Building Community...

Too often, Microsoft puts the cart before the horse. We ask partners to make investments up front; invest time in readiness, training, competencies, or whatever.

Microsoft's partners who sell into State, Local, and Fed Gov't, plus Academic institutions owe me nothing. That's NOTHING as in I've never done anything for them. Yet, my new job (today is first day) is to convince them it's in their interest to work closely with me (and all of the others on my extended team).

Objective:
Help partners become "remarkable" in their marketing and affect the sale of Microsoft licenses

Strategy: Build community and trust.

This is the hard part of world-class marketing in a web 2.0 world, the immeasurable part, the part lacking hard metrics, but it is the most critical part. It's also the part that many old-school marketers fundamentally don't understand. And the value proposition that will engage partners in a conversation?

Join a community that will make you a truly Remarkable organization.

Next step: Invest in the relationship by starting an open, honest, and authentic conversation. Remember, People are the message.