Comments on: Why the SBSC Programme needs to step it up a gear

By: Finally!: What is a UK Microsoft Small Business Specialist? | UK SMB Girl

Finally!: What is a UK Microsoft Small Business Specialist? | UK SMB Girl — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:04:48 +0000

[…] few bloggers (including Andy and myself) posted their thoughts about the level of awareness concerning what a Microsoft Small Business […]

By: Partner Questions from the Small Business Forum | UK SMB Girl

Partner Questions from the Small Business Forum | UK SMB Girl — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:19:39 +0000

[…] SBSC Programme in the next few months. There are so many Partners asking this question (including me!) that it’s something that needs to be addressed […]

By: Vlad Mazek - Vladville Blog » Blog Archive » Office Space Moment of Smallbiz IT Consulting

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 15:10:43 +0000

[…] I must admit that I am more of a fan of conversations that happen out there than I am of the “original” posts, so for a few people I subscribe to the blog comment feeds in addition to the article lists. Helps me see what others think in response. This comment in particular really made me think of Office Space, it’s of an IT consultant looking for Microsoft to paint a better “value proposition” picture for his clients: […]

By: Susanne Dansey

Susanne Dansey — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:10:50 +0000

Thanks Alex and good to see that this post has provoked thought within the Community and MS. I was in Microsoft yesterday talking about this issue and trying to find those key stakeholders who can help try and change this. I don’t think it will happen overnight but I do believe that our feedback is starting to stick.

By: Vijay Singh Riyait

Vijay Singh Riyait — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:03:39 +0000

I just wanted to echo Susanne’s view of getting your feedback out, don’t be shy! Microsoft want to know what Partners are thinking (the good and bad). It’s only by knowing what is not good can these things be changed. That’s not to say it will happen overnight or be easy to achieve, but if enough people are willing to step forward then it makes it easier for the PALs to say that we need change.

By: Alex Stanier

Alex Stanier — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:45:41 +0000

Succinctly stated in your unique way. On the nail in every department. Like you have been reading my mind.

I hope this stirs a few “marketing” people at Microsoft to realise they continue to miss the mark.
Alex

By: Susanne Dansey

Susanne Dansey — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 23:23:45 +0000

For those wondering whether to post a comment or not, here are some other thoughts from Partners who contacted me directly:

“Just wanted to say… What a great blog post!

I totally agree with your sentiment and when I read stuff like that I really inspires me.

As we were all discussing at Microsoft (reading) the other day, now more than ever do we need to drive the SBS / SBSC brand and image forward.”

also:

“Just read Vijay’s post and that lead me to yours. Good stuff.

I joined the Certified Partner program hoping that it would increase my contact and depth of contact with Microsoft. Looking back over the last 9 months I have to honestly say that it hasn’t. I’m not trying to blame anyone here and I suspect that I am as much at fault as my PAM (or my second PAM this year :-)).

The way I am reading it is that unless you are pushing a lot of business you go down their contact list. If you had the choice of dealing with someone who was doing £10K/mth business with MS and little old me who doesn’t do any some months I know who I’d spend my time with. That’s human nature!

I guess the thing I struggle with is knowing *how* to engage with MS when MS are just one of my product stack. I reckon that when we put a proposal together we get stuff from about 8-10 different sources, one of them being Microsoft. Microsoft are basically box-shifters, they want volume and I can’t (and probably never will) give them great volumes. All their campaigns, go-to-markets etc all seem to be about shifting product whereas what we need is something that helps with blending all those disparate strands together to make a compelling message for our clients.”

By: » SBSC PALs Quarterly Conference Call

» SBSC PALs Quarterly Conference Call — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:54:25 +0000

[…] I thought I’d post up some initial points from the first SBSC PALs conference call today. Firstly, I emailed Susanne’s blog post to Andrea Russell (Microsoft Worldwide SBSC Programme Manager) and the other PALs before the meeting. Andrea mentioned this in the call today and welcomed that people were getting these things to her and encouraged people to do this. I saw Andy had posted after reading Susanne’s thoughts. […]

By: Small Business Specialist? « Andys Techie Blog

Small Business Specialist? « Andys Techie Blog — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:04:31 +0000

[…] Small Business Specialist? October 24, 2007 at 4:04 pm | In SBS Community | I’m such a geek. As i use the mobile version of google reader i’m constantly checking my feeds. I picked up Susanne’s post (Why the SBSC Programme needs to step it up a gear) pretty much as soon as she posted it. I’ve re-read it about five or six times since then as i try to take it all in as it’s a great post with lots to think about […]

By: Susanne Dansey

Susanne Dansey — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:05:59 +0000

Thank you Oliver - I appreciate the comments and I’m pleased that it resonates in other countries other than the UK.

I hope that you and the PALs are able to help use this to help change things for the better!

Susanne

By: Oliver Kiel

Oliver Kiel — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:49:31 +0000

Hi Susanne,
thanks for this great post, which is the most detailed, most direct and carefully worded summarisation of my thoughts around this theme. I found your post because of a mail from Vijay and I’m really glad to have read it before our conference call this evening with the other PALs. Sorry, forgot to introduce myself: I’m one of the two German PALs.
We encounter equal problems here in Germany, as you do in the UK and I think, It’s time to try to make a change.
Thanks again for this roundup!
All the best, Oliver