yards from me with absolutely no interest in helping me. Why is he just standing there, besides to crank up my annoyance factor? Probably to make sure I don’t run off without scanning my small bag of bulk soy nuts. Does he really think I’d suffer through the hassle of bulk shopping and bagging my own groceries into reusable bags so I could steal a handful of organic soy nuts? I most assuredly would not. I’ll have a private rant about that while I’m dutifully returning my cart to the corral. Yup, that’s me displaying the shifty behavior of your typical ecominded grocery store thief. But I digress.
we could almost hear their heavy sighs while
they tried to navigate our convoluted phone trees, or see their eyes roll when they received a fourth reminder e-mail about an offer they weren’t interested in the first time. encourage your team members to become “secret shoppers” by signing up for your mailing lists, clicking on all your web links, or calling your 800 numbers. You’ll be amazed at how many less-than-ideal experiences they’ll uncover. (Oftentimes, these small annoyances are easily fixed.) It’s infectious and inexpensive, and it’s guaranteed to help your employees think like your customers more often.
For help removing the small annoyances that might be bugging your customers in big ways, contact Tracy Faleide at Tracy@bellwetherworks.com.
BIO AnAlytIcs: the PArtners’ BI PArtner We support you in the world of BI. BIO® for Microsoft Dynamics™ lowers the complexity, risk, and cost of implementing BI for your clients. BIO provides a full range of BI tools from low-cost, easy to install applications to full-featured end-to-end solutions for the enterprise. With BIO’s out-of-thebox multi-dimensional cubes and dynamic, interactive views, we make it easy for you to make BI a reality for your customers. We want to be your business intelligence partner. Give us a call at 203.327.0800 to discuss how we can help you help your clients get the most out of their Dynamics data.
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Illustration by Dave Swang for The Partner Channel
The Partner Channel Fall 2009 Contest
Y
ou’ll be oh so relieved to know that we hid a logo this time around! Congratulations to Jerry Walling of ASC, Inc. for finding the hidden logo in Bonnie’s “Stop! Think! Act!” article on page 40 of the Summer 2009 magazine.
Illustration by Dave Swang for The Partner Channel
Note: This is not the hidden logo
The submission rules for this quarter’s contest are the same – log on to www.thepartnerchannel.com/magazine, under “Find the Logo Contest” to let us know where you think the logo is located. A winner will be drawn at random and will receive a cool gift that’s sure to point you in the right direction every day!
Summer 2009 Location 40
The Partner Channel Magazine
Here’s a list of places where our logo usually appears, thus making them null and void when it comes to40this contest: The Partner Channel Magazine
Front cover
Talent listing and contributor’s page
Table of contents
The end of each article
Any graphics that have the TPC logo as a main element (note: the hidden logo may be located within that graphic, but it’s not going to be plain-as-day!)
Fall 2009
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Rainmaking rainmaking
101
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I
Tom Pasek and Jane Drake
s it sales or is it marketing? What sells your product? Who sells your product? Perhaps more importantly, why did that customer buy that product from you? To be successful, all of your staff members need to ask themselves those questions every day. Your receptionist is a salesperson; your answering service is a salesperson; all of your techs are salespeople. Okay; maybe they are marketing people, but we won’t quibble about that here. Their common objective is to get dollars in the door. What would happen to your company if you had literally hundreds of people marketing for you on a part-time basis? What if these people were dynamic and eager?
Illustration by Mark Armstrong for The Partner Channel
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What if they were dynamic, eager, and worked for free? You can make that happen if you deeply analyze the last sentence in the first paragraph, “…why did that customer buy…from you…?” Most salespeople would tell you that the customer had a need, and they filled it. That is probably only partially true. In most cases, someone else could have filled it. That argument usually degenerates into something about, “we were a better fit…,” or “our product stood above the competition….” The list goes on. The real key is to establish trust and to maintain that trust simply by being trustworthy. People buy goods and services from people they like and trust. Rarely does anyone buy something from your company – they buy it from a person within your company because they liked that person and had trust in that person. So, how do you box up this trust and ship it out to some unknown list of unknown people to whom you wish to sell our product? You don’t. You’re not selling a product. You are selling trust. To create trust, you need to develop a system of “Rainmakers” from outside of your company. Rainmakers are that adjunct to your company that work for free and make you look good. These Rainmakers only need a vague idea
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of what you do; they just need to trust you. Not to trust your firm, but to trust you, your receptionist, your techs, yes, even your salespeople – each person in your organization. And, you can teach them to trust your staff without a need for person-to-person introductions because you and every member of your team will build an overwhelming image. First, everybody in your office will carry business cards. Yes, everybody. Everyone will have personalized memo pads, either 5½” x 8½” or 4¼” x 5½”, or both. These are the subtle tools that they will use to start building personal relationships with potential Rainmakers. Remember, we are talking about creating a form of contagious trust. So how does trust start? Certainly reputation plays a major role. But in the final analysis, it comes back down to building and maintaining personal relationships. You do that at The Partner Event. You should keep doing it when you get home. That will start the construction of your Rainmaking Channel. Back to the tool kit. You will be using it to stand out from the crowd – not just from your competitors; you must stand out in any crowd. You must cloak everyone with personal attention, not by smothering them, just by touching them. Taken from a new introduction, during that first short conversation,
you need to learn of at least one personal interest that your prospective Rainmaker has. It makes no difference if this person is a new social acquaintance, business acquaintance, or cousin. She may have an interest in quilting, he may be dreaming of building a sailboat, they may be avid skiers, perhaps he may be a chronic fisherman or woodworker. Whatever it is is of no importance. Now you have a key to your Rainmaker’s personal kingdom. Next step: set up a Rainmaker component in your CRM system to track all Rainmaker contacts. Rarely should one Rainmaker-in-training be the student of more than one staff member. If your CRM system will not easily accommodate a Rainmaker, set up a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet with each Rainmaker’s interest or interests across the top with your Rainmakers’ names on the vertical axis ordered by their importance to you. (If you opt to use your CRM system for this function, make certain that this list is excluded from any other contact activities, mailings, invitations, and so on.) Now, get a subscription to a magazine or newsletter (preferably in hard copy) that revolves around your Rainmaker’s interest. (Check out www.tradepub.com. They offer hundreds of free subscriptions to a variety of professional publications.) Have that subscription mailed to your home. (This holds
true for everyone in your office.) At least once each quarter, but not more often than monthly, send an article, any article, to your Rainmaker that is relevant to his or her personal interest. What follows here is the most important component of this stage because it makes it personal: »» Copy the cover of the magazine because it not only identifies the source, but it also has your home address on the label. That will emphasize the personal aspect. »» Copy the article. If you found it online, print it and mail it. Do not e-mail it! »» Hand-write a quick note on your personalized notepaper to the effect of, “I saw this and thought that it may be of interest to you.” Then sign with your first name only or just your initials. »» Staple the note onto the cover and following pages with the staple running diagonally in the upper left corner. A diagonal staple won’t tear the page, makes the pages fold better, and won’t be torn out, thus you will always be identified with the gesture of having sent the article even if it is passed on to someone else. »» Paperclip your card to the upper right corner. This will give them one more card to hand out when they become active Rainmakers. Never staple a card. It will get torn and thrown away. And buy good paperclips! Cheap ones leave a smudge. »» It’s time for the mail. Do not use a company envelope. Use any plain envelope, hand addressed with your personal home return address label. That will keep it from becoming junk mail. »» Unlike any other sales or marketing task, never follow up with a phone call. That would convert a personal gesture to a business gesture, and our object is to build personal trust. »» Go back to your CRM/Excel spreadsheet and make a note of what you sent. This is far from the end of your Rainmaking process. From here you need to look at the maintenance of this group and some specifics on how, when, and where to use them. First you need to fine-tune the Rainmaker project to fit your organization. Let’s examine the localized VAR. In this case, there is minimal tuning required. The footprint is small; prospects are dense. Obstacles in this instance are generally limited to prospect identification and competition. A pure ISV is in a very different world. The footprint is huge, possibly global. Local sales make up a very small percentage of the total, and that will never change. What will change is the development of your Rainmak-
ers. Business calls will remain business calls, but they must grow to have a personal edge. Since very few ISVs have a captive market, this personal relationship takes on a whole new level of importance. You need to be the first person called when a VAR believes they may have a need for your product or one similar to yours. Properly developed, you will get that first call before the VAR starts sorting through six Web sites or two drawers of brochures. This always becomes an opportunity to do one of two very positive things: »» Start the sales process; »» Develop a new higher level of trust by making a good, honest referral.
Fine. But where do you find the ISVs’ Rainmakers? Anywhere. Industry-specific trade shows, The Partner Event, Convergence, WPC, next to you on an airplane…. Just use your imagination. However, it is important to remember a counter-intuitive key: do all that you can to avoid talking in-depth about your business unless your new Rainmaker asks. Rather, talk about your Rainmaker’s business, golf, gourmet foods, or whatever. You are building a personal relationship at this point, and trust is built best on that. Rainmaking 201 will follow in the next issue of The Partner Channel Magazine.
