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Tag: Microsoft Partner Marketing

Deriving Value from a Microsoft AppSource Listing

The Value of a Microsoft AppSource Listing

Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes 

Intended Audience: Microsoft Partners

Revised August 2023

Finding the right apps or services to support business priorities can be difficult, but Microsoft aims to solve this with Microsoft AppSource. Microsoft AppSource is an online marketplace where decision-makers can effortlessly make the right decisions for their business by seamlessly browsing and testing out thousands of different apps and consulting services that enable innovation and drive business outcomes.

 

Microsoft AppSource delivers applications and consulting services built by industry-leading software providers. The catalog is comprised of SaaS applications, solutions built for Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365, Power BI, Power Apps, consulting services offered by Microsoft Partners, and more. Users can easily filter the AppSource experience by Apps for a wide range of industries, Industry Clouds for use-case based services, Consulting Services for Microsoft solutions, and profiles of trusted Microsoft Partners that can help organizations digitally transform.

microsoft appsource homepage
Microsoft AppSource Homepage

Why You Should List Your Offerings on Microsoft AppSource

Microsoft AppSource is the premier destination for Microsoft Partners, like you, to market and distribute apps and services. Backed by Microsoft, a brand that billions of customers already know and trust, you can showcase your apps that thrive across industries, departments, and the Microsoft suite of products.

 

By publishing your app or consulting service on Microsoft AppSource you can:

 

  • Drive more leads: Increase your reach, discoverability, and app usage with Microsoft’s selling resources that help your apps and services stand out. You can reach customers in untapped market segments and distribute across industries, as customers are able to look for your offerings on AppSource itself, but also through in-product AppSource galleries on Microsoft products they already use.
  • Connect directly with decision-makers: AppSource helps you reach potential customers more quickly and allows you to connect directly with critical decision-makers by providing a single destination for business users to discover and try applications built for Dynamics 365, Power BI, Power Apps, and more.
  • Extend your sales team: By listing your apps or services on AppSource, you gain another sales channel that empowers users to find offerings that are meaningful to them without having to go through your sales team. With AppSource, you can significantly reduce the length of your sales cycle and customer journey.
  • Optimize your offerings: Microsoft will provide you with consistent actionable insights on how your offering is performing, what works well, and how to improve, which will help you ensure that your app or service is optimized to its full potential.

 

Build your business faster by promoting your offerings on AppSource, which reassures customers that you have expertise in what they need.

appsource listing examples
Microsoft AppSource Listings

How to Create Effective Listings for Microsoft AppSource

As mentioned, there are a few different ways to engage with and show up on AppSource, including building business apps or promoting your consulting service offerings.

Developing Apps for Microsoft AppSource

You can develop and promote business apps for specific industries, processes, or departments and assure users that your app is the right fit by letting them try it out prior to purchasing (e.g. free trial). There are a number of app review guidelines you are required to follow, some of which include:
  • Microsoft EntraID (Azure Active Directory): Your app must allow AAD federated single sign-on with consent enabled.
  • SaaS app for business: Your app must be a line-of-business SaaS app, business-process focused, targeted to business customers, and enable users to sign in with work credentials.
  • Free trial period: You must offer customers the ability to use your app for free for a limited time.
  • Turnkey solution: Your app must be easily configurable and quick to setup with no customization required.
  • Support: Your app must contain a support link for customers to find help if needed.
  • Availability: Your app must maintain at least 99.9% uptime.
It is also recommended, but not required, that your app integrate with other Microsoft Cloud services such as Microsoft Power BI or Microsoft Azure services like machine learning or cognitive services. Once you submit your app for review, the AppSource team will verify that you meet the criteria, onboard your app for staging and testing, publish your app, and then reach out to you about go-to-market programs to grow your presence on AppSource.
appsource consulting screenshot
Consulting Services on Microsoft AppSource

Promoting Consulting Services on Microsoft AppSource

You can capitalize on your industry by offering consulting services on Microsoft AppSource in which you choose the scope, duration, and pricing structure (fixed-price or free) of your service. While Microsoft can list your offering on AppSource, you are responsible for managing all interactions with customers, including billing and invoicing. If the primary product of your consulting service is Azure, it gets listed on the Azure marketplace, but if the primary product is anything other than Azure, such as Dynamics 365 or Power Apps, your offer will be listed on AppSource. Microsoft AppSource supports 5 types of consulting services, which are:
  • Briefing: This introduces a solution or consulting service using frameworks, demos, and customer examples.
  • Assessment: This consists of an evaluation of a customer’s environment and business processes to determine the applicability of a solution and estimate cost and timeline of implementation.
  • Workshop: This is an interactive hands-on engagement that can involve trainings, briefings, assessments, or demos built on the customer’s environment.
  • Proof of concept: This is a limited-scope implementation to determine whether your solution meets the customer’s requirements.
  • Implementation: This is a complete implementation resulting in a fully working solution.
To be eligible for publishing a consulting service offer, you must have a Solutions Partner designation in one of the solutions areas besides Azure, but the required designation depends on what your primary product is. You must also explicitly list the service duration in the offer listing.

