Feedback (good or bad) makes for better business
On the whole, another good day today for Microsoft’s ‘On the Road’ events. I would say that the Thames Valley audience was far more animated despite London’s question about downgrade rights (hot topic!) cropping up again. Good to see that the SBSC meeting prior to the main event was well attended and good to hear so many views!
I still feel that when Microsoft gets out in front of Partners that more opportunities should be created for a hearty Q&A session. It’s one thing to talk about the products and what’s around the corner*, but when there is a room full of Partners who have a stack of ideas and concerns that should have been aired and talked through then it is needed. The majority of the room all agreed that they needed answers about how to downgrade O2007 because of application compatibility problems and although I wouldn’t go back, these guys had their own valide reasons why they wanted to. Why isn’t this information, if already available, something that EVERYONE who sells and works with O2007 in some way, knows about it? This is an example that everyone should learn by; we all know how much Vlad values feedback.
For those who don’t know, if you purchase OEM Office 2007 with SA you receive downgrade rights and you can also get this benefit via volume licensing.
It’s one thing to put your contact details up on a slide deck to encourage people to contact you directly but we all know that once you go back to your inbox at work, you get flooded with the tasks that needed doing yesterday. What’s more, a 1:1 email means that the others who attended, unless the recipient is prepared to receive an email from everyone, won’t get a look in on the discussions!
Q&As can be so useful and probably the best thing for everyone involved to work out where to go from where they currently are. Where better to do it at an event where you have a captive audience with thoughts that only end up spilling out over a cup of coffee during the break session?
I would point out that the Microsoft team read the questionnaires from yesterday and acted on them accordingly which is great and I know putting these events are not easy. The improvements are great for the guys who attend the following sessions but what about those who took the time to comment on a session they have already attended? How will they benefit? I can’t recall being followed up directly when I took the time to complete them… but then again… 
Just remember that there aren’t many times to get your customers in a room for a few hours - make the most of it!
*also available by searching the Web if you have time!