If you’ve ever gone shopping for a partner, you’ve probably noticed the same things that I have. 1) Some of their Web sites are better than others. But how important is that? 2) They all say pretty much the same thing. By that I mean, they all say they’re great at what they do, they have expertise and experience, they have proven implementation methodologies, they establish long-term relationships with their clients, they provide ongoing support and training…and by the time you’ve visited 5 partner sites, you could practically write their Web site content yourself!
That sounds cynical, maybe even a bit harsh. Right? The fact is that Microsoft sets high standards for their partners. So you should expect every partner to offer basically the same benefits to you once you become a client. And because of that, it’s actually hard for Partner A to differentiate itself from Partner B and C and so on. I should know. I’ve worked for 4 partners! Some partners may compete on price. Some may offer fixed priced implementations. But if your decision isn’t going to be based on price, what else should you be looking for?
When I set out to write this article, it took me a while to come up with an answer that from my inside view here at Altico Advisors would actually be a differentiator. It boils down to industry. But not just a list of “industries we serve” or even a list of clients in a given industry. To be of the most benefit to you, a great partner is one who keeps abreast of the industry, economic, regulatory, even political issues that will impact your business.
Here’s an example:
One of the niche industries Altico Advisors serves is the real estate Multiple Listing Service (MLS) sector. We not only keep abreast of issues that may affect our clients in the sector by subscribing to industry newsletters and participating in MLS-specific LinkedIn Groups, we disseminate relevant information to our clients via our blog and via the Altico Advisors Microsoft Dynamics User Group on LinkedIn. For example: or or .
There you have it. My evidence. It’s what you should be looking for in a great partner and it’s what makes Altico Advisors a great Microsoft Dynamics CRM partner to work with.
By Marcia Nita Doron, Altico Advisors, , Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner serving Massachusetts (MA) and beyond.
