Winning more deals by using strong communication templates

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Well, there are not many industries where (sales) people make promises so easily. And at the same time, the follow-up often is so poor. That’s bad news, right? However, you can also see this low expectation level as a huge opportunity! Why? Because it’s relatively easy to stand out of the crowd. Just by saying what you do and do what you say. It can be as simple as that! But of course, a right mindset is not enough. You will also need practical tools, like communication templates.

In this edition of QBS Talks you’ll learn why strong communication and an accurate follow-up has a huge positive impact on the decision-making process of your prospects. After this session, you’ll walk away with a good understanding of the psychology behind the buying process. And why being reliable and accurate improves your win chances dramatically. We also introduce a valuable set of sales documents that help you guide your prospect through his or her complete buying cycle.

If you’re active in sales or marketing, this is a session you definitely don’t want to miss!

Important factors to consider when implementing a CRM solution

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The key to a successful implementation

Implementing a CRM solution can be challenge. You can put many effort in it, and at the end it’s a challenge to meet the customer’s expectations. Every partner and customer wants to make the most out of their Sales or Marketing. But how to make it a success?

In this edition of QBS Talks Arjen Jansen from MindsUnited will give you important factors you need to consider when you are implementing a CRM solution. After watching this session you’ll walk away with a great understanding of how to make the implementation of a CRM solution a success.

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) – a Microsoft perspective

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The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the most important change in data privacy regulation in 20 years – make sure you’re prepared.

On May 25, 2018 the new regulations around how we treat personal data in all EU countries* will come into effect. The key changes of the new regulations is much about introducing consequences to previously established rules from former directive, so if you’re not living up to these – this is the time to get your house in order. You may not think that these new regulations will have any effect on your business – simply because you don’t process personal information.

Well – you would be surprised what is considered “processing personal information”. Very few companies do not in some shape or form. E.g. if you support your custo- mers via remote help – that’s a case of a situation that require rules and processes to be described for cases of breaches.

On this session, the National Technology Officer of Microsoft Denmark, Ole Kjeldsen, gave an introduction into how Microsoft views the GDPR – what their advice to the industry is and also touch upon some of the things happening on the R&D front of Microsoft to comply with GDPR.

*The GDPR not only applies to organizations located within the EU but it will also apply to orga-nizations located outside of the EU if they offer goods or services to, or monitor the behavior of, EU data subjects. It applies to all companies processing and holding the personal data of data subjects residing in the European Union, regardless of the company’s location. That means that Brexit won’t exclude UK companies if they do business abroad.

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) – a Microsoft perspective

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The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the most important change in data privacy regulation in 20 years – make sure you’re prepared.

On May 25, 2018 the new regulations around how we treat personal data in all EU countries* will come into effect. The key changes of the new regulations is much about introducing consequences to previously established rules from former directive, so if you’re not living up to these – this is the time to get your house in order. You may not think that these new regulations will have any effect on your business – simply because you don’t process personal information. Well – you would be surprised what is considered “processing personal information”. Very few companies do not in some shape or form. E.g. if you support your customers via remote help – that’s a case of a situation that require rules and processes to be described for cases of breaches.

On this session, the National Technology Officer of Microsoft Denmark, Ole Kjeldsen, gave an introduction into how Microsoft views the GDPR – what their advice to the industry is and also touch upon some of the things happening on the R&D front of Microsoft to comply with GDPR.

*The GDPR not only applies to organizations located within the EU but it will also apply to organizations located outside of the EU if they offer goods or services to, or monitor the behavior of, EU data subjects. It applies to all companies processing and holding the personal data of data subjects residing in the European Union, regardless of the company’s location. That means that Brexit won’t exclude UK companies if they do business abroad.

Strategic alliance with 1ClickFactory

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1ClickFactory and QBS group are delighted to announce a strategic relationship between the two companies. The synergies in such a relationship are apparent: both organisations are partner centric and dedicated to the Microsoft Dynamics products with very different yet complementary services.

Since 2009 1ClickFactory provided partners worldwide with extended development capabilities around Dynamics and packaged services aimed at specific tasks, such as Upgrade Services, code transformation, provisioning on Microsoft Azure, Certification for Microsoft Dynamics and much more.  Today 1ClickFactory does business every year with more than 300 Dynamics partners.

Since its creation 4 years ago, the QBS group network of partners in the Dynamics channel has grown to encompass 400+ partners. The services that QBS group provide partners range from strategic partner advice and management, staff readiness, sales and marketing support through to being the distributor of Microsoft licenses and enhancement plans and a CSP platform for partners.

Søren Fink-Jensen, CEO, 1ClickFactory:
“This will be a great partnership, where both 1ClickFactory and QBS partners, will benefit increasingly from an end-to-end experience, provided by 1ClickFactory and QBS”.

Michael Hartmann – CEO, QBS group:
“We want to be the best provider of services to Dynamics partners, and this alliance is a big step on the way”

Inspire 2017 Business Report available

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From 9 to 13 July the Microsoft partner conference Inspire was held in Washington DC. Inspire (aka WPC) is the most important annual Microsoft partner event. QBS group was there with a team of 8 people to hear from firsthand about Microsoft’s plans for FY 18 and beyond. And with that same team we have once again written our unique and well known Inspire/WPC business report.

