Webinar on demand: scaling your marketing and selling through a global channel

Many businesses are considering adopting a partner selling model to support their direct sales efforts. To learn more about how best to do this – and the technology that enables you to quickly scale channel marketing and sales activities – Qorus CEO, Ray Meiring, recently caught up with Sarah Muckler-Visser, Global Director of Microsoft Partner Network Go-To-Market and Marc-André Fontaine, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Sherweb in our latest webinar.

The session was packed with pertinent points on creating best-in-class marketing and sales content and programs; scaling your partner channel to successfully sell alongside Microsoft; managing a global rollout; and considering the technology, processes, and people that Microsoft and Sherweb use to efficiently enable internal and partner sellers.

One of the most significant discussion points was that during COVID, Qorus use among Microsoft partner sellers and marketers went up 1,800%.

Here are some other highlights from the discussion, as well as more on this significant uptake:

COVID-19 has meant a rapid shift in partners’ sales and marketing strategies

Depending on the marketing maturity of partners, challenges differ but much of it has to do with getting the right content and being culturally relevant around the world. Sarah shared that the focus really comes down to leads and driving demand, which are key areas where Microsoft supports its partners. With the onset of COVID-19, there has been additional pressure on partners to develop digital marketing strategies and ways to find leads very quickly.

Reiterating what Sarah shared, Marc-André went on to explain that Sherweb and Microsoft have put together pre-built marketing campaigns (with Qorus and other vendors at the center of these tools) that they provide their partners with to help them overcome some of the earlier mentioned challenges and to close more deals, more easily.

Training is crucial for empowering partners to sell more

Marc-André mentioned that there is a lack of qualified human resources given the rapid pace of evolution in the cloud and with that, he pointed out that a service that shouldn’t be overlooked among partners is training. It’s not only important to empower partners and sellers with great ‘ammunition’ to close deals, but it’s essential to deliver services like training to partners to empower them and enable them to sell more.

Content, technology, and consultation are three ideal solutions to offer partners

Microsoft sets a great example when it comes to offering solutions to support its partners. Essentially, as Sarah explained, it boils down to providing content, technology, and consultation.

Microsoft has a Resource Hub online; a Go-To-Market desk where partners who are co-sell ready are able to get a person to talk them through how to co-market Microsoft; demand gen programs which involves providing content syndication; and a ‘new channels’ offering which supports partners with matters like geo-expansion. Partners can also sign up to get referrals and can sell via Microsoft Marketplace.

A key solution that Sherweb offers its partners, echoing what Marc-André mentioned earlier, is training enablement services, among other support services wrapped around what Microsoft offers.

Localizing languages is an important element of selling successfully through a global channel

Geo-expansion involves rolling out solutions across different countries, languages, and cultures. Corporate Microsoft works according to a hub-and-spoke model with 174 countries to support and six delivery centers around the world to help do co-marketing with partners.  

With that, Sarah talks through her approach of establishing the top addressable markets; looking at where the most partners are located and how to support those subsidiaries; and then looking at the top spoken and written languages in the world and assessing her content strategy to ensure partners are supported in the best way. Starting with a small rollout or with a pilot is a good approach, she explained.

Ray reiterates the importance of using localized language in content and training within a particular context to really make it personal and to drive processes. As Marc-André emphasized, there are even language variations within the same country, so there is great value in working with local partners and SMEs to ensure that content hits the mark.

Simplicity is key when setting up for selling through a global channel

Offering advice to those who are not yet selling through a channel but who are contemplating moving to this model, Marc-André shared that ‘easiness’ is most important when designing a program. In other words, it must be easy to understand and use.  

Constant communication with partners is also critical, he said. Additionally, Marc-André noted that setting up a program for ‘win-win-win’ situations is the recipe for success: it’s important to ensure that the vendor wins, the partner wins, and the customer wins. 

Sarah elaborated on these points, reiterating the need for ‘ease of use’ when it comes to the services and tools provided. It’s important to include tools that are designed for novice marketers and seasoned professionals as the channel will likely include both.

Having the right (easy-to-use) tools in place will drive adoption and success in assisting partners

Adding to the conversation, Ray mentioned that there is a plethora of tools out there that try work with content or access content, but it’s really simplicity and ease of use that’s going to drive the adoption up and truly make these tools successful in assisting partners.

Sarah pointed out that during COVID, Qorus use among Microsoft partner sellers and marketers went up 1,800%, giving a year-over-year growth of almost 700%. She believes that this indicates that sellers and marketers really need a tool like Qorus.

The pandemic and ‘new work norms’ have certainly accelerated the need to access content remotely, but what has no doubt supported the uptake of Qorus is its ease of use. Users can access content through Office applications, which empowers partners and, ultimately, helps accelerate channel sales.

For more on these points and other great insights, listen to the full discussion here.

Watch the webinar on demand