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Illustration by Matt Mastrud for The Partner Channel
: S V I s It’s Time to Focus Your Marketing
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Norm Robinson
SVs have more opportunity today than ever before. I’m sure those of you who are having a tough time selling your products right now want to send me a note arguing with that statement. But seriously, it’s true. There are many, many prospects out there that could benefit greatly by using your software solution. I’m not just trying to pump you up; it’s a fact. Now the trick is to get in front of those prospects and convince them to give you a little time. The age-old question for ISVs – “Do we market through Partners or go directly to end users?” – never changes. Today we’re going to make the assumption that we are going directly to prospective end users of our product. In reality, it’s the arena in which we have the most control, and for the most part, the most success in selling. Getting the attention of a business prospect that can benefit from your unique software solution must be the focus of your marketing efforts. We’re going to assume for this discussion that you are comfortable with specific target markets where your unique software solution can bring tremendous value. You know their SIC (standard industry code). You likely have suspect/ prospect lists already in your marketing arsenal. But the question is, “Are your marketing materials specific to those individual industries?” In other words, if (for example) you are targeting the automotive dealer industry, are the mate-
rials you’re using featuring visuals and words that are compatible with that business? Are the features and benefits used in your materials and promotional efforts indicative of what a guy in the car business will feel comfortable seeing, hearing, and reading? If not, it’s time to reassess how you are presenting your product. If what you have includes a general brochure, some general feature and benefit sheets, a general Web site, and maybe a few general case studies… it’s time to get specific. The prospect assumes you know your business, so try to recognize that talking in “their language” is a must-do in these challenging times. I can hear the marketing people screaming already: “Do you have any idea how much it will cost to redo all our marketing materials?” The answer is, “Yes, I do.” We do it for clients every day. But things have changed, and the belief that you’ll have to spend thousands of dollars is simply no longer applicable. Going back to our car dealer example… if you have 87 on your prospecting list, you could have 87 brochures or direct mail pieces done. Not 500. Not 1,000. 87. So the old price objection for re-doing literature is no longer valid. The day of high-quality, personalized, digital printing is here, ladies and gentlemen, and it’s not very expensive. Your cost-per-touch has plummeted. As a marketing person, you should be looking at, for ex-
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ample, the top five business categories your firm would like to expand in. Then grab five yellow legal pads and start gathering information specific to those kinds of businesses. What kinds of visuals make the most sense in those industries? What about industryspecific buzzwords? Do you have a handle on the pain points that exist in those particular industries? If you don’t, it’s time to do your research. ISVs have a unique advantage in that they usually appeal to specific industries, so this exercise should not be something new. As we’ve mentioned, presenting your solution to a specific industry in a printed piece is much easier and cost-effective now than ever before. There’s no reason not to have several different industry-specific presentations ready to go for marketing and sales. And that same approach – with specific visuals and industry-specific examples of the benefits your solution will provide – can be carried forward to your Web site or individual Web sites. Remember, from a marketing perspective, it is our responsibility to convince prospects that we understand THEIR business well. It’s all about confidence and comfort; you know that. Taking it to the next level – and you probably do this already – by presenting yourself
at industry and association trade shows as a unique solution that addresses specific pain points can be done for much less money than in the past. We all remember the huge trade show booth that was packed up in two or three big plastic cases on wheels. We remember that doing new graphics packages to fit our trade show booth always cost thousands of dollars. Today we don’t have budgets like that. But with the advent of the new pull-up retractable banners, we now have the capability to present the same look and feel as our other marketing materials for hundreds of dollars, rather than thousands. Plus, transporting has become a dream, many times in the overhead bin rather than on a truck. If you’re not familiar with the resources available for industry-specific visuals, there are plenty, and the costs have dropped dramatically. Those of us in the marketing business can access photography that even five years ago wasn’t available at any price. There are several Web sites you can surf to find perfect photography to fit your specific targeted approaches. And in many cases, you can buy the use of those photographs for tens of dollars as opposed to hundreds. If you’re not familiar with the target-specific buzzwords, it’s time for research. Talk
with members of your own staff who have worked on installs and presentations in those specific industries. You’ll be able to get a lot from them. You know the rest: review Web sites, look through association information, maybe even talk to some of your current and past customers from the industry. If you have a good relationship with them, be honest – tell them your goal is to attract more business and that you’d appreciate their input. Customers love to be shown that you value what they have to say. Heck, if nothing else, these conversations will be good PR for potential sales opportunities down the road. We all know we need new business. We all know we have specific industries in which we have solid experience and success. And many of us still believe that dollars hold us back from doing industry-specific marketing. That’s no longer true, so get over it. Talk to your local printer about their digital printing capabilities. Talk to your web folks about how you can add a few more pages focused on your target markets. Pick the brains of your team members, and fill up those yellow legal pads with ideas for specific visuals and the buzzwords that will catch the eyes and ears of your prospects. Get to work, and you’ll quickly see the fruits of your labor.
Microsoft developed the Certified for Microsoft Dynamics program to help meet your profitability goals with thoroughly tested, recommended, and ready‑to‑deploy solutions. Visit www.thepartnerchannel.com/cfmdp2p to contact partners with certified solutions.
When you only have time to work with the best, choose solutions that are Certified for Microsoft Dynamics.
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Service Profile Would your company like to be featured in the Winter 2009 Service Profile? Contact Jenny Davis at 701-478-6894 or Jenny@thepartnerchannel.com to share your story. Partner Profile: TrinSoft
TrinSoft O
ver the past 12 years, TrinSoft has donated more than $100,000 to local and national charitable organizations, but you’re not going to hear John Stucky mention that statistic. Stucky, a founding Partner of the Kentucky-based Partner organization, recognized giving and service as a core value within his organization soon after its inception. Each year his company facilitates a special project, with TrinSoft’s 17 team members contributing their time, energy, and talents to a team-selected organization in the central Kentucky area. For example, the company has been a sponsor of the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk since 2005 and before that, the company helped sponsor the Lexington Race for the Cure benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (a full list of TrinSoft’s selected charitable organizations is provided below). “At the beginning the owners made a do-
nation to one or two organizations behind the scenes, but now it’s more of a team decision,” Stucky said. “While it’s hard to quantify, the overall atmosphere, environment, camaraderie, and happiness (of our company) is higher.” “People are part of something that’s more than a nine-to-five routine, and it enables them to fit into something bigger, something they believe in, and something they are passionate about.”
Each year TrinSoft sets aside a certain percentage of its net income to give back to the community. At the end of the calendar year, Stucky and the other owners solicit donation requests from team members and delegate funds to each of the nominated charities. The company has recently made it a practice to look forward and plan for
Principal: John Stucky Address: 1025 Monarch Street, Suite 170 Lexington, KY 40513 Phone: 859-252-6225 Web Site: www.trinsoft.com Established: 1996
the next year so that they can maximize their support for an organization. “Two years ago, we decided to really get behind Make-A-Wish,” Stucky said. “We adopted a Make-A-Wish child and completely sponsored a week-long trip to Hawaii for her. We also participated in a Make-A-Wishsponsored walk that year.” In addition to the company-sponsored events and donations, TrinSoft employees serve in roles ranging from board members to Girl Scout leaders, dedicating a large portion of their free time to the Central Kentucky area. After these contributions, it would be almost expected to hear that Stucky and TrinSoft have racked up free press. But that’s not the case. “You need to do it for the right reason,” said Stucky. “Be passionate about it, but don’t make it a public thing. Do it behind the scenes instead of just for PR.” “That will resonate with your team members and encourage them to think about what they’re really passionate about.”
Organizations that TrinSoft has contributed to include: » The Alzheimer’s Association » The Salvation Army » Youth for Christ » Local Churches » Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
» St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
» Hospice » Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
» Special Olympics » Make-A-Wish Foundation » The Methodist Home » Local Youth Sports Leagues » Girl Scouts of the USA
Fall 2009
61
2009 Microsoft Dynamics Partner award recipients Microsoft honored 28 Partners with individual awards for their exceptional performance in delivery of solutions to customers in the past year.
Regional awards Microsoft Dynamics Outstanding Reseller of the Year – Ascentium Microsoft Dynamics Reseller of the Year for Asia Pacific – Tectura Asia and South Pacific Microsoft Dynamics Reseller of the Year for Canada – Vox ISM Microsoft Dynamics Reseller of the Year for Western Europe – AlfaPeople Microsoft Dynamics Reseller of the Year for Central and Eastern Europe – AutoCont Microsoft Dynamics Reseller of the Year for Middle East and Africa – Columbus IT Middle East Microsoft Dynamics Reseller of the Year for Latin America – WA Consultoria Microsoft Dynamics Reseller of the Year for United States – Fullscope Inc.
