Maximise your profitability with vertical solutions

A few weeks back I posted a blog about building your own Intellectual Property and the potential impact it can have in terms of growing your profitability. Earlier this week Brent Combest, worldwide Director for Partner Profitability and Compete at Microsoft wrote about the benefits of developing vertical solutions to maximise your growth.

If you already have some cloud wins under your belt and you’re planning to develop the next stage in growing your business with cloud services, this is potentially a logical next step. Brent’s infographic highlights where potential dollars can be made and efficiencies can be gained with vertical solutions. How building up expertise in a specific vertical can then evolve into building a specific offering and IP.

This video highlights an example of building a repeatable vertical solution, in this instance for the fashion industry. It particularly highlights the relevant conversation the sales team can have with their prospect, shortening the sales cycle. You can imagine the scale that the Partner can then drive with this solution.

Another example is Microsoft Partner Forceworks who Brent mentions in his blog. Forceworks has a specific focus on law firms and shares their story of how they ended up focusing on this industry. It wasn’t planned, instead they had worked on a few opportunities with law firms and then decided to build up their expertise and knowledge on the vertical.

Are there specific verticals or industries you are working in where there’s a potential to build a repeatable solution?

Below are a couple of resources to help you with the next steps:

• Market focus analysis guide to help structure your thinking around a potential vertical solution.
• Market focus ROI analysis worksheet for initial high level calculations on potential ROI.

If you are already on this journey you may be interested in the sales and marketing workshops we are running to help you build your sales and marketing plans aligned to vertical and repeatable solutions.

• We have teamed up with Melanie McKinney from Carpe Diem to bring you a full-day “New Marketing” workshop, the output of which will be a high level action plan to rethink your marketing. Melanie and the Carpe Diem team have worked with a number of Microsoft Partners successfully enabling them to increase their lead generation by changing their approach with social and digital methods. The cost to attend is $75 per seat (incl. GST):
  • Tuesday 17^th March – Melbourne
  • Thursday 19^th March – Sydney
  • Monday 23^rd March – Brisbane

 

• We’ve partnered with Luke Debono from Incredible Results to bring you a full-day workshop in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. In this workshop you will learn about different sales methodologies and strategies to help you achieve your goals and how to execute those changes in your business.  The cost to attend is $75 per seat (incl. GST):
  • Monday 13^th April – Melbourne
  • Tuesday 21^st April – Brisbane
  • Friday 24^th April - Sydney

To sign up for the workshop’s you will need your Microsoft Partner Network login to access the details via the URLs above and sign up.  If you’re not yet an MPN member take a look at Jack Pilon’s blog post on MPN 101 which highlights the benefits and how to sign up.  If you are already an MPN member and having problems with your login you can reach the Regional Support Centre on 13 20 58 (option 2, 4, 1).  If you have any further questions please email partnerau@microsoft.com.