NOTES FROM DOUG FOR OCTOBER 2009

Partner Readiness

Time Is Money: Selling ROI

In today’s challenging economic climate, executives are strongly motivated to avoid risk for their organizations. When it comes to IT, every application, piece of technology, and person in the business must show a return on investment—no exceptions. So how do we demonstrate that an investment in Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions can actually help reduce that risk, boost productivity, and save them money through lower TCO and faster ROI? The resources below can help you to improve your top and bottom lines, and it can help your sales force to close deals faster!

Streamline for Success—Grow Your Top and Bottom Lines

To grow in today’s business climate, partners must make sure every person and asset in their organization is producing a solid ROI for the company and for customers. Larger partners enjoy higher levels of productivity and profitability, according to the recent Partner Economic Survey conducted by IDC (published February, 2009). The changes to our Channel Program announced at the Worldwide Partner Conference in June are largely driven by these findings, and support our goal of rapidly expanding the Microsoft Dynamics market share.

Profitable growth demands a particular focus on efficiency in three areas of your businesses: service delivery, sales, and marketing; all three must work together smoothly. Streamlining your practices is the best way to generate a strong ROI for every person and asset in the organization. Read the full article.

Don’t Lose to Indifference: Tip the Sales Scales in Your Favor

You can’t afford to let indifference be the reason prospects opt out of the buying process. Customers spend when they see clear business value in the investment, so to help prospects build a compelling business case with a clear and rapid payback, partners can sell the idea of a Diagnostic. The Diagnostic is a Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step methodology phase that occurs before an application is sold. It drills down into a customer’s key business issues and identifies what can be done to address them. With a Diagnostic, you have the data you need to build a solid business case for system replacement and provide the customer with a compelling reason to proceed. Read the full article.

Now Available: The 2009 Microsoft Dynamics Economic Survey IDC White Paper

Download this white paper highlighting key findings and best practices from a survey of Microsoft Dynamics partners. The white paper can help you drive business success by identifying key performance indicators for the top half of the partners surveyed.

Analyst Evidence Builds Sales Credibility

Strengthen the credibility of your sales presentations with the latest reports from major analyst firms. All reports and quotes posted on the Analyst Evidence Kit are positive to Microsoft Dynamics, and are ready for you to use in your sales processes with prospects. The Analyst Evidence Kit is updated at least four times per year. Download reports and quotes from the Microsoft Dynamics Analyst Evidence Kit.

Build an Ideal Workforce with Limited Recruiting Resources

Getting involved with the Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance is an easy way to strengthen your recruiting effort and future business prospects. The Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance connects Microsoft partners with hundreds of universities and colleges around the world, helping to build programs and curricula that prepare graduates for careers as business and IT consultants. Participation in the Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance puts your company in close contact with university graduates who are familiar with how Microsoft Dynamics solutions work and are used in businesses. Your company—not your competitors—will be top-of-mind when graduates are looking for a job as an IT consultant. Read the full article.