Microsoft and her Dynamics partners live in exciting times! The switch from the traditional long-lasting, heavily services oriented on-premise projects to a more product oriented, vertical-specific approach based on subscription pricing is a big challenge!

At QBS Group, we understand that informing Dynamics partners well is crucial in that journey for making the right strategic decisions. That’s why we strive every single day to make “QBS Partners the best-informed Microsoft partners.”

We have been writing business reports on the Microsoft WPC/Inspire events since 2004. This year’s report will be our thirteenth annual publication. So we know what we’re doing.

What you can expect
This unique report features broad, insightful and independent business reporting on the happenings at Inspire 2017, especially for Microsoft Dynamics partners. The report, which consists of 54 pages of need-to-know information, is bought by leading Dynamics partners from all over the world.

The report contains no less than 16 pages about everything you need to know about Dynamics 365. It also features exclusive interviews with Marko Perisic(General manager for Microsoft Dynamics SMB) and Jeff Edwards (Director ERP Channel Strategy and Programs).

Index of the report 

What do Dynamics partners say about these reports?

This is what some of your colleague partners said about this report:

  • “We are a loyal purchaser of these WPC/Inspire reports. Where in the world can you find a solid, structured and well-informed second opinion for so little money? We always discuss the report in our board meeting. QBS helps us to stay alert!”
  • “This is a great report service! It contains lots of background information that helps us better understand how to translate Microsoft’s strategies to our daily business.”
  • “I’ve only recently started in the Dynamics channel. Thanks to this report I was up to date in no time of the various Microsoft strategies, her product policies and the trends in the Dynamics partner channel”

The average satisfaction score for this report over the last 5 years was 8,6 on a 1 to 10 scale.

First taste?
To get a good idea of what you can expect from our Inspire 2017 Business Report, you can now download the 2016 edition of our WPC Business report for free. 

Order your copy now!

Partners of QBS group receive this Inspire 2017 report at no additional cost, as it is part of their QBS membership. For non QBS Microsoft partners, the report is available for only € 400,- exclusive of VAT per partner company.

Do you want to know all about Microsoft’s plans for FY 18 and the opportunities these create for your business? Then order your copy today!

As a Microsoft Dynamics professional, can you afford to miss on this important information?

Inspire 2017 – daily business updates

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From 9-12 July in Washington D.C. QBS group attended the Inspire 2017 edition.

Are you ready to be Inspired? Watch here the daily business updates back from Guus Krabbenborg during Inspire 2017.

Day 1

Day 2 

Day 3

Exclusive interview with Joe Longo – SBS Group

Day 4

Day 5

QBS group receives prestigious Microsoft 2017/2018 Inner Circle Award

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For the fourth year in a row QBS group is awarded Inner Circle for Microsoft Dynamics

For the fourth consecutive year, Microsoft has awarded QBS group with the prestigious membership of the Inner Circle for Microsoft Dynamics. The 2017/2018 Microsoft Dynamics Inner Circle honours an elite group of <60 of the most strategic Microsoft partners across the globe, showing high commitment to customers reflected in their business performance and high level of sales achievement.

Membership in this elite group is based on sales achievements that rank QBS group in the top echelon of the Microsoft global network of partners. Inner Circle members have performed to a high standard of excellence by delivering valuable solutions that help organizations achieve increased success.

This recognition of Inner Circle for Microsoft Dynamics came during Microsoft Inspire (formerly Microsoft WPC), the annual premier partner event, which took place July 9-13, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

Maria Garaña, Vicepresident EMEA, Microsoft Business Solutions: “QBS group continues to be a strategic partner for Microsoft across Europe. Not only do they serve more than 400 partners with sales, marketing and technical services, they will also one of our key partners to launch  Dynamics 365 Business Edition. QBS will further grow their impact in Microsoft’s partner ecosystem by enabling partners new to Dynamics to build solutions and serve SMB customers across Europe.”

Frank Holland, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Business Solutions Sales & Partners: “Each year we recognize and honor Microsoft Dynamics partners from around the world for exemplary business performance. These award-winning partners represent the top 1% of Microsoft Dynamics partners in terms of sales performance, but their critical impact on the success of our shared customers is what truly stands out. Microsoft is honored to recognize QBS group for their achievements this past year and for their dedication and support of Microsoft Dynamics solutions.”

Michael Hartmann, CEO QBS group says: “I am extremely proud that we have succeeded in receiving this prestigious award for the fourth year in a row. This award means a lot to us and is the result of great achievements by both our partners and our team. It is also a constant reminder to provide services that will help our partners take full advantage of the opportunities that come with Dynamics 365.  Our community counts now more than 400 partners and we will continue to invest heavily to make QBS the most attractive service provider for partners.”

Microsoft Dynamics 365 – an SMB perspective

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Live from Inspire Washington the latest insights into the upcoming Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Editions!

