In the world of Microsoft solutions, “walletshare” is a critical metric for driving sustainable growth and profitability. For Microsoft partners, walletshare refers to the percentage of a customer’s Microsoft investment—across Modern Work, Dynamics, and Azure—that flows through your organization. Maximizing walletshare demands a strategic, informed approach leveraging tools, incentives, and programs to strengthen your market position.
This guide explores actionable strategies for maximizing walletshare, including:
- Enterprise Agreement (EA) to Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) conversions,
- Modern Commerce Incentives (MCI), and
- The Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) framework.
Additionally, we’ll discuss how to position Azure Marketplace transactions as a growth driver and encourage you to reflect on your current walletshare strategy.
Understanding Walletshare
At its core, walletshare is the portion of a customer’s total Microsoft spend directed toward your products, services, or solutions. For example, if a customer spends $500,000 annually on Microsoft services and $300,000 flows through your organization, your walletshare is 60%.
This metric is not just a financial indicator—it provides valuable insights into your influence within the customer’s Microsoft ecosystem. It also helps you evaluate your performance both at the individual customer level and across your broader portfolio.
Why Walletshare Matters
Growing walletshare goes beyond increasing revenue. It strengthens customer relationships, improves profitability, and secures your position as a trusted partner. Here’s why walletshare is transformative:
- Revenue Growth Without New Customer Acquisition: Unlock value by deepening relationships with your current customer base.
- Stronger Customer Intimacy: Greater walletshare fosters deeper engagement and trust.
- Improved Margins: Increased control over customer spend enables bundled services and tailored solutions, improving profitability.
- Partner Incentives and Recognition: High walletshare aligns with Microsoft’s partner programs, unlocking incentives and greater visibility.
Strategies to Maximize
- EA to CSP Conversions: Unlock Growth Opportunities
Transitioning customers from EA to CSP contracts gives you greater control over their Microsoft spend while creating opportunities to bundle value-added services such as cost optimization, governance, and managed services. Tools like Surveil can help streamline this process, enabling you to offer more holistic solutions.
- Leverage Modern Commerce Incentives
Microsoft’s MCI programs, such as Cloud Ascent and Partner Earned Credits (PEC), reward partners for driving customer adoption and growth. By capitalizing on these incentives, you can boost profitability and reinvest in activities that deepen customer relationships, like enablement workshops or specialized training sessions.
- Harness Marketplace Transactions as a Growth Multiplier
The Microsoft Marketplace offers significant untapped potential for expanding walletshare. By integrating third-party solutions with core Microsoft products, you can provide a comprehensive offering that addresses customers’ broader business challenges, capturing a larger share of their IT budget.
- Align with MCAPS for Long-Term Success
The Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) framework empowers partners to deliver greater customer value through specialization, capability-building, and a focus on customer success. Aligning with this program not only strengthens your positioning but also supports walletshare growth by driving deeper engagements with strategic customers.
Best Practices
Achieving sustained walletshare growth requires deliberate actions and alignment with your customers’ goals. Consider these proven strategies:
- Conduct Walletshare Analysis: Regularly assess to identify opportunities for growth.
- Develop a Cross-Sell Playbook: Create tailored solutions that integrate multiple Microsoft products and services.
- Train Your Sales Teams: Equip your salesforce with the knowledge and tools needed to position your offerings effectively.
- Strengthen Alignment with MCAPS: Ensure your organization leverages MCAPS resources to build trust and drive success.
Reflect and Act
Walletshare isn’t just a metric—it’s a pathway to growth, deeper customer relationships, and enhanced profitability. By embracing strategies like EA to CSP conversions, MCI programs, and marketplace transactions while aligning with initiatives like MCAPS, you can unlock unparalleled value for both your business and your customers.
Key Questions to Consider:
- Are you maximizing walletshare with your current customers?
- How can EA to CSP transitions or marketplace offerings create new growth opportunities?
- Are you leveraging MCAPS to solidify your role as a strategic Microsoft partner?
The time to act is now. With the right strategies and mindset, walletshare can become a competitive advantage, positioning your organization as an indispensable advisor in the Microsoft ecosystem. Surveil is here to support you every step of the way, helping you seize these opportunities and thrive in a competitive market. Get in touch today.