Microsoft Dynamics Outstanding ISV of the Year – To-Increase Microsoft Dynamics ISV of the Year for Asia Pacific – Zap Technology Pty. Ltd. Microsoft Dynamics ISV of the Year for Western Europe – LS Retail Microsoft Dynamics ISV of the Year for Central and Eastern Europe – Laurel Microsoft Dynamics ISV of the Year for Middle East and Africa – Link Egypt Microsoft Dynamics ISV of the Year for Latin America – Tridea Consulting Microsoft Dynamics ISV of the Year for United States – Serenic Software Inc. Microsoft Dynamics Hosting Partner of the Year – Sandhills Publishing Co.
worldwide partner conference Awards Microsoft Dynamics AX Partner of the Year – Hitachi Consulting Corporation Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner of the Year – Ascentium Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner of the Year – Cogsdale Corporation Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partner of the Year – SISTEMAS DE GESTION DE BALEARES SA Microsoft Dynamics Point of Sale Solutions Partner of the Year – POSitive Technology Microsoft Dynamics SL Partner of the Year – Strategic Information Solutions
Microsoft Dynamics Distribution Partner of the Year – Young & Partners Microsoft Dynamics Financial Services Partner of the Year – Customer Effective, Inc. Microsoft Dynamics Manufacturing Partner of the Year – Fullscope, Inc. Microsoft Dynamics Professional Services Partner of the Year – Client Profiles Microsoft Dynamics Public Sector Partner of the Year – Infoma Software Consulting GmbH Microsoft Dynamics Retail Partner of the Year – Columbus IT
inner circle Inner Circle recognizes the top echelon of Microsoft Dynamics Partners and ranks them at the top of the global network of Partners. This award is a direct result of the positive relationships that these Partners have developed with customers as well as their commitment to delivering top-quality solutions. 1to1 S.A. Absys Cyborg SA (Viroflay) Ad Ultima Invest BV BA AlfaPeople Arvato Systems Technologies GmbH Ascentium Corporation ATP Ticari Bilgisayar AS AutoCont Avanade Global HQ BEDAV GmbH Calyx Software Ltd CBIZ Technologies, Inc.- Richfield OH Cogsdale Corporation Columbus IT Partner A/S CREALOGIX ERP AG Customer Effective, Inc. EDAN Integrator NV Ergo Group AS Exordia Fullscope Godrej Infotech Limited Hands AS Helios Business Solutions 62
The Partner Channel Magazine
Hitachi Consulting Ideaca Knowledge Services Limited Ignify, Inc. Information Binary Dos S.L. InterDyn AKA - HQ InterDyn Socius Koorb Consulting Korus Consulting Logica Sverige AB LS Retail EHF Mepco Oy Navicom NaviCon Group Ltd. Neudesic, LLC NORRIQ Danmark A/S Oakton Services Pty Ltd OmniVue Business Solutions Praxa PRODWARE Pulse Automation Experts B.v. PYLADES Systeemhuis Raber+ Märcker GmbH RedIT Dynamics AG
Right Serenic Software Sikich LLP Sonoma Partners, LLC Sunrise Technologies, Inc Tectura Corporation TGO Consulting Inc. The Resource Group Thy Data A/S To-increase B.V. Tribridge Tridea Consulting tso-data GmbH Viseo Vodafone UK WA Consultoria WennSoft Wilken Neutrasoft GmbH Wipfli LLP Zhejiang Univ. Tuling Info Technology Co.,LTD
President’s Club recognizes the top five percent of Microsoft Dynamics Partners worldwide and honors their constant dedication to delivering solutions that meet their customers’ unique needs, active pursuit of product and technological advancement, and impressive sales performance. 1to1 S.A.
Calyx Software Ltd
Encore Business Solutions Inc.
Information Strategies
Norbit
SITCORP
6PAC Consulting AG
Calyx Software UK
Endeavour Solutions Inc.
INFRONT NV
NORRIQ Danmark A/S
Smart@xs nv
A.C.E. Microtechnology, Inc.
Capgemini Italia S.p.A
Innovative Solutions
Oakton Services Pty Ltd
Software Solutions Group, Inc.
ABC Computers, Inc
CBIZ Technologies – Cupertino CA
Enhanced Engineering & Multi-Technologies
Odyssey Software
Solteq Oyj
Absys Cyborg SA (Viroflay)
CBIZ Technologies, Inc. – Richfield OH
Enterprise Business Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Innoviz Solutions Co., Ltd Integrity Data
Olympic Software NZ Ltd
Sonoma Partners, LLC
Intelligent Business Solutions, Inc
OmniVue Business Solutions, LLC
SSL Solutions Inc.
InterDyn AKA – HQ
Optevia Limited
Ergo Group AS
InterDyn LANAC Technology Corp.
ORBIS AG Pebblestone Information Syst.
Accellos, Inc. ACP Business Solutions Gmbh
CEM Business Solutions FZ LLC
ePartners – DC ePartners – Franklin
ACT Solutions Limited
Centric Business Solutions b.v.
Akquinet dynamic solutions GmbH
Cirquent Limited C-Metrix Business Solutions
AlfaPeople
Cogsdale Systems, Inc.
eSoftware Professionals
InterDyn Socius
Almog Dynamics
Columbus IT (Middle East) FC-LLC
Etaris Peru S.A.C.
IronWare Technologies
eTelligent Solutions, Inc.
Isys Solutions LLC
Columbus IT Brasil Consultoria de Informatica Ltda
Ethotech, Inc
JOVACO Solutions, Inc.
Pleasant Valley Business Solutions, LLC
Columbus IT Italia S.r.l.
Euclides Información S.L.
Junction Solutions, LLC
Power Accounting Pty Ltd
Everis spain SL.
KCS.net AG
PowerObjects
ExactTarget, Inc.
Knowledge Bridge Solution
Praxa
Exordia
Koorb Consulting
PRODWARE
Eyron Ltd.
Korus Consulting
Feed Management Systems
Lanham & Associates
Professional Advantage Pty Ltd
Firstware Software Solutions
Lederer Systemhaus GmbH
Fortsum Business Solutions, Inc.
Ledgeview Partners
Fujitsu New Zealand Limited
LLP Sofia OOD
Alpha Solutions AG Altair Business Solutions Ltd Altico Advisors, LLC Ameya Business Solutions Private Limited Andreas Gruber Software GmbH APOGEA Ile de France Arctic Information Technology Arke Systems, LLC. arvato systems (Thailand) Ltd. Arvato Systems Singapore Pte. Ltd. Ascentium Corporation ATP Ticari Bilgisayar AS AutoCont Avanade Denmark A/S
Columbus IT Partner Chile S.A. COLUMBUS IT Partner Schweiz AG Columbus IT Partner USA, Inc. CompuSoft Co. Ltd. Congruent Software Inc. Cornerstone Solutions LLC Corporate Renaissance Group CorporateServe Consulting & Outsourcing Pvt Ltd CREALOGIX ERP AG Customer Dynamics Customer Effective, Inc.
ePartners, Inc. – Houston
Fullscope (US) Fullscope (Canada) GfWI Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsinformatik mbH
Link Egypt Logic Vision B.V. Logica Danmark A/S Logica Norge AS Logica Suomi Oy
CyanSys Pte Ltd
GMI group NV
LS Retail EHF
Avanade Sweden AB
Cyrus Technology Pte Ltd
Godrej Infotech Limited
Maison Consulting & Solutions
Avantgarde Business Solutions GmbH
Datapro A/S
Green Beacon Solutions
Maner, Costerisan & Ellis, P.C.
DATASOFT TUNISIE
Gurango Software Corporation
MANTAQ SYSTEMS
Hands AS
MaxQ Technologies, Inc.
Helios Business Solutions
MCS Limited
Hitachi Consulting
Mekorma
Horizons International
Mepco Oy
I9 Tecnologia e Inovacao Empresarial
Mercator Improve AB
IBIZ Consulting Services Pte Ltd
Microsolutions aps
Avanade Inc.
Axxon Consulting S.A.
Delaware Consulting CVBA
Azox, Inc.
DFC Consultants, Ltd.
Aztec Systems, Inc.
Digia Oyj
Bayanet Egypt S.A.E.
DIN Solutions
Beck Consulting
DIS – Dynamic Integrated Solutions
BEDAV GmbH Beringer Associates, Inc. Binary Stream Software Inc. Bindar S.A. Blue Horseshoe Solutions, Inc Blue Moon Industries BrightConsult Business Management International, Inc
Done IT APS DP Technology Pte Ltd DTM Systems Corp. Dynamic Business Solution Sdn Bhd Dynamic Methods Dynamics Four EasiRun Software (Pty) Ltd.
MAVERICK Technologies
Merit Solutions, Inc.
