SIGN UP TO BE PART OF MICROSOFTS SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT OFFER TO PARTNERS

In March 2006, Microsoft will be offering Business Technology Assessments to our small business customers, exclusively through Small Business Specialist Partners. As part of this campaign, Microsoft is looking to engage Small Business Specialists to deliver the “Business Assessment” element of these technology assessments(“Depth Partners”). This is a great opportunity to get familiar with Microsoft small business best practice, and build your business.

Read on if you are interested in signing up to becoming one of these “Depth Partners”

SECTION 1: About the Campaign and the Small Business Technology Assessment Offer

What is the Small Business Technology Assessment Offer?

The Small Business Technology Assessment is a customer assessment to be delivered by a Microsoft Partner (Small Business Specialist), based on guidance provided by the Small Business Technology Assessment Toolkit. The Small Business Technology Assessment Toolkit is a step-by-step guide on how to identify prospects’ business and technology needs, and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships.

What’s in the Toolkit?

  • Ready-to-use “Business Assessment” guide
  • Comprehensive “Technology Assessment” guide
  • Microsoft Small Business Solution Selling guide
  • Three-year planning template
  • Sample proposal
  • Customizable sales and marketing tools
  • Datasheets, presentations, white papers and more
  • Information on Windows Small Business Server 2003
    and Microsoft products designed for small business, such as
    Office 2003 Small Business Edition, Windows XP Professional, Microsoft CRM 3.0, Windows Mobile, and more

NB: All Partners will be able to download the Toolkit through the Partner Portal in mid February. Only Small Business Specialists will receive a physical toolkit in the mail.

Why should I be offering these Assessmentsto customers?

The usage of the Small Business Technology Assessment Toolkit is based on a tried and tested methodology gained from Microsoft Partner Best practices overseas.

Many Australian small businesses are ready for their first server, and now is a great time to help them take the next step? Microsoft really believes in the value delivered by the Assessments, and thus is devoting it’s marketing resources over the next four months to drive customers to request an Assessment.

Partners overseas have also found that offering the business assessments to small businesses has also helpedthem get their foot in the door with new customers, identify opportunities and generate profitable, long-term relationships with small businesses.

Delivering on Microsoft’s First Server Right Server (Phase 2) Campaign…

What am I expected to deliver to customers and how long will it take? Why should I?

The Small Business Technology Assessment comprises of 2 elements:

  1. Business Assessments; and
  2. Technology Assessments

Microsoft, in it’s customer campaigns, will be promoting a free Business Assessment.

As Microsoft gets requests for Business Assessments from customers, we will be passing these leads onto Depth partners.

If you sign up to be a Depth Partner, within 24 hours (1 business day) from receiving a small business technology assessment lead, you must contact the customer and book a time to perform the complimentary Business Assessment element of the Small Business Technology Assessment.

As part of the Technology Assessment offer it is expected that partners that choose to participate in the campaign will provide customers with a complimentary “Business Assessment” section, as outlined in the Toolkit.

The Business Assessment is complimentary and should take between 1 – 2 hours to complete.

What is Microsoft doing to promote Technology Assessments to customers?

Microsoft will be promoting the offer to customers via the following marketing communication vehicles.

  • E-mail to internal Microsoft customer database
  • E-mail to external customer database
  • Communication via various Microsoft small business customer newsletters
  • Online advertising
  • Customer Web site outlining the details of the campaign and how to contact a partner for a complimentary small business technology assessment (via centrally controlled phone number and email)

We have modified our lead management process to deliver highly qualified leads to partners. All leads will go directly to Microsoft via a dedicated phone number or e-mail address and will be managed through a centralized process. Leads will be passed on to Small Business Specialist partners that choose to participate in the campaign.

SECTION 2: Additional information on the 2 elements of the Small Business Technology Assessment.

1. Business Assessment

The business assessment serves as a method of capturing information on your prospect, their industry and business environment.

Meet with business decision makers and use the assessment to:

  • Develop an in-depth dialogue that can serve as the basis for a long-term relationship with your prospect
  • Identify, define and determine the company’s business needs and processes
  • Determine where technology can provide a clear return on investment

Not all questions are appropriate for every situation. Be ready to adapt the interview based on your audience, knowledge and business situation.

Business Assessment Outcomes (and what Partners are expected to deliver for free):

After the business assessment has concluded, prepare the following for your client to lay the groundwork for the next steps:

  • Summary Letter or e-mail: – The purpose of this e-mail is to review your meeting and discussions to demonstrate your understanding of the prospects needs.
  • Business Assessment Summary: - A complete summary of the business assessment helps outline broad solutions and ideas that address your client’s business needs and pains.
  • Technology Assessment Value document: - This is a document designed to reiterate or further clarify the purposes of conducting an on-site technology assessment.

Prepare and deliver the business assessment by:

  • Downloading the Word version of the Assessment and customising manually,
  • Printing a report directly from the Business Assessment Tool, or
  • Use the sample Business Assessment Summary

2. Technology Assessment

The following Technology Assessment outcomes are not included as part of the offer and partners can charge for this service accordingly.

