Why Your Clients are Switching Microsoft Partners (And What You Can Do About It)

If you are standing still, you are falling behind. That saying applies both to business and technology. And it applies to Microsoft partners more than any other organization because they sit squarely at the intersection of business and technology.

If partners are not staying ahead of the latest trends in the business world and the ever-evolving landscape of Microsoft offerings, their clients will quickly look for other providers who can. This article explores the three major reasons clients drop Microsoft partners for the competition. We suggest ways partners can retain their clients and turn them into evangelists who bring in new referrals.

Reason #1: Clients are looking for more comprehensive solutions

Gone are the days of steady, sustained growth across business sectors. Today’s business landscape is complex, rapidly changing, and unpredictable. That is the environment your clients operate in. It takes efficient and innovative solutions just to stay afloat, let alone get ahead of the competition. They are looking for comprehensive solutions to the challenges they struggle with today and what is approaching tomorrow.

Partners must be able to offer those types of solutions. Fortunately, many exist in the broader Microsoft ecosystem. Successful Microsoft partners should be able to deliver and support all of them, especially leading services like Dynamics 365 ERP and CRM, Azure, Power Platform, and Microsoft 365.

Dynamics 365

Dynamics 365 is a suite of cloud-based business applications. It integrates various customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) functions, such as Dynamics 365 Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Business Central, and—most importantly for partners and their clients looking to stay on the cutting edge—includes additional tools for analytics and automation.

Azure

Microsoft Azure is a leading cloud computing and infrastructure platform. It gives partners the tools to build, deploy, and manage applications and services for their clients across Microsoft’s massive global network of data centers.

Azure facilitates scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions for various IT needs. Among other functions, it is commonly used by partners to deliver:

• Virtual Machines—Partners can create and manage VMs on Azure to run various operating systems and applications without their clients needing on-prem hardware.
• App Services—This service allows partners to quickly deploy web and mobile applications for their clients that can scale on demand thanks to having Azure on the backend.
• Azure Active Directory—A cloud-based identity and access management service that partners can use to provide secure authentication and authorization for applications and users.
• Azure Virtual Network—Partners can create isolated network environments in the cloud, enabling secure communication between Azure resources and on-prem infrastructure their clients need to run.

Power Platform

The Microsoft Power Platform is a suite of tools for partners to create low-code and no-code solutions. It comprises three main components: Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI. Each serves a distinct purpose while working seamlessly to streamline business processes and enhance decision-making. Together, these components allow Microsoft partners to solve business challenges for their clients, automate repetitive tasks, and gain insights from their data.

Power Apps

Power Apps enables users to create custom apps without extensive coding knowledge. These apps can be tailored to specific business needs, such as data entry, task tracking, or process automation.

Power Automate

Power Automate connects apps, services, and data across different platforms. It allows partners to create automated processes that trigger actions, such as sending notifications, updating records, or moving data between applications.

Power BI

This business intelligence and data visualization tool allows partners to transform raw data into interactive visual reports and dashboards. It offers a range of data connectors to import data from various sources and advanced analytics capabilities to uncover insights and trends.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is the latest iteration of Microsoft’s popular productivity and collaboration suite, including the Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. However, Microsoft 365 takes full advantage of its cloud-native platform to integrate other tools, including:

• OneDrive—OneDrive is a cloud storage service that allows users to store their files securely and access them from anywhere.
• Microsoft Teams—Teams is a collaboration platform integrating chat, video conferencing, and file sharing with a single interface.
• SharePoint—SharePoint is a platform for building intranet sites and portals that facilitate content management, document sharing, and collaboration.

Reason #2: Clients are not happy with their current partner’s support.

Technology is only ever as useful as the business and human problems it solves, and clients want to work with Microsoft partners who are not only experts in IT solutions but also dedicated to offering unwavering support throughout their digital transformation journey. That means the role of a partner should transcend merely selling solutions. It entails guiding clients through complex purchasing and deployment processes, resolving queries promptly, and ensuring seamless operations.

If your company cannot offer that to clients, they will find a provider who can. By offering a wide range of Microsoft cloud solutions, partners are well-equipped to provide clients with the right tools at every step, aligned with their unique goals and challenges.

Reason #3: Clients are looking for a partner who can help them grow

Remember the saying this article opened with? If you are standing still, you are falling behind. That applies to Microsoft partners, but it also applies to their clients. They need to stay ahead of their own competitors and are looking for support wherever they can find it.

Relationships matter, and business partnerships across sectors are more important than ever. Clients want partners who provide technical solutions and act as catalysts for business growth. If you are not helping your clients move forward and grow, they will look for someone who can.

Microsoft solutions have the potential to reshape the way businesses operate. Armed with the latest Microsoft offerings, partners can guide clients toward adopting cutting-edge technologies that enhance efficiency, productivity, and innovation.

Microsoft has also recently pushed hard into deploying next-generation generative AI tools into Dynamics, most significantly Copilot. Copilot provides natural language processing capabilities that further automate client workflows, such as generating marketing collateral, replying to customer inquiries, and performing natural language analytics queries.

Fueling Growth with Stratos Cloud Alliance

Clients switch Microsoft partners for many reasons, but the three most common are a need for comprehensive knowledge of the Microsoft ecosystem, poor support offerings, and an inability to drive growth. By embracing strategic partnerships like that with Stratos Cloud Alliance, Microsoft partners can address and surpass these client needs.

We are a proven indirect cloud provider here at Stratos Cloud Alliance. We understand the Microsoft ecosystem end-to-end. Partnering with us can help you retain the clients you have, bring in new ones, and drive all of them to new levels of growth. Our comprehensive support 24/7 ensures that your clients’ needs are met, issues are resolved promptly, and their operations are carried on without a hitch. Partnering with us helps you bridge resource gaps such as staff shortages and the need for specialized in-house expertise.

Microsoft recognized us as the Indirect Provider of the Year because they exemplify dedication to Microsoft’s ecosystem and excellent service and support. By working with us here at Stratos Cloud Alliance, partners demonstrate a commitment to delivering exceptional customer support, ensuring their journey toward digital transformation is seamless and successful.

Schedule a quick call today if you want to find out how Stratos Cloud Alliance can help you grow and retain clients.