Paramount Technologies, Inc Pelagic Solutions
PT Tectura Indonesia PT. Artha Infotama Pulse Automation Experts B.v. PYLADES Systeemhuis Quadis Technologies, Inc. Qurius Deutschland AG
Stanley, Stuart, Yoffee and Hendrix Strategix Business Solutions (Pty) Ltd Streamline Solutions, LLC Streamline Systems LLC Sunrise Technologies, Inc Synergistic Innovations Sdn Bhd Sysco Software Solutions Ltd SYSteam Business Critical Services AB Technology Management Concepts TECTURA (UK) Ltd. Tectura Hong Kong Limited Tectura Japan K.K. Tectura Korea Co., Ltd. Tectura USA – Lenexa Tegos Gmbh Dortmund
Qurius UK LTD
Terna GmbH – Zentrum fuer Business Software
Raber+ Märcker GmbH
Teze, S.A. de C.V.
REACH – Associates, LLC
TGO Consulting Inc.
RENO SISTEMI s.r.l.
The Resource Group
Retail Automation Systems Inc.
ThinkMax Consulting Inc.
Retail Technology Experts Right Right – Saudi Arabia Risus GmbH Rockton Software, Inc RSM McGladrey, Inc./Chicago Sandhills Publishing Sandler*Kahne Software, Inc. SBS
Thy Data A/S To-increase B.V. Tribridge Tridea Consulting tso-data GmbH Turnkey Technologies, Inc Verticalsoft, Inc Viseo Business Solutions Vodafone UK Votiva Ltd.
Ideaca Knowledge Services Limited
Mideast Data Systems
Iglesias Farre Ros S.A.
MultiSoft Kft
Ignify, Inc.
Navicom
SIEVERS – SNC Computer & Software GmbH
i-Intelligence (Pty) Ltd
NAVISYS s.r.o.
& Co. KG
In Balance, Inc
Neoprocess A/S
Sikich LLP
INC Technologies
Netsoft Group
Simeka Consulting (Pty) Ltd
WIKA Systems Schweiz AG
Inetium
Netways Arabia
Wipfli LLP
MSC Consulting (S) Pte Ltd
Scribe Software Serenic Software Inc
Vox Integrated Solutions Inc. vSync WA Consultoria Webfortis, LLC WennSoft
Business Systemhaus AG
ECOSOL Betriebswirtschaftliche EDV – Lösungen GmbH Egypt & Middle East (PLC)
Infinity A.S.
Neudesic, LLC
SINCA Soluciones Integrales S.A.
Wilken Neutrasoft GmbH
Bygteq it A/S Callow & Associates Management Consultants
E-Markets, Inc.
Infinity Info System Corp
NextCorp Ltd.
SIS Holdings (Pty) Ltd
Wipro Limited
Emerging Solutions, LLC.
Infinity Solutions Group, Inc.
nFocus Technologies
YAVEON AG
Enabling NZ Limited
Information Binary Dos S.L.
Nodus Technologies, Inc.
Sistemas de Gestion de BALEARES S.A.
Business Solution Partners
Calsoft Systems
Zero2Ten, Inc.
Fall 2009
2009 Microsoft Dynamics Partner Recognition
president’s club
noitingoceR rentraP scimanyD tfosorciM 9002
Partner Recognition
63
Customer Profile Microsoft Dynamics® Solutions: Microsoft Dynamics® AX and Microsoft Dynamics® CRM Partners: Hitachi Consulting (primary Microsoft Dynamics Partner), Avanade, Dell, Neudesic, Prosum, Quilogy, Tallan, TEK, and Xelleration
Industry: Professional Services Customer Since: 2003 Web site: www.thelincgroup.com
The Linc Group
Q
uestion: What do airports,
soft Dynamics AX would be the key theme.
percent of them being technicians or me-
hospitals,
government
We soon learned that Lush’s passion for the
chanics still at work in the field, this was a
buildings have in common?
professional services industry, and Micro-
formidable challenge that Lush saw as a tre-
(And no, this is not a bad joke
soft Partners’ journey into that industry, was
mendous opportunity.
about politicians.)
the real heart and soul of the matter.
and
Answer: The Linc Group
The Linc Group is a facilities manage-
ment company that supports services such as power, lighting, and air conditioning (to name a just few) for commercial and federal entities. The company has offices in 45 states and six countries and does work
Starting Fresh The Linc name has been around for 30 years, but the company received the current name, The Linc Group, six years ago when it was purchased through a management buyout after the Enron debacle.
“Years ago, I was a big Lotus Notes user,” said Lush. “I loved that it was highly collaborative. Enron deployed Lotus Notes like many other companies until it added e-mail and then started using that as the new norm for collaboration.” “There was no way I could convince people that Lotus Notes was a collaborative tool,
in 18 countries around the globe. With 70
so we made a huge bet on Microsoft Office
percent of its 4,200 team members based
SharePoint® at the time and said okay – this
in the field as mechanics or technicians,
is our new collaboration. We’re not chang-
the contract-fueled company has enough
ing your computers, but we are changing the
signed business to keep it more than busy
way you compute.”
for the next three years.
SharePoint turned out to be the tipping
The Linc Group is a Microsoft evangelist
point for a complete, stacked deployment
and has twice been named a Microsoft Dy-
of Microsoft, from servers to Microsoft
namics® Customer Excellence Award winner for its strong commitment to Microsoft Dynamics® AX. When this interview was scheduled with Greg Lush, vice president and chief information officer of The Linc Group, The Partner Channel anticipated that the company’s experience with Micro-
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The Partner Channel Magazine
“When we left Enron, we didn’t have anything,” said Lush. “They gave us six months to get off their infrastructure, and we had to rebuild everything from the ground up – computers, telephony, everything.” With 1,200 employees at the time, and 70
Dynamics AX. “How many businesses have the opportunity to redo everything?” asked Lush, hypothetically. “We had the opportunity to use the whole stack, and we never looked back. I’m a business guy, not an IT guy (which means I’m not wrapped up with the idea of
having all my eggs in one basket) and at the
providers, they would have maintenance
and then they’ll get rid of you to find some-
end of the day, if I had to hitch my cart to
contracts, not project-based work.”
body else. Partners have to be willing to put
one company, it’s Microsoft.” The “Lush” Meaning of Partnership The Linc Group’s positive implementa-
Becoming a Real Service Provider So how does a Partner “get there” and become a truly service-based organization?
tion experience has led Lush to evangelize
“Microsoft sings the story I’m saying
Microsoft products, namely Microsoft Dy-
all the time,” said Lush. “Partners don’t do
namics AX, as part of Microsoft’s customer
it because they don’t want to reveal that
reference program and at conferences such
they don’t know everything, and they don’t
as Convergence.
want to let their competitor near their
“Of the opportunities I’ve had to speak
customers.”
themselves in the position where they are putting the customer first, and they will get there by helping the customer get to the place where they want to be.” “I am living proof that it happens and it works. There is a lot more upside than downside, and I think the industry needs to turn to that,” concluded Lush. The First Steps Toward Service
with Partners, I always try to emphasize that
To remedy this, The Linc Group hosts
Lush outlines education, assistance, and
if they are going in with one vertical and
an annual Partner conference that allows
leadership as the essentials when it comes to
not taking advantage of promoting the Mi-
the company to be in the driver seat, shar-
turning the industry around.
crosoft story, they’re losing opportunity. If
ing with Partners its initiatives for the year.
“If I decided tomorrow that I wanted to
they’re not an expert, they need to hitch up
Nine Partner organizations are allowed to
be a Microsoft Partner, I would immediately
with somebody who is,” said Lush.
bring two representatives each to listen to
go out and educate myself on other Partners
According to Lush, professional services
The Linc Group and ask questions as they
and their skill-sets,” said Lush. “I’d also be
agencies that deal with software are imma-
arise. Partners are then given two weeks to
focused on making sure customers under-
ture and take their role as “trusted advisor”
submit RFPs for projects The Linc Group is
stand the wealth of knowledge and would
far too literally.
pursuing. The Linc Group then chooses the
try to get in at the decision-making level, not
RFPs that best serve the customers’ needs.
the project-making level.”
“Service people have to look at things from a pure service prospective,” he said.
“Partners will start working together when
“When trying to get a customer, I might
“Service means that we provide value to a
customers force them to work together,” said
provide a balance scorecard for free, but
customer whether we have it in our box of
Lush. “This all sounds very ‘50,000-feet’ and
through that vehicle I would then under-
tools or need to bring somebody in.”
probably doesn’t make a good article, but
stand their objectives and initiatives which
people need to come together to realize
would help me figure out how to make this
their strengths.”
business relationship into an annuity.”