The technology assessment tool is designed to create a method for capturing and evaluating the current status of technology in your prospect’s business. It will focus on what assets are available, how technology is currently used, and gather data needed to satisfy future expectations. Gathering this information helps the groundwork for long-term planning, solution design and proposals.

Technology Assessment Outcomes (what partners can charge for)

  • Summary Letter or e-mail: The purpose of this follow-up is to review the meeting content, discussions and telephone conversations to demonstrate your understanding of their technology environment.
  • Technology Assessment Summary: The report of your assessment should cover assets and processes, and identify areas for improvement.
  • Three Year IT Plan: Creating a three-year IT planning document is essential to building a long-term relationship and reiterating the benefits of viewing IT as a long-term investment.
  • Proposal: A comprehensive proposal should be written, reviewed by your team, delivered, and discussed.
  • SBS 2003 Set-up document: Have an SBS 2003 worksheet prepared to be completed upon your next visit.

Next Steps:

  • E-mail your meeting summary
  • Prepare and deliver your Technology Assessment Summary and Three Year IT Plan
  • Prepare Proposal and Scoping Document for SBS 2003 solution
  • Schedule a meeting to review your deliverables
  • Close the sale
  • Send an agenda and meeting request for the next phase

SECTION 3: TWO EASY STEPS TO SIGNING UP AS A DEPTH PARTNER

Step 1 – Mandatory Training

To sign up as a Depth Partner to receive leads from Microsoft to deliver the Business Assessments to Small Business customers, an employee of your organization MUST attend a training session on the Small Business Technology Assessment run by Microsoft in your CapitalCity.

Delivered by Wayne Small, one of Microsoft’s SBS MVP’s, this complimentary session will provide an in-depth look at the Small Business Technology Assessment Toolkit.

You will learn best practices and guidance on how to get your foot in the door with new small business customers and identify opportunities to generate profitable, long-term relationships, including:

• Business Assessment Tools

• Technology Assessment Tools

• Marketing and Sales Tools

• Resources for Post-Sales and Beyond

Learn how to identify your customers’ needs and technology requirements so you can create a plan that addresses immediate requirements and maps out a plan of future needs.

Training will be run on the following dates from 6pm to 9pm, except in Brisbane where it will run from 8am to 11am:

Location / Date / Registration Link
Sydney / 6th Feb 2006 /
Melbourne / 16th Feb 2006 /
Brisbane / 10th Feb 2006 /
Adelaide / 21st Feb 2006 /
Perth / 23rd Feb 2006 /

If you live outside of one of these capital cities and would like to be involved in the campaign, please contact Bill Vlandis at

Available to Partners will also be a one hour webinar, delivered by Microsoft Corp that demonstrates how to conduct the Technology Assessment. Details of this webinar will be provided to partners as they sign up to the Depth Campaign program.

Step 2: Send Microsoft an Email with your MOU Attached

Please add your details to the front page of the attached Memorandum of Understanding, and send this to Bill Vlandis at by Friday 3rd February 2006.

No late entries will be accepted by Microsoft. If partners are unable to sign up in the required timeframe, they will need to wait until Microsoft’s next promotion in the latter half of 2006.

Section 4: Microsoft Technology Assessment Offer (MOU)

Memorandum of Understanding for Small Business Specialists

Partner Organisation Name: <Partner to insert details here>

Partner Contact Name:<Partner to insert details here>

Partner Phone number:<Partner to insert details here>

Date MOU sent to Bill Vlandis:<Partner to insert details here>

This Technology Assessment Offer “Memorandum of Understanding” provides a framework for deliverables and expectations both from Microsoft and from Small Business Specialist Partner, with regards to “Customer leads” for “technology assessments” that arise from Microsoft Australia’s First Server Right Server Campaign.

Please add your details in the <Partner to insert details here> above, and send this to Bill Vlandis at

Microsoft Gives:

-Highly qualified leads to partners that arise from the First Server Right Server Campaign, where customers request a complimentary Small Business Technology Assessment from Microsoft’s Partners*

-Complimentary training to the Partner on how to deliver a Small Business Technology Assessment

-A dedicated Microsoft employee to distribute and manage leads and Opportunities that arise from the First Server Right Server Campaign for Technology Assessments

Partner Gives:

-Partner must attend one of the instructor led training sessions specified in this document (see Section 3 above)

-Partner must respond to customer (call the customer) within 24 hours (1 business day) of receiving the “lead” from Microsoft

-Partner provides the complimentary Business Assessment element of the Technology Assessment Toolkit to customers that have requested one, where Microsoft provides a lead to a partner.

-Partner must provide the following details to Microsoft where a lead has been passed to the partner:

  • The date when thecomplimentary Small Business Technology Assessment (Business Assessment component) was conducted
  • The sales opportunities in the pipeline as a result of the lead (includes all Microsoft products);
  • If so, for what product, and number of units (MS Technologies only); and
  • The expected date when the sales opportunity will close.
  • Theproduct name and dollar value (MS revenue) of closed opportunities (sales)

* Although it is the intent of Microsoft to generate qualified leads for partners, based on the nature of marketing, Microsoft can not guarantee that Partners will receive leads as part of the campaign.