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Joint Planning leads in Partner Center

Appropriate roles: Referrals admin | Referrals user

Joint Planning is a collaborative effort designed to bring Microsoft SMC- Corporate sellers and partners together to align on customer territory planning and drive co-selling success. Partners can engage directly with Microsoft SMC-C sellers to jointly plan on high propensity leads across their shared customer base, collaborate on joint planning leads, and contribute to the success of their customers. This effort ensures a seamless integration of MSX-CRM portfolio plan into referrals workspace in Partner Center, enabling real-time collaboration and alignment.

Important

New substages Qualify and Evaluate are introduced to complete before marking leads as Won or Convert to Opportunity.

Note

Leads must be accepted within 14 days to remain active. Partners have 60 days to act on accepted leads, after which they automatically close as lost.

Joint Planning offers a range of benefits to partners

Enhanced collaboration

  • Access to quality leads – Focusing sales engagements on top, high-potential opportunities can reduce Partner time and planning effort
  • Enhance customer engagement – Utilizing SMC-C seller insights and resources to better understand customer needs and customize offerings appropriately.
  • Increase sales & profit – Collaborating to drive mutual profitability and expand market share.

Better opportunity management

  • Gain access to joint planning leads directly through the Referrals workspace in Partner Center.
  • Track and engage with these leads efficiently to maximize conversion.

Real-time insights

  • Stay updated on the progress of deals and initiatives with real-time updates.
  • Be proactive in addressing challenges and ensuring alignment with sellers and customers.

Growth potential

  • Use Microsoft’s resources and insights to drive growth within your customer portfolio.
  • Expand your business by meeting customer needs with targeted solutions.

Step-by-step guide

Important

Customer contact isn't available for joint planning lead. We show Microsoft account contact team for assistance or reach out to company's customer account team.

  1. Collaborate on customer portfolio planning

    • Partners and sellers work together to align on customer account planning activities.
    • Apply your expertise to ensure that customer needs and priorities are at the forefront of the planning process.
  2. Set and align pipeline targets

    • Collaborate with sellers to establish measurable pipeline targets.
    • Ensure that these targets align with your capabilities and the customer’s priorities.
    • Accept leads within 14 days to prevent them from expiring.
  3. Receive leads

    • Microsoft sellers identify and share joint planning leads from Microsoft CRM with Partners.
    • Partners can access these leads in the “Sales & Marketing” tab under the Referrals workspace.
    • Partners can view the Microsoft seller’s contact information to drive engagement with the customer.
  4. Track and engage with leads

    • Actively monitor the progress of leads shared by Microsoft sellers.
    • Partners have 60 days to mark a lead as “won” after acceptance. Leads not marked as won within 60 days get automatically close as lost.
    • Use the insights provided by Microsoft sellers to create tailored pitches and proposals to engage customers effectively.
  5. Monitor real-time progress

    • Keep Microsoft sellers updated on the progress made with the customer.
    • Stay aligned by monitoring real-time updates and adjusting your strategies as needed to meet customer needs.
  6. Strengthen Collaboration

    • Regularly communicate with Microsoft sellers to review progress and address any challenges.
    • Build a strong seller-partner relationship to convert leads into opportunities and drive mutual success.