“If somebody says they can do everything, I’ll tell them they’re full of it. I want the Partner who comes up to me, tells me their areas
“Partners today are where we were 15
“If I was a Partner, I’d find a customer
of expertise, and tells me who they’ll bring
years ago. We tried to lock down compa-
who was willing to be a heretic and orga-
in to satisfy my needs. Partners are a dou-
nies so that we were the only ones who
nize the things that we’re doing. We’re just
ble-edged sword as they want to know ev-
could change things. Partners want a lock
one customer. We spend $1.5 to $2 million
erything about everything. A mature service
on a customer, and that is just not going
a year, which is not that much money to
business knows that they want to be with
to happen. The idea of cloud computing,
split between nine Partners. However, we
the guy who has made the most mistakes
where data is consumable on a stream, at
believe that they are key to our success, and
because they know the most answers.”
will, is where it’s going. If Partners still
it’s key to get a customer to believe that.
want to do it the old way, they’ll be out
This is the time to listen to your customer
of business.”
and understand what value you can bring to
“Right now Partners are caught in the gray space between selling and projects,” said Lush. “If Partners really want to be service
“Lock it down, and they’ll use you once
your customer.”
Fall 2009
65
2009
Microsoft Distinction in
Marketing Awards
Profiles of Winning Partner Marketing Campaigns John Spindler
C
ongratulations to the five U.S. winners of the coveted Microsoft® Distinction in Marketing Awards, which recognize outstanding Partner-executed marketing campaigns. “Every year we are energized to see Partners’ marketing campaigns and gain a deeper understanding of how Partners apply the tools and resources offered by Microsoft in their demand-generation efforts. This year was no exception,”
said Pam Kram, senior marketing manager, US Microsoft Dynamics® Partner Team. “In fact, the creativity and agility demonstrated among the 35 nominated campaigns showcases how Partners are adapting – and succeeding – in driving demand for Microsoft Dynamics solutions in a challenging environment. No matter how large or small your marketing department or budget, everyone can take away something from these award winners to apply to their marketing practices.”
Winners of the 2009 Distinction in Marketing Award honors include:
AccuNet, Inc. Westerville, Ohio www.accu.com Marketing Professional Jennifer Imes LuPiba, Director of Marketing
When developing her marketing campaigns, Jennifer Imes LuPiba always asks herself a couple of important questions: “I continually ask, ‘What could make this campaign not just satisfactory but great?’ and ‘What would make this campaign worthy of the Distinction in Marketing?’ ” That continuous quest for excellence helped Jennifer earn a Microsoft Distinction in Marketing Award. Jennifer’s integrated campaign targeted business decision makers in the Contract Research Organization (CRO) microvertical within the Life Sciences industry. Built around Microsoft’s “People Ready” concept, the campaign showed how organizations in this microvertical could use a single solution
CAL Business Solutions Harwinton, Connecticut www.calszone.com Marketing Professional Anya Ciecierski, Marketing Manager
Anya Ciecierski knows a marketing opportunity when she sees one. While sifting through sales data, Anya discovered that while 46% of CAL’s closed leads came from referrals, the organization only spent 2% of its total marketing budget actually
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The Partner Channel Magazine
based on Microsoft Dynamics® GP to manage their clinical studies and corresponding accounting needs. With a strict budget of about $7,500, Jennifer needed to make every dollar count. Because past experience showed a low ROI for mailings, Jennifer instead focused on digital media, including e-mails generated from AccuNet’s large CRO e-mail contact database and new social media tools such as LinkedIn and Twitter. AccuNet set up two LinkedIn groups – CRO Groups and AccuNet CRO Financial Management Group – to drive attendance to a Web site created specifically for the campaign. Other campaign components included an e-mail-based newsletter that reflected the look, feel, and messaging of the Web site as well as e-mail marketing, tradeshows, public relations, industry sponsorships, and industry Partner referrals. AccuNet hosted a series of four monthly webinars that focused on specific pains CROs face – and demonstrated how Microsoft Dynamics GP could help address them. The campaign helped AccuNet generate 28 qualified leads – of which one has already turned into a $155,000 sale – with several additional sales pending.
encouraging referrals. “There was a huge opportunity for improvement,” Anya notes. She was correct, and CAL’s revamped referral marketing campaign earned a 2009 Microsoft Distinction in Marketing Award. Eager to increase referrals and transform more of them into sales, CAL identified its top 10 referral sources and developed a structured program for nurturing referral sources and encouraging them to provide more leads. To express its thanks for leads it received, CAL sent each referral source a $25 brownie basket for each lead it provided. If that lead turned into a sale, CAL sent a $250 gift certificate. A hallmark of the campaign was multiple touches with referral sources. CAL sent out a quarterly mailing that included a gift and a specific listing of
leads it had received from each of its referral sources. One mailing consisted of sunflower seeds, while another featured an internally developed whitepaper titled “30 Questions Every CFO Must Ask About the Cost of Accounting Software.” To solidify the relationships it was building, CAL conducted face-to-face meetings with as many of its referral sources as it could during the year. Meetings were reinforced by monthly personalized e-mails that Anya sent to each referral source, promoting an aspect of Microsoft Dynamics® GP or providing
Donor Direct Richardson, Texas www.DonorDirect.com Marketing Professional Suzanne Skinner, Marketing Representative
In marketing, the more personalized the campaign, the better its chances of success. Just ask Suzanne Skinner, who earned a Microsoft Distinction in Marketing Award for DonorDirect’s “DirectToCRM Rollout Campaign.” This campaign was designed to promote DonorDirect’s DirectToCRM product, which extends Microsoft Dynamics CRM and enables advanced contact management in the non-profit ministry vertical. The campaign demonstrated how Microsoft Dynamics CRM, with the DirectToCRM extension, could add value to ministries by helping to enhance their relationship with donors, volunteers, staff, and community partners. With more than 25 years experience working in the nonprofit ministry vertical, DonorDirect understood that a highly personalized campaign would be most effective for this in-
InterDyn AKA New York, New York www.interdynaka.com Marketing Professional Bryn Forrest, Director of Marketing
When going head-to-head with a formidable competitor, having high-quality competitive intelligence and outstanding sales and marketing resources can be big keys to success. Bryn Forrest’s successful Microsoft Dynamics® AX-based “Mission Critical Compete” campaign provided expertise and resources to help Microsoft and Microsoft Partners compete effectively against Oracle/JD Edwards – and earned a Microsoft Distinction in Marketing Award.
a timely marketing tip. In addition, each time she spoke with a prospect, she sent an invitation to connect using LinkedIn. CAL used Microsoft Dynamics® CRM 4.0 to track both the leads it received from referral sources and the ones CAL provided in return. As a result of the campaign, CAL generated 20 leads, closed a half-dozen sales and generated approximately $150,000 in new revenue. Equally important, CAL increased the percentage of closed leads it received from referrals from 42% in FY08 to 60% in FY09.
dustry. As Skinner explained, “Mass e-mails are deleted or get caught by spam filters. Postcards get tossed out with other junk mail. But personal phone calls and chats with prospects over coffee during an industry conference were ways that we could relate on a personal level. Those personal contacts are what set us apart from our competitors.” Other campaign components included telemarketing, online webinars, and social media marketing using Twitter (@DirectToCRM) to provide quick updates about products and services, advertise webinars, and encourage attendance at tradeshow events. DonorDirect showcased DirectToCRM at several industry conferences and at its annual client conference. It also arranged for Microsoft representatives to attend the conference to present Microsoft Dynamics CRM and underscore the value of partnering with DonorDirect and Microsoft. To nurture its leads, DonorDirect used a strategy called “First and Frequent.” Using it, DonorDirect committed to being the first to contact prospects and to do so frequently by e-mail, phone, and handwritten thank-you notes. DonorDirect’s campaign generated eight sales, netting $509,036 in revenue. Each time it made a sale, DonorDirect highlighted its success by creating and distributing a press release to various Christian non-profit trade magazines.
The campaign grew out of InterDyn AKA’s efforts to assist Microsoft in creating a competitive guide to help Partners win against Oracle/JD Edwards in the Discrete Manufacturing, Field Services, and Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (IEM) industries. These verticals are ones in which InterDyn AKA had significant expertise and had posted recent large wins against Oracle/JD Edwards. InterDyn AKA conducted a telemarketing campaign to gain market knowledge of the opportunity and to attract qualified prospects who, because of changing market demands, needed a solution that could help streamline operations and reduce their total cost of ownership. Other prospecting tactics included pay-per-click online ads, social media through InterDyn AKA’s Facebook page, and press releases. What distinguished this campaign was InterDyn AKA’s willingness to work closely with the Microsoft Compete team to share its knowledge about the Oracle/JD Edwards opportunity with other Microsoft Partners. To do that, InterDyn AKA creFall 2009
67
ated a competitive guide and developed a Partner education webcast. The webcast – offered through the Microsoft Partner Learning Center – allowed InterDyn AKA to share its knowledge and expertise with other Microsoft channel Partners. The event was well-received and drew 52 attendees. The company also launched a microsite dedicated to competing with Oracle/ JD Edwards and prepared a “battle card” specifically for the IEM industry to provide sales executives with information about specific industry issues and messaging.