Effectively Utilize Microsoft AppSource

Once you publish your offer on Microsoft AppSource, not only will you drive more leads and engage directly with decision-makers, but you can also work towards the next step, becoming co-sell ready to work with Microsoft sales teams and Microsoft Partners. By co-selling, you can reach a widespread audience of customers and collaborate on sales opportunities with other teams to accelerate your business growth.

 

We know all of this may seem daunting, but the experienced Mavens can help you craft your Microsoft AppSource listings and get you ready for co-selling incentives with ease to reach new customers and grow your revenue. Get in touch with us today!

Identify Your Unique Selling Proposition as a Microsoft Partner

Identify Your Unique Selling Proposition as a Microsoft Partner

Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes 

Intended Audience: Microsoft Partners

In today’s digital age, technology solutions providers and B2B IT services companies are in high demand. With the rapidly evolving technological landscape, these companies face stiff competition to stand out in the market. One way to differentiate your business from competitors is by identifying your unique selling proposition (USP).

What is a Unique Selling Proposition?

A USP is the factor that sets your Microsoft Partner business apart from others. It’s the reason why a potential customer would choose to work with or buy from your company over other Microsoft Partners. To discover your USP, it’s important to understand your company’s strengths, weaknesses, and competitive advantages.

Why Do You Need a Unique Selling Proposition?

For Microsoft Partner organizations, identifying a unique selling proposition (USP) is particularly important due to the highly competitive nature of the technology industry. Especially with 500,000 Microsoft Partners, and growing, in the market. New start-ups to established competitors are emerging consistently. Microsoft Partner organizations must differentiate themselves to stand out and remain relevant in the market.

A strong USP can help you communicate your value proposition to potential customers, establish your company as a leader in the field, and ultimately drive revenue growth. By understanding your unique strengths and positioning your brand as the best option for specific customer needs, Microsoft Partners succeed in an industry where innovation and disruption are constant.

How to Determine Your Unique Selling Proposition

1. Conduct Market Research

The first step in identifying your USP is conducting market research. This involves analyzing your industry, your competitors, and your target market. Some questions to ask during this research are:


– What are the current industry trends and developments?
– Who are your main competitors, and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
– What is your target market looking for in a technology solutions provider or IT services company?
– What do your potential customers value the most when selecting a vendor?

 

This information will help you understand what sets you apart from the competition and how to position your company to appeal to your target audience.

2. Speak to Internal Stakeholders

The next step is to speak to your internal stakeholders, such as your employees, managers, and executives. They can provide valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of your company, as well as what they believe sets you apart from competitors. Some questions to ask during these discussions are:

 

– What are our company’s core competencies?
– What do our customers appreciate the most about our products or services?
– What do our employees believe sets us apart from competitors?
– How can we leverage our strengths to create a unique value proposition for our customers?

 

By understanding how your internal stakeholders perceive your company, you can identify your core strengths and how to leverage them to create a unique selling proposition.

internal stakeholders collaborate to determine unique value proposition
Stakeholders Discussing Unique Value Proposition

3. Speak to External Stakeholders

The third step is to speak to your external stakeholders, such as your customers, partners, and suppliers. These discussions can help you understand how your company is perceived by those outside of your organization. Some questions to ask during these conversations are:

 

– What sets us apart from our competitors?
– What do you value the most about our products or services?
– How do you think we could improve our offerings?
– Where do you think our uniqueness lies – service delivery, time consumption, budget, customer service, other?

 

By gathering feedback from external stakeholders, you can gain insights into what your customers value the most about your products or services and how you can differentiate your company from others in the market.

4. Analyze the Data

The final step is to analyze the answers/data you have gathered from your market research and discussions with internal and external stakeholders. Look for common themes and patterns that emerge. These will help you identify your core strengths and how to position your company in the market. Some questions to ask during this analysis are:

 

– What are the common themes that emerge from our research and discussions?
– What do our customers value the most about our products or services?
– What strengths do we have that our competitors do not?
– How can we leverage our strengths to create a unique value proposition for our customers?

 

By answering these questions, you can create a clear and captivating USP that differentiates your company from competitors in the market.

 

In conclusion, identifying your USP is crucial for differentiating your Microsoft Partner organization from competitors in the market. By conducting market research and speaking to internal and external stakeholders, you can identify your core strengths and how to leverage them to create a unique value proposition for your customers. By analyzing the data, you have gathered, you create a clear and gripping USP that sets you apart from others in the industry.

Differentiate Yourself with the Mavens

The Mavens provide an objective perspective on your company and its offerings and can help you understand how you are perceived by your target audience. Having worked Microsoft Partners over the last decade, we have the expertise to research and provide valuable insights into your competition and the broader industry landscape.

 

If you’re struggling to identify your USP, consider working with the marketing partner for Microsoft Partners, Maven Collective, to help guide you through the process. Our skilled team will differentiate your business from competitors and create a compelling value proposition that resonates with your target audience. Contact us today to learn more about how our team can help you develop a unique selling proposition that drives growth and success for your business.