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is taking CRM to the SMB. There will be some big changes in the SMB world of CRM with the launch of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Edition for Sales and Marketing apps later this year. Microsoft is finally offering a truly SMB ready CRM solution.                                

We’ll discuss the latest updates and insights. You’ll learn the latest highlights about the Business Edition apps. Do you wait for it or start selling now? And what’s in it for you as a partner? Don’t miss it!

Part 4 Microsoft Dynamics Development Preview

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Microsoft released during last Christmas an Azure Virtual Machine where you can play around with the new Development Environment.

It is the fourth blog about the development environment. As this one does not rely on previous created code, you can start with this one. When the new NAV development tools are completely new, then please start with the first blog.

This blog will describe how you can upgrade your existing objects to be used in the new development environment. To upgrade your code, the June update is required. Additional information about this update can be found on the NAV Team Blog.

There are multiple ways how you can work with the new development environment:

1. Via Azure

If you have already installed a previous preview version, please remove complete Azure resource group, and create a new VM.

The deployment will start and it will take some time to finish. In the end, you will see the VM with additional stuff.

2. Local

Eric Wauters aka Waldo created a blog post how you can install the new development on your local machine.

So it is up to you how you continue.

In the NAV team blog post of June there is some information on how you can upgrade your code.

To get things going I need some files from a current development system. I choose to use a small piece of our internal system and opted for our Quattro subscription system as it has almost no impact on standard NAV.

The following objects need to be upgraded

As this is only a part of our internal system, I copied these files to standard NAV database and compile them, of course there is some interaction with standard NAV.

On MSDN you can find an item on how to upgrade your code via the TXT2ALtool.

The first step is to export the NAV objects in a clean format. The only way this can be done is via the command line, the command I used:

finsql.exe
Command=ExportToNewSyntax,
File=c:\temp\exportedObjects.txt,
Database=”Demo Database NAV (10-0)”, ServerName=<servername>\NAVDEMO,
Filter=Version List=*IPS*

That gave me the objects in a well-known but clean format.

Even the extension (version 1) codeunit is converted 🙂

Next step is to create .DELTA files, as these are all new objects, no files should be located in the ORIGINAL directory. The above created file should be copied to the MODIFIED directory.

When the PowerShell command Compare-NAVApplicationObject is executed the DELTA files are created.

Now it is time to transform the objects to AL objects. Copy the created obect to the directory c:\project\al_original.
This conversion can be done with the TXT2AL tool, execute the following command via the command line.
TXT2AL –source=c:\project\al_original –target=c:\project\al_ready –extensionstartid=71000000.

The files in the al_ready directory should look like this. Ready to be used in the new development environment.

And what about the standard NAV objects that didn’t compile? Well, maybe it is time for redesign? If you don’t do it now, you will never do it.

Generate more leads via prospect education

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Traditionally, the IT industry tries to seduce potential customers via functions and features.

At the end of the day however, the solution of choice consists of only 30 to 40 percent of the ultimate project success. On top of that, most of today’s ERP and CRM solutions can deliver almost all the functionality companies are looking for. So rather than focusing on the solution, it is much more effective to focus on the other success factors. Like the preparedness of the customer organization to change, the internal communication and the exemplary behavior of the management.

Have you ever thought about educating your prospects? Helping them to understand the way to project success? And are you willing to deliver that education yourself?

In this edition of QBS Talks you’ll learn how to start the process of prospect education. We will show you concrete examples of education content and formats.

“By 2020 we will have expanded our partner channel capable of selling and delivering rich Microsoft Intelligent Business Applications.”

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Exclusive interview with Tony de Freitas *

Tony – in your opinion, what is the status of the transformation process in the Dynamics partner channel today?

“Well, the answer really dependents on the view of the channel type that you look through. Today, the CRM view differs from the ERP view or even the ISV views based on the level of maturity of the partners and the respective solutions. I do see a difference in partner maturity in developing and delivering Dynamics 365 solutions in the market. One thing is for sure; there is an acceleration in our ecosystem to cloud solutions. Generally spoken, most partners are on their way to shift their traditional business models to the SaaS world. And that includes the switch from one-time services to providing ongoing recurring value through managed services, the improvement of their marketing, digital presence, developing vertical capabilities and adjusting their sales compensation plans. Speaking for the Dynamics for Customer Engagement (aka Dynamics CRM): 80 percent of all of our Value Added Resellers and Services Partners already transact and deliver services in the cloud today. The opportunity for our partners is to build on that transformation to further expand, differentiate and grow their revenue yield through Dynamics 365. That means more cloud deals. Richer deals with more IP. And more of the overall Microsoft Cloud platforms.”

Do you see any differences in the transformation between VAR’s and ISV’s?

“The Value Added Resellers for Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement have made a tremendous leap-frog recently. Three years ago, a small number of them transacted in the cloud. Today that’s already 80 percent! And a great majority of them are vertically focused. We believe that the ISV partners become even more important to us in scaling our success in growing, evolving and transforming with an extensible Business Applications platform. And we see AppSource as the flywheel for the ISV and IP partners. Fundamentally it is the destination for business users to find business SaaS applications.”

