Forrester Research recently published a report focused on the partner opportunity for Microsoft 365. Many of the items covered could apply to hybrid cloud, managed security and other partner solution areas.
One item that caught our eye was the recommendation to focus on partner specific intellectual property (IP). We believe this is an imperative for successful partner marketing and client retention. In addition, we believe adding vertical solutions to these offerings will have an even greater impact.
Partner Solution vendors who help their partners develop specific market solutions will set themselves apart. In turn, by offering industry-specific solutions, these partners will attract more clients and deliver a higher level of client satisfaction. End user clients will now see your partners as offering something different from the competition and value your partners’ higher-level understanding of their specific business.
Partners often have hidden IP and underutilized vertical expertise. Helping partners uncover these advantages and improve their offers and messaging benefits all including the partner, client and alliance vendors.
In respect to client facing content, we often do not need to reinvent the wheel. For example, initial messages can focus on professional services while partner websites and microsites deliver more specific content to target specialized areas such as legal and architectural firms. Messages conveying ambiguous ideas — such as ‘all verticals are served,’ or ‘we are the best at implementing a solution from a household name provider,’ will only encourage visitors to navigate away.
Erik Frantzen is President & Partner at Nurture Marketing, a full service B2B marketing agency specializing in Nurture services. With programs centered on channel enablement and co-branded scalable partner marketing, the firm helps marketers empower channel partners to cultivate long-term selling power and enduring revenue streams. By partnering with Nurture Marketing, marketers can harness proven best practices and execute transformational marketing strategies that deliver ongoing results.
