Partner Sales Skills Case

Title: Top Partners Applaud 'Speed This Up' Advanced Skill Training

Client:  Microsoft

Background:

At Microsoft's annual World Wide Partner Conference, there's a special track for top partners from all nations. Based on field reviews of our 2-day workshop, we were asked to create a program teaching tactics for a common worldwide problem - speeding up the 'slow movers' who get stuck in the pipeline.

 

Why Tactics Were Important:

Microsoft realized that, although important and plentiful, technical details were no longer a competitive advantage. Neither was knowing a sales process -- every partner competing for business was head-to-head with other vendor's partners who were using the identical process.

What partner salespeople needed to know were more ways -- more tactics to have available to help get slow movers self-motivated to advance the sale.

 

What We Taught, and To Whom

Based on partner and Microsoft research, the 'Can We Speed This Up?" workshop was customized to a half day session to fit the event's schedule.

It was tailored for the top level MBS partners from around the world, and included why and how sales lose momentum, and specific tactics and actions to consider in those situations. Each of these ways was accompanied by our 'Words that Work' for specific MBS situations.

Each learned and honed new ways to re-energize slow moving and dormant prospects.

Tactics and Results - How Was It Measured?

Extremely high satisfaction using Microsoft's quantitative grid. Qualitative comments supported numerical findings, and partners requested additional training workshops.

Addendum - What Happened Next?
Engaged to Teach Partner Workshops in Nine Cities

Within months, the feedback and results from this event brought another project -- a 9-city workshop tour for Microsoft in the fall of 2005

(All the following and many more are on file, on hardcopy)

"This will help bring in more business and differentiate you from your competitors"

P.L. Westboro, MA

 

"This will speed up your sales"

J.P. Holmdel, NJ

"Reality based!"

T. K. Madison/Milwaukee WI

 

"Not script oriented"

J. B. Beaverton, OR

 

"Real life examples"

J. P. Atlanta, GA

"Dynamic"

J. T. Bogotá, Colombia

  

"Useful info for any technology sale"

P. B. Delafield, WI

 

"Great value for my time!"

L. K, Charlotte, NC

 

"This training might just change your life!"

J.A. London England

 

"Go to this training."

B.M. San Diego, CA

 

"Good session. Different approach. Learned valuable info."

C.R. Fargo, ND

 

"Session had energy & value "

L.D. Fort Lauderdale, FL