What are your expectations on how CRM partners will handle the competencies challenges that come with Dynamics 365?

“The solutions that CRM partners come up with for this challenge will heavily depend on the richness of our Customer Engagement product roadmap. Overall, we all expect that over time partners embrace the broader set of Business Applications and services such as Analytics in delivering richer solutions to customers. Having said that, in the near term, I personally don’t expect that many of our traditional CRM partners will start to build out ERP practices. But evolution is starting to occur where they tend to partner to deliver on all of the Dynamic 365 applications. Our product roadmap will further accelerate the expansion of partners beyond just Customer Engagement business applications. The other way around is probably more logical and we see that taking place in the market. Most of the today’s Merger & Acquisition activities in the Dynamics channel worldwide is Dynamics AX partners buying Dynamics CRM partner companies. Anyway – I expect more partners to favor partner-to-partner cooperation over acquisitions.

Finally, I expect an overlap of our formal CRM partners that will deliver both the Dynamics 365 Enterprise edition and the Dynamics 365 Business Edition.”

Where do you predict Dynamics 365 will be in the year 2020?

“The pace of our innovation, the richness of Dynamics 365 business applications, the strength of the Microsoft cloud platforms and our accelerated growth puts us in a strong position as leaders in the marketplace. I believe that by 2020, we will have significantly expanded our partner channel capable of selling and delivering transformative customer experiences through rich Microsoft intelligent business applications. On top of that, I expect Microsoft by 2020 to be both the thought leader and the worldwide market leader in intelligent cloud solutions. For your orientation – the Microsoft cloud today grows three times faster than the cloud market.”

In your observation of the current CRM ecosystem, what are the characteristics of a successful partner in today’s market?

“Look…. this is driven by customer expectations. And it is easy to spot the partners that can deliver on those expectations. Some of the characteristics are reflected as they have vertical and deep functional expertises, transform customer experiences through digital transformation services, application development capabilities, systems/data integration and bringing insights to their business through data and analytics. This is why Dynamics 365 becomes such an important platform for our partner success. I also do not want to loose the fact that at times customers expect our partners to be an orchestrator in the ecosystem, for example they have the ability to bring other strategic partners into the solutions to meet customers needs.”

Finally. In your opinion – what are the most important Go Do’s for CRM partners?

“There are of course lots of things to do for partners. But at the end of the day this would be my top-4 recommendations:

1)      Built a business model for the SaaS world;

2)      Go deep in both functional level and vertical market(s);

3)      Lead your customer’s digital transformation process

4)      (as a bonus) Built your company on business centricity (think organization structure, culture and growth mindset), a key imperative to succeed in the first 3 aspects.”

* This is interview was part of the eXtreme365 Business Report 

7 razones para vender NAV

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¡Hoy Dynamics NAV se encuentra en una posición interesante! Por un lado, es el sistema de ERP más exitoso en el mercado mundial mediano de lejos. Por otro lado, los recientes anuncios alrededor de Dynamics 365 crearon preguntas e incluso cierta confusión en torno a su futuro. ¿Te suena familiar?

En esta edición de QBS Talks te ofrecemos “7 fuertes argumentos para seguir vendiendo Dynamics NAV” como la opción más segura del mercado hoy en día, combinada con el futuro más brillante disponible. Te enseñaremos tres escenarios inteligentes para llevar a tu cliente potencial de la mano. Paso 1: permite que comience de forma segura con Dynamics NAV o CRM. Y el paso 2: guiarlos hacia un gran futuro de Dynamics 365 siempre que el producto esté completamente localizado y el momento de transición esté allí para ellos.

Después de ver este valioso video de 52 minutos, te alejarás con una buena comprensión de cómo posicionar tu solución Dynamics NAV aún mejor y más efectivamente en el siempre cambiante mundo de Microsoft. ¡Honestamente, para ti como partner de Dynamics NAV, perder-te esta sesión no es realmente una opción

Dynamics NAV Development: Extensions or Extinction?

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No one wants to be a dinosaur, it does not get you very far! If we want to run an analogy to the Yucatan asteroid some 65 million years ago, the advent of NAV 2016/NAV 2017 marks a shift to the new way of developing solutions and a threat to your capabilities if you don’t change the way you do things.

Those of you who, like me, have been involved with Microsoft Dynamics NAV (formerly Navision) for over 10 years, would be all too familiar with developing using C/SIDE. All your development work to date has been carefully planned around capitalising on endless days of development work on seemingly lengthy projects.