Protech Associates, Inc. Columbia, Maryland www.protechassociates.com Marketing Professional Michelle Spitzer, Marketing Manager
A true sign of outstanding marketing is its ability to be flexible in the face of adversity. That flexibility – as well as an outstanding customer conference – helped Michelle Spitzer earn a 2009 Microsoft Distinction in Marketing Award. The theme of Protech’s conference was “Connect,” and the event provided an opportunity for its client base of member-based nonprofit organizations to connect to Protech and Microsoft, connect with one another, connect with the latest technologies, and better connect with their members using tools such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft SharePoint®. But in the months leading up to Protech’s customer conference, the economy began its rapid downward spiral. Realizing that registrations were falling far short of its goal of 100 attend-
The campaign generated six qualified leads that are currently being followed up on. Even more important, though, is the knowledge InterDyn AKA developed and shared with other Microsoft Partners. “Finding key weaknesses, developing a strong message, profiling our compete target database, and sharing how to leverage and win against Oracle/ JD Edwards and will bring vast benefits for future marketing efforts for us and the Partner community as a whole,” Forrest said.
ees, Protech kicked its promotional efforts into overdrive. In addition to promoting the event using direct mail, e-mail, telemarketing and a snappy Web site, Protech quickly devised and carried out a “campaign-within-a-campaign.” Protech offered special pricing to customers and prospects who had already registered, asking them to bring additional staff members to the event. Protech also conducted a role-based campaign to boost attendance. For example, potential attendees with “Web Developer” titles received targeted e-mails highlighting potential sessions of interest to them such as “Web Portal in Action: A Case Study” and “Web Site Soup to Nuts: SharePoint for Members.” The result? Conference registration doubled from 56 to 112 in just two weeks! And those attendees were treated to an outstanding event. Highlights included presentations from industry experts and a Protech/Microsoft customer, concurrent sessions, networking opportunities, and a dramatic customeraward ceremony. The conference was so well received that every single attendee responded “Yes” to the question, “Would you recommend that a friend/colleague attend the Protech Customer Conference?” The conference was also good for business, helping Protech generate 13 new leads, two sales, and approximately $1.1 million in new revenue.
About the Distinction in Marketing Award and the Microsoft Dynamics Marketing Professional Community The Distinction in Marketing Awards recognize outstanding Partner-executed marketing campaigns. To be eligible for this recognition, Partners were required to be enrolled in the Microsoft Dynamics Marketing Professional Community and complete a Microsoft Dynamics marketing campaign within Microsoft’s 2009 fiscal year. Official rules are posted on PartnerSource under Communities > US Communities > Marketing Community.
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The Partner Channel Magazine
Thank You to the Believer Sponsors of The Partner Event 2009
www.thepartnerevent.com
Average salespeople and management can hide in good times. But when the going gets tough in a difficult economy, mold takes hold.
Acumen Management Group Ltd. “operationalizes” sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone. During the past 12 years, our consulting, advisory, Signs your sales organization has lost its freshness: and platform services have illuminated, motivated, • Sales leader doesn’t take revenue to the next level. and rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners • Uncommitted salespeople demonstrate lack of throughout North America. creativity, and low energy and activity levels. Move up and move ahead! Build predictable • Finger-pointing, excuse-making, and excuserevenue in boom and bust times. tolerance prevail.
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Fall 2009
69
Inside Scoop
Certified for Microsoft Dynamics C
ertified for Microsoft Dynamics® (CfMD) is a solution certification achieved by Microsoft Dynamics Partners whose software has met Microsoft’s highest standard for Partner-developed solutions. The Partner
TPC: Why did Microsoft decide to offer this program for ISV Partner solutions? Christian Lindberg (CL): All of our customers are in verticals and are looking for solutions to solve their business problems. We have our Microsoft Dynamics® products, which are rather horizontal, and we are looking to our ISVs to develop solutions to support customers in their verticals and solve the customers’ business problems. CfMD is a program to qualify highquality solutions in a systematic way and feature the functionality that supports customers in their niche. It’s also a way that we can identify the ISVs we want to go to market with directly or connect them with worldwide VARs to deliver these solutions to customers. TPC: I’ve never heard it said before that the customer has always been vertical. That makes total sense. CL: At the end of the day, we’re here to serve the customer in the most efficient and costeffective way. In the past we’ve been very good at delivering products and having Partners tailor it for their customers, but moving forward we need to meet customers in a better way – on their premise, in their specific vertical – and I think that message is going
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The Partner Channel Magazine
Channel interviewed Christian Lindberg, who is responsible for Microsoft Dynamics ISV sales and marketing, to learn more about the certification and what it means to Microsoft, Partners, and customers.
to resonate better with resellers and ISVs as we’re now looking to align ISVs and Partners to serve a vertical. TPC: One thing we hear at The Partner Channel is that ISVs want to improve their relationships and connections to VARs to drive more sales for their own businesses. Have you heard any success stories of this program helping ISVs get more connected with VARs? CL: Over and over again, Partners keep coming back saying that the CfMD logo helps them identify Partners with quality solutions. It builds comfort around the solution and very quickly fast-forwards the conversation between the ISV and VAR and puts them into a business conversation. They’re away from the product itself and on to business. TPC: Two years into the CfMD program, is there more understanding and brand recognition among Partners? CL: We’ve seen a lot of recognition now among our own Partners as to what the CfMD brand is. In terms of end-customer and prospect, we’re not there yet. We have a long way to go. We encourage ISVs and resellers to use the CfMD logo in their marketing materials to help share the brand with their customers.
TPC: To clarify, products receive the CfMD accreditation, not the ISV organization in general, correct? CL: Yes, the accreditation follows the product, which is the only way for an ISV to cobrand their product with the Microsoft Dynamics® brand. TPC: How many ISVs are in the program right now? CL: Right now (early September 2009) we have 175 solutions from 160 Partners. TPC: I saw that the certification process takes four to eight weeks to complete. Is there anything an ISV can do to prepare prior to the registration process to ensure everything goes smoothly? CL: Absolutely. An ISV can go to www.InnovateonMicrosoftDynamics.com/CfMD and download the requirements document, view the intro videos, and see presentations. There is also a pre-certification service where an ISV can work with Lionbridge to prepare for the actual certification (there is a charge for that service). TPC: How long are products certified once they have CfMD accreditation? CL: The certification doesn’t expire, but it is product and version specific. We encourage
our ISVs to stay up to date with their accreditation when either Microsoft or they release a new version of the product. TPC: Your team produces an online catalogue that lists all the ISVs who are in the CfMD program. How often is that catalogue updated to reflect newly certified ISVs? CL: The online catalogue is tied to the Solution Finder, and ISVs update their listings themselves through the Partner Solution Profiler (links to both are located in the sidebar). On a regular basis, for conferences such as Convergence and WPC, we also print a hard copy so that attendees can have a print version. TPC: After working with CfMD for two years, which benefit of the program do ISVs most enjoy? CL: Having the proof in hand that they passed the highest certification in Microsoft is a very powerful message that they can share with resellers and customers. It builds confidence around them and their solution as a delivery Partner and ultimately helps them be faster in closing the deal. Partners with CfMD solutions are also the preferred Microsoft Dynamics Partners when Microsoft wants to showcase certain solutions in internal or external communication, such as conferences or Web pages. TPC: What’s next on the agenda for CfMD? Are there more evolutions of it planned or are you mainly focusing on certifying more ISVs? CL: Two years ago we launched the core of this program, which is entirely focused around the ISV solution. This year we launched the reseller aspect, linking the ISV with the resellers. Moving further ahead, we will look at solution accreditation where several ISVs will come together to offer a complete vertical solution. TPC: How do you see that being facilitated? CL: It all starts with the solution certification. A map categorized by certified solutions and region will show Partners where opportunities are to create the aggregate solution. We also have the Partner-to-Partner Connections page on PartnerSource where ISVs with certified solutions can pitch the opportunity for partnership (check sidebar for link). This ties directly into our go-to-market strategy, which is offering complete vertical solutions to customers that can only be created with these relationships with ISVs. So
often in the past our customers have been the system integrators. They had to find the right Partner to support them and the right ISV solutions. We want to get away from that, and that role has to be played by the ISV. TPC: How do you see the integration of this model into existing customer business? CL: Supporting existing customers even better is targeted around the horizontal business (CRM, HR, payroll, BI, and so on) first and then reaching out to them with products that help them fulfill their business needs. TPC: Will this program generate leads for Partners? CL: The leads come from many different sources, and the more that resellers and ISVs are aligned around delivering complete vertical solutions, the more success they’ll have. TPC: If a lead comes in and is a match for multiple, competing ISVs, who gets the customer? CL: We know there are ISVs that offer competitive products, and my encouragement
is that they divide and conquer from a geographical point of view in order to better serve customers. If they’re head-to-head in a vertical, then go to a micro-vertical. We cannot solve the competitive issue. TPC: What’s the most rewarding aspect of this job for you? CL: What I find most rewarding is the ability to work with our Microsoft Dynamics Partners and share their successes. I’ve been in the ISV business for almost 10 years, and to me it’s more that we end up with happy customers and give them functionality capabilities that put them at a competitive advantage over customers not using Microsoft Dynamics. Coming back from WPC, I strongly encourage Partners to familiarize themselves with the newly announced Microsoft Dynamics Partner strategy, of which CfMD is a cornerstone. You can view the videos on PartnerSource (check sidebar for link). If you do your research, you’ll be positioned to take full advantage of the offerings when the new Partner strategy launches next year.
