Microsoft talks up cloud sales training
Software giant rolls out sales training courses to help partners bag cloud deals
Software giant Microsoft has launched a six-month training programme to help partners get to grips with selling cloud-based products.
The Microsoft Co-Selling Sales Academy was launched in January with 18 participating partners, following the success of two pilot projects in Scotland and the south east of England.
The course content is based on training provider Sandler's sales methodology, with partners attending two-day workshops twice a month.
The initiative, which is being led by Microsoft UK, is aimed at the vendor's managed systems integrator and cloud partners.
Speaking to ChannelWeb, Janet Gibbons, director of partner strategy and programmes at Microsoft, said the academy was launched to give partners a helping hand in bagging cloud deals.
"We have offered massive amounts of channel readiness training in the past, especially on the technical side and around our product portfolio," said Gibbons.
"Now we're focusing on sales skills because, with the shift to the cloud, we realised that we needed to help the channel with [pitching cloud] towards business decision makers, rather than just the IT ones."
VARs that have taken part in the training have seen their deal sizes and business pipeline grow, claimed Gibbons, as they are taught to push the economic benefits of cloud.
"If you're selling online services, it is likely that you won't be pitching it to the IT department, but to members of the board, and that often requires a different approach and set of skills," she explained.
London-based Microsoft partner Program Framework has taken part in the programme, claiming it has helped to shorten its cloud sales cycles.
Speaking to ChannelWeb, Lawrie Siteman, one of the firm's directors, said: "There is a psychological aspect to the training. You get taught how to change the way you ask questions, depending on the person you speak to and how they have responded to you so far, which has been useful."
He also pinpointed the "close the file" sales technique, whereby partners get back in touch with prospective, unresponsive customers to ascertain their interest, as another important sales tool.
"We send the contact a polite email, initially stating that we are going to 'close the file' because they have not got back to us," he explained.
"They might respond by confirming that they do not want to proceed, that they cannot proceed at the moment for whatever reason – or ignore the email. But it is a good way of sorting through and prioritising customers, and shortening the sales pipeline."
Ian Moyse, UK sales director at cloud-based CRM software vendor Workbooks.com, backed Microsoft's view that resellers need to tweak their sales pattern to win cloud business.
"With cloud, many organisations are finding that adoption is happening within the business, sometimes without IT's involvement at all. This is disruptive for resellers as they may find their loyal contact is circumvented by competitors offering a cloud solution," said Moyse.
"Training is needed around the technology, terms, business and emotional implications of cloud."