 
Dynamics 365 Acceleration Program
Are you a Microsoft Reseller who is looking for new growth possibilities and a way to honor the needs of your customers for an end-to-end solution.  Read more about this program

Services revenue may be your current strength and focus, but please consider these few points and why Extensions are making a difference:

  •  Traditional NAV development is becoming less prominent – your competitors are now quoting prospects both for traditional development and for Extensions.
  • Extensions, together with Eventing, bring complete future-proofing to your customer’s ROI in Dynamics NAV – it allows them to replace the current NAV version each year with the new version, taking advantage of any new functionality without having to undergo a traditional and costly NAV upgrade project.
  • Extensions can be re-utilised for other projects – no need to waste development time in reinventing the wheel!
  • Developing Extensions keeps your NAV Developers up-to-date with skills. They are sick and tired of doing work in NAV 2013, NAV 2009 or below. They want new challenges. If you don’t offer them the chance to stay “current” they will go and work for someone who lets them.
  • Learning about Extensions also allows your current NAV developers to get their heads around developing Apps for Dynamics 365 for Financials. The technology is the same, the purpose is different.
  • There are many .NET/C# developers on the market, looking for work at rates considerably below the NAV developer ones. If they know .NET as a programming standard and its .NET Framework, they can grasp Extensions and Eventing at a fast pace. If you already have developers with .NET skills in your organisation, you can offer them a move to your Dynamics practise.

Do you want to be in business 5 years from now, or do you want to join the dinosaurs?

As you can see from the above bullet points, there is a lot for you to think about. Do you want to be in business 5 years from now, or do you want to join the dinosaurs? They, at least, have left proof of their existence for many, many millions of years. Your business will soon be forgotten in this fast-paced digital age.

Would you like to know more? I am happy for you to drop me a line at aderosa@qbsgroup.com.

The Dynamic Channel is dead – Long live the Dynamics Channel

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I recently read the Directions 2016 business report from Guus again.

In an interview, Paul White, GM of Dynamics Product Marketing stated that only 20% of current partners will make it through the cloud transformation. This is a provocative statement and for that, it is a good wake up call to really think about your own cloud strategy  and get started in the transformation. However, I would argue that the 20% is only correct if you narrow cloud business to scalable, repeatable Dynamics 365 Business Edition business. In that 10-99 employee space, Paul makes a fair point that this segment is underserved with business applications but most customers do not accept to pay premium for typical project led implementation of an ERP and CRM application. They accept standardization in return of simple and affordable platform. And if you want to go in that standardized, simplified business you can only make it profitable if you do it at scale and reduce your cost of sales and time to market. I also agree that it is unlikely you can do both approaches, the project led and scalable small business in one organization. You need different skill sets and processes in sales and marketing. So far, so good and to that extend, only few partners will take that leap and create a new and differentiated organization and go-to-market.

But here is my big BUT…. Not all customers will go for standardized and simplified solution. We will continue to have customers that have very specific business processes , that have a rather sophisticated organizational setup or complex processes to maximize impact for their customers. And if they want to optimized these processes with a business application, they need expertise and deep knowledge to map business process with a business application. No doubt, this business application will likely be a multi tenant cloud solution in future. But that doesn’t take away the need to spend quality time with customer to understand their specific needs, developing process flows and customize the business application to fulfill the needs of a customer. And here we are again at the project led business with consultants and a tailored solution.

So my point is that embracing the cloud architecture and Dynamics 365 for that matter, does not equal having a scalable, standardized go-to-market approach. And if you happen to transform your Dynamics Solution into the cloud and App architecture, but you maintain your consulting approach to customers that outgrow the standardized solutions, then you have a bright future ahead of you. You will not count to the 20% of partners that scale in terms of customer adds, correct, but that was not your business strategy to start with. Again, embracing Dynamics 365 and transforming IP to sit as extension and app on top of Dynamics 365 is a mandate in my view. You want to provide a modern, flexible and scalable platform to customers and stay ahead of competitors.

In that process, we take pride in being your sparring partner, providing trainings, consultancy and best practices to undergo this transformation. We also like to provide you with a platform to optimize your resources, outsourcing some of the lower level migration work and bringing in fresh capabilities and capacity through Dynasource. And we want to bring new prospects for your solution and your services through our Take-the-Lead program, even if you are not counting yourself into the 20% scale cloud partners. We are confident, you have a prosperous business ahead of you.

Do you know your new competitors with Dynamics 365 for Financials?

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The new kids-on-the-block with outsell you on Dynamics 365 for Financials!

Just as you thought you had your grip on your direct competitors in the Dynamics NAV channel, here comes the new breed of “born in the cloud” Dynamics 365 for Financials new-kids-on-the-block.

Up to now, you have been able to showcase your competencies, capabilities and company strengths whether you have been “head-to-head” with other ERP vendors, or existing NAV VARs. It hasn’t mattered if you won or lost against these competitors: they are seen as your constant antagonists and you have assumed that “I may have lost this time, but next time I will win“.