More Info Web sites and videos mentioned in this interview can be found at the following locations: » Certified for Microsoft Dynamics Program – www.InnovateonMicrosoftDynamics.com/CfMD » Microsoft Dynamics Solution Finder – www.microsoft.com/dynamics/en/us/solution-finder.aspx » Partner-to-Partner Connections – www.thepartnerchannel.com/cfmdp2p » Partner Solution Profiler – https://partner.microsoft.com/40020720 » Solution Finder Map – http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/en/us/solutions-map.aspx » VIDEO: Microsoft Dynamics Partner Strategy Announcement – http://digitalwpc.com/Videos/SessionVideos/ Permalink/0013072e-15fd-4550-9e2e-d4d9d11f8726
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Illustration by Matt Mastrud for The Partner Channel
The Partner Channel Magazine
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Patrick Collins
T
here’s no doubt that getting lost in translation can be amusing. I once wrote the materials for a launch of a new Microsoft Dynamics® release. One of the ways we described the new product was “top shelf,” meaning, I thought, of a high quality and superior value. Except that in certain countries where, of course, the product was being released, “top shelf” meant movies with a decidedly adult theme, because at the video stores in those countries, the top shelf is where they’re kept. An extreme example, perhaps, but one with a fundamental lesson at its core: if you’re not speaking your customers’ language, you’ll lose them before you’ve even begun. I’ve worked with dozens of Microsoft Partners over the years, and it seems to me that one of the main advantages of being a Partner is that you have the power of a global brand and all that it entails behind your name while, at the same time, the degree of flexibility necessary to respond to your customers quickly. One of the areas where this flexibility is an asset for you is the way you communicate with your customers. Say, for example, that you realize that your customers are turned off by the word “power” and are more responsive instead to the word “impact.” Go for it. You have the world-renowned brand, yet you don’t have to suffer through a vetting process throughout your company that makes a nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court look like a breeze. Most people reading this article are probably – I hope – already paying close attention to how they communicate with their customers. But for those of you who aren’t, and for those of you who are perhaps intimidated by the prospect of tweaking all of your collateral, here’s a handy tip: the best way to learn a new language is to listen to it being spoken. Put another way, if you want to learn to speak fluent French, go to France. The best way, I think, to jump-start your listening endeavor is to get feedback directly from your customers. Offer to treat a trusted customer to coffee or lunch. Ask for feedback on everything from your Web site to your business cards. If the idea of negative – or constructive, as it’s called – feedback is uncomfortable for either of you, use your competitors’ marketing materials. Regard-
less of the company, what your customers don’t like will almost always tell you a lot about what they do. I tried the direct feedback approach once, and it changed the way I write case studies. I was at a conference, making my way through the expo hall, when I came across a booth staffed by a non-profit, volunteer-managed group that helps start-ups focused on renewable energy. The organization depends on grants and awards, and to solicit and secure those funds, they use case studies – one-page, clearly written, crisply designed case studies. In his day job, the man staffing the booth is an engineer who approves, or denies, technology investments on behalf of the state where we both reside. So he and I got to talking about case studies – geeky, I know – and he told me that if he doesn’t immediately see the case for the purchase made in clear, concise numbers, said proposal lands in the reject pile. There’s a valuable lesson to be learned from the engineer’s numbers fixation. Just because he rejects a request to purchase new technology does not mean that the technology – or the request for that matter – wasn’t compelling. What it means is that the numerical version of the story wasn’t presented quickly or clearly. If you think of this guy as your customer, the one piece of information that turns a red light green in his decision-making process was missing. If your customers are numbers folks – and I’d guess most of them are these days – make sure your numbers aren’t just in the first sentence but are the first sentence. Use a larger, bolder font. Incorporate them into your customer quote if possible. Nothing says “buy from me!” than a quote along the lines of, “The technology we bought from [your company name here] helped us save a million dollars as the economy was tanking.” Dramatic, sure, but you have to admit it says something worth remembering. You may have customers for whom numbers aren’t the star attraction. Many small businesses, or IT departments within larger businesses, are more concerned with security, how complex – or not – the deployment and training will be, or whether or not they’re going to have to start over from scratch each time the company expands or changes focus.
The important thing is to address whatever it is that’s most important to your customers, and to do so quickly and clearly. My second example comes from the realm of real estate. In my experience, making the decision to invest in technology is in the same league as deciding to buy real estate when it comes to the potential to get utterly lost in translation. Mortgages that come in more varieties than shampoo, interest rates, balloon interest rates, inspections, liens, property taxes, abatements, right of refusal, mortgage insurance … what’s so bad about renting? My point is that it’s overwhelming. One of my clients is a real estate agent who told me one morning that she felt she was losing potential clients because she was, in her words, giving them a headache. Her solution was to develop a script of sorts to use when talking to potential buyers or sellers who had already been through the drill. Then she developed a second, more tiered script to walk the firsttime buyer through the process. The scripts provided a framework for conversations she had with clients at very specific points. Her reasoning – and I think it’s relevant to nearly any industry, including technology – was that a potential buyer doesn’t need to be inundated with data on the smorgasbord of financing options available when he’s still weighing the pros and cons of various neighborhoods. The neighborhood conversations, she decided, should focus on things like schools, local crime statistics, and the city’s development plans – or lack thereof – for the area. Her willingness to look at things from her potential client’s point of view rather than her own, and then act accordingly, is a great example of the power of speaking your customers’ language. And the volume of first-time buyers referred her way in spite of a shaky economy and job market is a testament to her strategy. Finally, as always, whenever you’re rethinking how you communicate with your customers, set your pride aside and recognize the fact that they’re not sitting at their meticulously organized desks, hands serenely folded, waiting to hear from you. Remember, their schedule is as hectic – if not more so – as yours. So catch their attention. Make it worth their while. And give them something to remember. Fall 2009
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ISV Profile Company: Nodus Technologies, Inc. Principal: Donte Kim Address: 2099 S. State College Blvd, Suite 250 Anaheim, CA 92806 Phone: 909-482-4701
Nodus Technologies, Inc.
Web Site: www.nodus.com Established: 2002
Where It All Started: Donte Kim (DK): In 2002, electronic payment processing was separate from most accounting systems. The whole process was unreliable: time was wasted, and users were doing double data entry. There was nothing “automatic” about the process at all. It was difficult for a small to mid-sized business to get an integrated solution that was affordable, and there weren’t many products on the market that actually worked. It was obvious that there was a need for integrated electronic payment solutions for an accounting system. Nodus Technologies was spun off from Mekorma, another leading Microsoft Dynamics® ISV, with one goal: to create solutions that provide business process automation, specifically focused on electronic payment processing. From that day on, my mission has continued to make business process optimization simple for small businesses and mid-sized enterprises. Over the years, we’ve worked diligently to earn the trust of our customers and reselling Partners.
Products and Services: Asher Mathew (AM): We’ve always been very interested in ensur-
TPC: What word best describes Nodus Technologies? Why? DK: Nodus is a Latin word meaning integration, creating bonds. This represents our vision to deliver innovative products that integrate and automate the many disjointed business processes in order to make core business processes simple, efficient, and easy to use for our customers. It also perfectly describes our commitments to our employees, our customers, and our channel Partners. 74
The Partner Channel Magazine
ing that we help the e-payment industry, and to that end, provide solutions that automate e-payment processing. We have evolved over time to provide business process automation solutions for small and mid-sized companies. The core of our technology is to leverage the service-oriented-architecture (SOA) and Web services technologies to provide cost-effective and comprehensive e-commerce, electronic payments, and retail management solutions for Microsoft Dynamics ERP. In addition, to expand our product line into the services market, we have payment gateway product and merchant account services. We are a one-stop-shop for all payment related business process automation.
Opportunities on the Horizon: Simon Lam (SL): As cloud computing emerges in popularity and its cost curve comes down, taking our vision to other ERPs in a SAAS model represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Another area keeping us up late at night is how to solve many security issues that the industry is demanding without adding cost and complexity.” That is a big challenge – but also a big opportunity – for us.
