Marketing into Microsoft

Build your profile, drive meaningful engagement and improve your strategic positioning with Microsoft's sales teams.

Marketing team collaborating

More US Microsoft Partners are getting deliberate about how they engage with Microsoft itself, building real relationships with the sellers and specialists closest to their target accounts.

The logic is simple: if you're already top of mind with a Microsoft seller when a relevant opportunity shows up, you're far more likely to get the referral. And a warm introduction from Microsoft is worth more than almost any other lead source.

The problem is most partners still think a cold LinkedIn message or a single email will get them noticed. It won't. Microsoft's sellers get dozens of similar pitches a week and most of them get ignored.

You need a different approach entirely.

Built from several pilot engagements with US partners, our Marketing into Microsoft program is focused on helping you build a real, ongoing relationship with Microsoft's sales teams.

Program goals

Sharpen your proposition into Microsoft

You need a proposition that lands specifically with Microsoft sellers. If you don't have one yet, we'll help you build it.

Build trust and credibility that lasts

If Microsoft sellers don't know who you are, they won't refer you. We focus on building credibility that compounds over time, not a single campaign push.

Give you a distinct point of view

If you sound like every other partner, you won't get remembered. A sharp, differentiated angle is a core deliverable of this program.

Build repeatable, scalable activity

We create a playbook for how you engage with Microsoft, with templates you can reuse quarter after quarter.

The Resultful team really understands how partners need to show up with Microsoft. They're helping our partners build long-term, strategic relationships instead of one-off outreach.
Sian Herrington, CEO, Noteworthy Support
FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Why does marketing into Microsoft matter for a US partner?

Because Microsoft's sellers, partner development managers and solution specialists are one of the highest-value audiences a US partner has. If they don't know who you are or what you do, they simply won't bring you into deals.

Who at Microsoft are we actually trying to reach?

It depends on your solutions and segment, but typically Partner Development Managers, solution specialists and the Microsoft sellers who cover your target customer accounts.

How is this different from end-customer marketing?

Microsoft sellers are their own B2B audience with different incentives and a different vocabulary. Generic customer-facing campaigns rarely land with them. The messaging, channels and proof points all have to be built specifically for that audience.

Can this be funded through co-op or MDF?

Often, yes, particularly when it ties back to a Microsoft solution area or priority workload. We'll help you structure the activity so it fits the funding criteria.

How long before we start seeing referrals or co-sell activity?

It's a relationship play, so expect a couple of quarters before real momentum builds. Early signs include more inbound conversations with Microsoft sellers and your name coming up in the right internal meetings.

Do we still need this if we already have a strong PDM relationship?

Yes. A PDM relationship is a starting point, not full coverage. Marketing into Microsoft is how you scale that one relationship into the wider seller community beyond the handful of people you already know.