This is exactly how most Dynamics NAV partners think. Let me tell you that you need to start thinking differently! Your new competitors are a different kind of antithesis. You could define these as:

  • Start-Up & entrepreneurial
  • Aim for high customer adds with minimum accountability
  • Building their practice on a OPEX model: CSP recurrent revenue
  • Vibrant and with a “no job is to small!” attitude
  • Considerably cheaper than your daily rate! Let’s remember: they could be a “one man band” acting as marketing/sales/implementers.
  • They would typically spend most of their days working hard and capitalising on the Microsoft brand.
  • Will be “low touch” after initial customer deployment
  • They know what they are selling and how to say “No, it won’t do that!” – they are both smart and upfront
  • They may be your employees going solo and exploiting the new market

These new competitors may sound pesky to both you and I, but you need to really look at the opportunity afforded to them before we point fingers at them: they have been handed a great “All-In-One” solution, Dynamics 365 for Financials. This product bears the very recognisable and quality-assured Microsoft trademark! Microsoft Dynamics has a history spanning beyond 15 years in Microsoft’s ownership, together with a huge commitment for R&D and a clear roadmap. Integration features into the wider Microsoft stack are clearly a selling point against the likes of Sage 50, Xero, NetSuite and other cloud-based solutions.

They are seeing an opportunity that’s too good to be missed.

They are seeing an opportunity that’s too good to be missed. They know that they can leverage the Microsoft brand, Microsoft Cloud resilience and a simple “per user per month” pricing structure, together with tiered pricing which is both very appealing and easy to sell. They also understand that in order to be successful, they need to consider low overheads, high ROI when looking at the business model for their small enterprise. They have the determination to succeed and understand that investment does not need to come at a huge upfront cost. They don’t need expensive NAV Developers, nor Project Managers, nor a well-oiled Service Desk, although support will matter to potential customers and services remain key to profitability. “Does the prospect need a certain type of functionality? Let me check the Appstore and see what’s already there that I can resell to them?” would be their approach.

Dynamics 365 Acceleration Program
Are you a Microsoft Reseller who is looking for new growth possibilities and a way to honor the needs of your customers for an end-to-end solution.  Read more about this program

So what is my advise to you today? Start thinking of emulating their approach. Don’t let them gain grounds and outsell you. Think about how you could start a new line of business to go head-to-head with them.

Have I made you think already? Do you wish to find out more? I am happy to have a chat with you. Please feel free to contact me via email: aderosa@qbsgroup.com.

¿Utilizas el Marketing como el botón de pánico?

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Si así es, definitivamente no eres el único. Se trata de una reacción natural cuando faltan pedidos y tu canal de ventas está más seco que el desierto de Kalahari… ¡Entras en pánico!

 

Y un lugar natural para escapar del pánico es recurrir al marketing – esperando que por arte de magia hará aparecer nuevos clientes de la nada – ¿es así? Y, además probablemente también estás dispuesto a accionar la palanca de los descuentos para hacer que los clientes firmen lo antes posible.

 

Todos hemos pasado por esto- utilizamos el marketing como una especie de extintor de incendios para calmar el dolor ardiente de un negocio en llamas, para que todo el mundo desde marketing a ventas esté frenéticamente ocupado con el envío de emails urgentes- y toda la empresa se involucre a fondo en realizar acciones, sin escatimar esfuerzos.

Lo cierto es que mientras tiene lugar esta actividad frenética – es probable que el negocio se recupere lentamente – no como resultado de la reciente actividad- pero más probable gracias a las semillas plantadas meses atrás, que ahora, están germinando. Así que mientras todo el mundo exclama “uff- mantuvimos el negocio a flote con nuestra reacción rápida ” – y, todos nos preguntamos: “¿cómo es posible?”. Al fin y al cabo, eso es de lo que se trata el marketing: de que, a largo plazo eligiendo inteligentemente el momento oportuno y la audiencia a la que se dirigen los mensajes adecuados, los clientes lleguen a darse cuenta de sus necesidades y debilidades – y lenta pero seguramente volverán de nuevo a ti para pedirte consejo. Ir como un bulldozer no es la mejor estrategia.

 

“Bueno, pero de esta manera vamos a recoger la fruta más madura y así alcanzaremos metas más accesibles” suele ser el otro argumento.

 

Y sé que el término “metas accesibles” es un término muy aclamado por todos los directivos de empresas – porque ¿quién no quiere fácilmente alcanzar sus objetivos? Pero, ¿quién dice que no se pueden recoger los frutos y, al mismo tiempo, preparar el terreno para el crecimiento y la cosecha a largo plazo?

 

La mayoría de nosotros estamos de acuerdo con el hecho de que los clientes se encuentran inmersos en un proceso de compra, entonces, ¿por qué insistimos en generar un “momento” de venta?

 

Marketing implica tiempo y esfuerzo – y este trayecto se inicia con conocer tu propio negocio. Respondiendo a estas 3 grandes preguntas:

¿Dónde te encuentras actualmente?

(Quiénes son tus clientes y qué les soluciona tu producto o servicio son algunas de las preguntas secundarias que son imprescindibles para seguir avanzando en esta fase)

¿Qué actividades realizas?

(¿Tu sitio web funciona como debería? ¿Estás activo en las redes sociales, has activado campañas automatizadas … o sigues confiando en que tu equipo comercial localice clientes potenciales?)

¿Hacia dónde quieres dirigir tu empresa?

(Imagina tu empresa dentro de 2, 5,10 años – ¿hasta dónde quieres llegar?)