TPC: How would you describe your company culture? DK: We encourage our people to always look for solutions – we encourage everybody to be innovative and entrepreneurial. I believe
that truly innovative companies encourage their entire teams to take an active role in driving the vision of the company. We have a strong commitment to creating an environment that fosters open dialogue and personal and professional integrity. TPC: You have more than 1,000 global customers. How do you manage those customer relationships? Peter Wong (PW): Nodus is all about pro-
viding needed solutions with good customer experience. Throughout the sales cycle, implementation, training, and maintenance, we help our customers and Partners understand how to best use the product. Our channel manager, Asher Mathew, is heavily involved in training our Partners on how to use the Project Manager and Customer Account Manager systems. These systems ensure that our customers know who to contact by phone or e-mail, which ensures that issues are resolved quickly and easily. TPC: Tell me about your Customer Involvement Program and why you think it’s important for your customers to participate in this type of program. AM: Our Customer Involvement Program is a way for our customers to provide feedback on all of the aspects of their experience with Nodus. We want to make sure that we provide the best customer service, feedback process, and products. We value hearing from customers and learning how our solutions are helping their business processes and advancing their competitive edge. The program also helps us better understand our
customers’ needs and anticipate where the industry is going. As a result, Nodus is empowered to develop innovative solutions that maintain our position as a market leader.
...don’t make assumptions, do your best, speak with integrity, and don’t take things personally. TPC: What advice will you never forget? DK: The best advice I have received – and the most valuable for me – was from a book, “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. When you run a business, you get a lot of curves thrown at you, and some of the challenges are hard to deal with. He talks about four things: don’t make assumptions, do your best, speak with integrity, and don’t
take things personally. Taking this to heart has helped me put things into perspective. TPC: Define value and what it means to you. DK: Value to me is providing a solution that has value and offers a benefit. A customer pays us money, but we hope that we are creating a solution worth more than the monetary cost. When we create our products, we create products that customers can implement and use – products that require very little training and create a significant ROI in a short time. To me, the value is to create products that amount to so much more than what they are worth from a monetary cost standpoint. TPC: What advice would you give to other ISVs? DK: Be innovative, develop your own ideas, think from customers’ perspectives rather than yours, provide products that make their lives simpler, give them solutions that they need, and I think you will do just fine. If you’re the best – and you’re good at what you do – everything else comes.
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Advertiser Index Acumen Management Group, LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69, 76
Integrity Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Altec. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Kamp-Data, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Azox, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Mekorma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
BIO Analytics Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Microsoft – Certified for Microsoft Dynamics. . . . . . . . 60
Blue Moon Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Nodus Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Bottomline Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Rockton Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
RoseASP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Data Resolution, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Solver Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Dynamic Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
The Partner Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 38, 69, 96
Dynamics Source, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
The Partner Marketing Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Encore Business Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Trinity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Equisys, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Vicinity Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
EthoTech, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Average salespeople and management can hide in good times. But when the going gets tough in a difficult economy, mold takes hold.
Acumen Management Group Ltd. “operationalizes” sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone. During the past 12 years, our consulting, advisory, Signs your sales organization has lost its freshness: and platform services have illuminated, motivated, • Sales leader doesn’t take revenue to the next level. and rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners • Uncommitted salespeople demonstrate lack of throughout North America. creativity, and low energy and activity levels. Move up and move ahead! Build predictable • Finger-pointing, excuse-making, and excuserevenue in boom and bust times. tolerance prevail.
Acumen
Management Group, Ltd.
Visit www.acumenmanagement.com. • email ken@acumenmgmt.com • Call (423) 884-6328) Find Ken Thoreson’s blog: www.YourSalesManagementGuru.com • Follow him on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KenThoreson
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Taking Care of the
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107 Weatherstone Drive, Woodstock, GA 30188
Weatherstone Drive, Woodstock, GA 30188 www.ethotech.com 107 tel: 678.384.7500 email: products@ethotech.com www.ethotech.com tel: 678.384.7500 email: products@ethotech.com
Winter 2009 Limited quantities available
}
STEP OUT
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Spring 2009
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EthoTech.
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Help your customers put 1000’s of $$$ of Help your customers put 1000’s of $$$ of wasted profits back in their pockets. They wasted profits back in their pockets. They may not even know it, but they’re making may not even know it, but they’re making simple mistakes paying payingcommissions, commissions,inindata data simple mistakes entry errors, in in managing managinguser userlogins, logins,and andinin entry errors, customer service slip-ups. slip-ups.All Allthis thisisisdraining draining customer service valuable profits from fromtheir theirbottom bottomline. line. valuable profits
Changing Gears
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There’s only one commission solution built for —
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Nearly 1,000 companies — in 23 different industries — use EthoTech’s enhancements for Microsoft Dynamics GP.
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy
It’s no wonder why 600 of our Partners recommend and install EthoTech products for their customers. And why we’ve made President’s Club for 6 years running.
for the Moon
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Fall 2007
The Partner Channel
For 10 years now, EthoTech Commission Plan has been adding value to the Microsoft Dynamics® GP community.
Is Reaching
Print/Web Project
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Cashing in on Convergence
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To schedule your demo Call 678.495.1586 or e-mail prove-it@ethotech.com or go to www.ethotech.com/prove-it
Nearly 1,000 companies — in 23 different industries — use EthoTech’s enhancements for Microsoft Dynamics GP.
There’s only one commission solution built for —
Fall Fall 2007 2007
UT O LD
It’s no wonder why 600 of our Partners recommend and install EthoTech products for their customers. And why we’ve made President’s Club for 5 years running.
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For 10 years now, EthoTech Commission Plan has been adding value to the Microsoft Dynamics™ GP community.
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When Everything Feels
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Winter Summer 2009 2009
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}
107 Weatherstone Drive, Woodstock, GA 30188 Weatherstone Drive, Woodstock, GA 30188 ech.com 107 tel: 678.384.7500 email: products@ethotech.com ch.com tel: 678.384.7500 email: products@ethotech.com
Is On Its Way
It Real
The Power of Authenticity
The
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Article
W
hether you’re new to the mailing list or would like to share the magazines with new members of your team, you have the opportunity to order back issues of The Partner Channel Magazine.
Forward
are Customers Summer 2009
IfIf you’re you’re just just plain plaincurious, curious,you youMUST MUSTread read “Preventing Mistakes “Preventing Mistakesin inMicrosoft MicrosoftDynamics DynamicsGP”. GP”. Go to to www.ethotech.com/mistakes www.ethotech.com/mistakes and Go anddownload downloaditittoday. today.
Keeping
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Select the key of your Select your choice choicefor for30 30days daysrisk-free: risk-free:
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Real Deal the Partner event the
Help your customers put 1000’s of $$$ of Help your customers put 1000’s of $$$ of wasted profits back in their pockets. They wasted profits back in their pockets. They may not even know it, but they’re making may not even know it, but they’re making simple mistakes paying payingcommissions, commissions,inindata data simple mistakes entry errors, in in managing managinguser userlogins, logins,and andinin entry errors, customer service slip-ups. slip-ups.All Allthis thisisisdraining draining customer service valuable profits from fromtheir theirbottom bottomline. line. valuable profits
“Be that self which one truly is.” – Soren Kierkegaard
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The Partner Channel Magazine
Cost is $10 for one (1) issue, or $25 for three (3) issues (shipping is included in this cost). Contact Jasmine McNellis at Jasmine@thepartnerchannel.com to reserve your copies today.
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Would you like to see your company information in one of these squares? Contact Jane Olson at 701-478-6895 or Jane@thepartnerchannel.com for more information! Fall 2009
97
Magazine Highlights Seemingly small annoyances can and do turn customers away on a daily basis, and potentially good customers at that. Do you ever wonder if you— metaphorically speaking— place screeching loudspeakers over your customers’ heads? (from “Stop Bugging Me”, page 50)
What was that Web site again? Here’s a list of handy sites listed in this issue: Submit Reviews: Microsoft PinPoint www.pinpoint.microsoft.com/en-US Track Customer Loyalty: Net Promoter www.netpromoter.com Set up Keyword Alerts: Google Alerts www.google.com/alerts Search Blogs: Technorati http://technorati.com
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NO
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The Partner Channel Magazine
Would you like to be on The Partner Channel’s Advisory Board? Contact Jenny Davis at 701-478-6894 or Jenny@thepartnerchannel.com for more information.
You’re not selling a product. You are selling trust. To create trust you need to develop a system of Rainmakers from outside of your company. They are that adjunct to your company that work for free and make you look good. (from “Rainmaking 101”, page 54)
Let’s be Social! Web site: www.thepartnerchannel.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/partnerchannel LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com Search Groups > The Partner Channel Virtual Expo: www.tpcvirtualexpo.com
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Of course, your Customers come along for the ride, too!
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Like a
think “Well done is better than well said.” – Benjamin Franklin
Most people know EthoTech as the industry leader in Commission Automation for Microsoft Dynamics® GP. We have more than 600 Microsoft Dynamics Partners that have been recommending EthoTech to their Customers for over a decade.
Customer
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