Tuesday, January 19, 2021
1ClickFactory’s approach has always been clear: Dynamics Partners should move their customers to the newest versions of Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management. However, this is not only because it is good for your customers, it is also good for you as Dynamics Partners. And this is especially true today with the enormous growth in the CEE market.
In this blog post, we’re going to dive deep into how Dynamics Partners in the CEE market can catch the momentum and get the most out of the possibilities the market has to offer. Based on the recent roundtable discussion organized by 1ClickFactory for Dynamics Partners from the CEE market, we have collected a list of ideas and put them into three major categories:
- Support from the local Microsoft team
- Tips & hints from successful Dynamics Partners in the CEE market
- Special funds available for Dynamics Partners
Utilize the Microsoft team by following their best practices
Microsoft has a very clear strategy that is aligned with the sales methodology, and according to them, should be followed. There are several things that we would like to emphasize for Dynamics Partners who are willing to join Microsoft on its recommended approach:
- You don’t need to invent anything new as the best practices are already prepared and coming from the Microsoft headquarters. They adjust everything to fit the local scenarios, so you can just follow what Microsoft proposes. If more detailed guidance is needed, Microsoft is there to help you, besides, you will be surprised how much ready-to-use content is available for you to utilize already.
- You have to be aware that there aren’t many big implementations, therefore, there is only one chance to prove your place in the market, as you won’t have many opportunities due to a lack of customers in the CEE. The whole selling approach must be polished and there is no room for error during big implementations or deployments– this is Microsoft‘s mission statement and it’s why they provide you with a best practice approach to follow.
- Microsoft is here and ready to invest in Dynamics Partners that follow Microsoft‘s path by providing additional incentives. Now is the best time to upgrade your customers to the cloud as the CEE market today is a very attractive market with a lot of opportunities – you just need to take advantage of the momentum as it won’t last forever. The fact that Microsoft is investing in the CEE region by building two data centers here proves a lot, as they wouldn’t do so if they weren’t expecting revenue to come from this market. Microsoft is looking at the CEE as an investment and it is slightly different today because this was not the case three years ago.
Secret tactics Dynamics Partners have shared about selling new implementations
We have highlighted 5 effective tips based on the new sales approach that will help you in selling new implementations right away:
1. Restructure the sales process
Investing more in building the competencies of salespeople will help to align the expectations of both customers and implementation teams already in the sales phase of the project. Account managers, who keep a close connection with the customer, are much more capable of uncovering the true needs and pain points of customers. And they can also make better assessments about the best relationship-building activities that should be applied to each customer. Creating a common strategy for developing together with your customers is a must, as they will be able to benefit from your technical competence, merged with your understanding of their business. This approach, coupled with your technical and implementation capabilities, will bring the highest value to your customers.
2. Become a trustful adviser
This is imperative regardless of how many years you have been in the CEE market or been with the same company. If we look at the CEE market, every Dynamics Partner is operating in the local competitive market, and as a golden rule, these are quite small markets. Where everyone knows everyone. When you are operating in the CEE market in the Dynamics business, it is important to have a trusted relationship with the existing Dynamics Partners who know that they can rely on you. It takes longer to close on the big projects, but it is worth it as it enables you to build a stable pipeline for the next few years.
3. Treat customers as part of the team
When starting a new project, it is important to ensure that the customer feels as though they are a part of the project team and feel completely involved in the project management from day one. The situation on the market today is very different than we used to see five years ago because there are more educated and involved customers, who want to take a more active part in the project. Therefore, the project begins once you start discussing the opportunities with the customer because if you have sold two big projects, but the third one failed - you won't be selling anymore in the future.
4. Involve all stakeholders from the Customer’s site
The customer’s involvement is mandatory as you will be working very closely with your customers by forming project teams that have to work together to deliver the project successfully. The customer has to provide an empowered and highly competent project manager and involved team. You place a large portion of the responsibility for project success on your customer. So, there is no way out for either company – it is important to trust each other and work well together. All stakeholders need to be on board from day one.
5. Add Value with a Teaching element
You should always think of what value you can add in terms of new information that you can impart, as this is always rewarding. You’re supposed to be very innovative and have the ability to talk about the overall IT strategy with the customer. The customer is not only upgrading from one version to another – the customer is building the overall IT infrastructure from a cost perspective and is thinking about how they will be able to implement the solution. Also, try to find the optimal way to communicate for your customer, especially if you come from different cultures. If the customer is new to you, and you need some help or advice, 1ClickFactory is always here to help and we’re happy to share our experience of creating the best partnerships and share the best Microsoft project and sales innovations that we have available in the market.
These tips are proven by the panelists from the latest discussion on the new sales techniques to help you in building a solid strategy. With this sales approach, you will be able to handle even the toughest and biggest implementations.
Special programs/funds to apply for to help with pre-sales
Microsoft is investing in the CEE market to digitally transform and implement new work standards, and there are special funds available for pre-sales activities. And just to name a few, we recommend the following programs:
- Catalyst Program: Digital transformation isn‘t easy but provides significant benefits for all companies to compete and remain relevant in the market. Microsoft has developed a Catalyst – an innovative approach to help businesses conceive and realize their most ambitious priorities. Microsoft has started changing the sales approach because they realized that a lot of the problems were arising from setting the wrong expectations or not investing enough into the pre-sales and the sales phase of the project as Dynamics Partners typically dive directly into the technical sales. Therefore, they don‘t put as much effort into industry specialities and company structures. Being Catalyst certified, 1ClickFactory can assess the business value and give you an understanding of the business relationship. If you need to move to the next phase of your digital journey, we’re here to help. Contact 1ClickFactory and we’ll make these changes together.
- The Bestpath Assessment. 1ClickFactory’s BestPath Assessment helps with the design stage as the first initial step of the pre-sale, helping to investigate where the customer is at today. This investigation is not only scanning the solution and tracking opportunities for new technology but it also helps to get the customer and Dynamics Partner on the same page where the Dynamics Partner can talk about the new technologies in the future while the customer can provide all the insights about existing features and functions that they would expect to carry forward because this is exactly how the business grows. The BestPath Assessment will help to evaluate the most beneficial path for your customer to move their existing solution to the newest version Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management.
The world is changing, the ERP market is changing, Dynamics is changing – and there is not much you can do about that, therefore - learn and enjoy the process. To thrive, you must plan your next move in anticipation of where the market will be next year. We are stepping up to the era of the cloud: this is where you need to be focusing today.
Click here to hear the full discussion with Microsoft and Dynamics Partners in the CEE market now!
If you have any questions/comments, please don‘t hesitate to contact us at service@1clickfactory.com