Esta fase te aportará la información necesaria para tomar las decisiones correctas y así, que las acciones de marketing apoyen tus objetivos estratégicos, y no sólo la actividad de una organización dirigida por el pánico. Invita a los representantes de cada departamento de tu empresa y realiza distintas reuniones para evaluar y establecer una estrategia de marketing para tu negocio – de esta manera contemplas las necesidades de todos los departamentos de tu empresa para obtener un mejor servicio para tus clientes – y obtener un plan concreto para trabajar. Revisa el ejemplo de la agenda del workshop de marketing estratégico:

La definición y la implementación de un plan de marketing que apoya tu estrategia a medio y largo plazo también evitar tomar decisiones ‘deseperadas’ en el último momento para seguir las últimas tendencias del marketing – eso que todo el mundo te dice que es una situación de: Adoptar o morir … Porque si esta nueva tendencia no apoya sus objetivos estratégicos, entonces probablemente no es adecuada para potenciar tu negocio.

Invertir el tiempo necesario para implementar vuestro plan de marketing compensará de muchas maneras – no invertirás el presupuesto de marketing a ciegas, y podrás ajustarlo, en el caso de que no obtengas los resultados que habías proyectado en el plan – porque en todo momento sabrás lo que estás haciendo – y por qué.

 

Una vez realizado el duro trabajo de definir correctamente tu estrategia de marketing y estén establecidas las acciones más apropiadas para apoyar tu negocio a largo plazo, entonces, siempre tendrás espacio para presionar el botón de pánico ocasionalmente, ya que todos sabemos que no se puede evitar de vez en cuando ….

 

Si necesitas ayuda para iniciar este proceso o para agilizarlo, ponte en contacto con el QBS group. Contamos con amplia experiencia en ayudar a nuestros partners a reflexionar sobre el crecimiento de su negocio y la estrategia de marketing. Contacta con nosotros a través de marketing@qbsgroup.com y nos pondremos en contacto contigo de inmediato.

 

PD. Esta estrategia también es aplicable para las empresas que comercializan commodities, aunque se pueda pensar que las actividades de marketing a corto plazo ya cumplen con este propósito, aquí se puede argumentar que las actividades de marketing a corto plazo a veces cumplen con su propósito, ya que tienen ciclos de venta y ciclo de vida del producto más cortos. Sin embargo, si tu negocio son las soluciones empresariales las acciones de marketing a corto plazo, nunca son la mejor opción.

¿Ser partner? Ahora o nunca

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En una presentación reciente de Microsoft, me sorprendió saber que Microsoft lanzó más de 600 nuevas funcionalidades y servicios en Azure. Si revisas Office 365 también encontrarás un gran número de características nuevas y funcionalidades. Dynamics 365 Business Edition seguirá un patrón similar para ofrecer nuevas características y capacidades mensualmente. Si además añades las oportunidades y la innovación que consigues utilizando Microsoft Flow y Power Apps y estás integrando una gran cantidad de novedades que son prácticamente imposibles de gestionar.

Pienso que la gestión de la innovación se convierte en un nuevo reto que debemos afrontar como partners. Este proceso comienza antes de que uno mismo pueda aprender e internalizar la innovación. Debes tener claros cuáles son los objetivos de negocio de tus clientes y cómo la innovación en IT construye escenarios que facilitan la consecución de estos objetivos. Ya no es un enfoque directo cuando se van añadiendo capacidades dentro de la misma plataforma de producto. Es un proceso constante, transformando los escenarios empresariales de tus clientes en un mapa tecnológico. Empezando por el nivel más alto, ya sean las ventajas de datos en cloud, productividad en cloud o business cloud o una combinación de los 3. De este modo se definen las cargas de trabajo específicas para cada área y, finalmente, pueden modificar algunos servicios y capacidades del producto.

Este nuevo entorno también implica que tú mismo eres capaz de gestionar las innovaciones más relevantes para este producto. En este contexto, ser partner ya no es una opción, sino que se convierte en la savia que tu empresa necesita para seguir avanzando en el futuro.

Comenzar a construir una red accesible siempre que la innovación esté fuera de tus competencias y esto sea relevante para el escenario de uno de tus clientes, esta es la clave de nuestro negocio al igual que las operaciones o el marketing. Estoy convencido de que Dynasource es la mejor red y plataforma disponible para establecer este tipo de colaboraciones y permitir nuestros recursos se beneficien de una amplia gama de innovaciones.

Tener un asesor de confianza que no sólo entiende los desafíos y oportunidades del mercado, sino que también puede visualizar e integrar la innovación de IT de forma continua, se convierte en una parte crítica del negocio.

También creo que es el momento adecuado para atraer a jóvenes talentos a tu organización. La mayoría de nosotros hemos interiorizado la arquitectura del servidor cliente y la arquitectura de la nube hace ya un tiempo (que es una manera educada de admitir que estoy envejeciendo), diría que los graduados de IT asumen estas innovaciones de una manera más fresca y seguramente explorarán las nuevas posibilidades que ofrecen y nos beneficiaremos de ello. En formas que, tal vez ahora mismo, no seamos conscientes. Por este motivo, aplaudo iniciativas como la Generación Z que nuestro equipo está llevando a cabo en el Reino Unido. Atraer nuevos talentos hacia nuestra red.

El lado positivo de este proceso es que la gestión de la innovación para los clientes se convierte en la clave para diferenciarse y fidelizar a sus clientes. En tiempos de servicios cloud, la estandarización está disminuyendo la oportunidad de diferenciarse a través de la funcionalidad. Los clientes buscarán cada vez más funcionalidades que integran los servicios en la nube como commodity. Pero tener un asesor de confianza que no sólo entiende los desafíos y oportunidades de negocio, sino que también puede visualizar e integrar la innovación de IT de forma continua, se convierte en una parte crítica del negocio. Si creemos que la actualización y la complejidad de la innovación son difíciles de gestionar para nosotros como partners de Dynamics, entonces es aún más difícil para la mayoría de nuestros clientes. Ahora ellos dependen de ti para descubrir las novedades actuales y futuras y cómo estas pueden beneficiar a su negocio.

En QBS group, también cambiamos la forma en que lidiamos con la enorme cantidad de novedades y oportunidades que afrontamos diariamente. Hemos definido el rol de un Cloud Solution Architect, un profesional de alto nivel que revisa a través de las 3 nubes de Microsoft y la innovación de terceros, asegurándose de que ofrecemos la orientación adecuada y estos conocimientos a nuestros partners. Además aumentamos nuestras inversiones para proporcionar una la plataforma de formación adecuada, a través de un Learning Management System. Y queremos proporcionar más plataformas para que nuestros partners compartan sus conocimientos e ideas sobre la innovación, de forma que cumplimos con nuestra promesa de contar con los partners mejor informados. Con la cantidad de innovación tecnológica que tenemos por delante, no podemos confiar en solo nosotros para adoptar esta innovación y traducirla en beneficios y fidelización para nuestros clientes. Regístrate ahora y conviértete en un partner de QBS group.

Optimizing your resources as QBS partner with ForNAV

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Leusden, 5th May, 2017 – ForNAV, a relatively new company with decades of NAV experience, announced on April 18th a partnership with QBS, to drive more business opportunities within the QBS partner base. With the combined power of the tools of ForNAV and the experience of industry veterans such as Michael Nielsen, Jan Sillemann, Jacob Reinholdt Rasmussen and Mark Brummel, partners can easily overcome obstacles when creating and upgrading reports for Dynamics NAV.

The Reports ForNAV Converter makes going from classic reports to RDLC fast and easy. It enables reports developed for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 and NAV 2009 (also known as “classic” or C/SIDE reports) to run on newer versions that require the RDLC format.

For creating and modifying reports for Microsoft Dynamics NAV, the Reports ForNAV Designer is an easy-to-use tool. If you are familiar with the C/SIDE reporting tool, you can start working with the Reports ForNAV Designer instantly.

For the partners of QBS, this is another way to focus on delivering high-value services to customers, letting smart tools improve efficiency by automating some of the day-to-day work. This partnership is also another example of the services to help partners with the optimization of their resources. And this is why QBS has negotiated a 50% introduction discount for QBS partners, when combined with the use of the Dynamics Upgrade Services.

The long-term strategic relationship between ForNAV and QBS will focus on driving the use of ForNAV tools by new partners and end-users.

Jan Sillemann – ForNAV
“Working with QBS will help us reach more partners. Faster. And thereby help customers take advantage of the new innovation in Dynamics NAV more efficiently.”

Michael Hartmann – CEO QBS group
“We are glad to offer another solution that helps partners focus on delivering high-level services and support the transition to a repeatable business model.”

For more information, visit www.fornav.com/ and www.qbsgroup.com/marketplace/ForNAV

What is the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider Program (Microsoft CSP)

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Microsoft wants partners to take full advantage of their opportunity in the cloud, so they introduced the Cloud Solution Provider Program (CSP).

The Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider Program (CSP) enables partners to directly manage their entire Microsoft cloud customer lifecycle. Partners in this program utilize dedicated in-product tools to directly provision, manage, and support their customer subscriptions. Partners can easily package their own tools, products and services, and combine them into one monthly or annual customer bill.

Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider Program

This program helps Microsoft partners become their customers’ trusted advisors. Because by using CSP, partners are able to own and manage the end-to-end relationship with their customers.

CSP versions; Direct and Indirect

There are two versions of CSP, the Direct (Tier 1) model and the Indirect (Tier 2) model. Partners have to choose at least one model. They can also choose both.

Microsoft Cloud solution provider

The difference between the Direct CSP model and the Indirect CSP model is that the Direct model requires a robust infrastructure to enable end-to-end ownership of the customer relationship. There are a lot of requirements to be met and for most partners this isn’t feasible. The Indirect model however, offers partners (resellers) the opportunity to work with an Indirect CSP partner who can provide the tools and resources necessary to manage their customer relationship. And for most of them, this is the best option.

You need to decide

More and more Microsoft cloud solutions can only be sold through the CSP model, so partners need to decide. Dynamics 365 for example will not become part of the Dynamics pricelist, but will only be available via CSP.