All too often marketing plans are developed in a vacuum without deference to the company’s business or sales goals. Writing a case study, blogging or plotting a handful of activities on a calendar is not a marketing plan–-at least not one that significantly contributes to growth. Just as a GPS guides you on a road trip, a successful marketing plan ties directly to your sales goals, charts a course to get you there and includes checkpoints to ensure you stay on track. This session will teach you just how to do that.

During this hands-on interactive session, you learn how to:

• Establish a practical and realistic marketing budget.
• Structure your marketing plan with the end in mind.
• Calculate the number of inquires, leads, and opportunities you need to achieve your sales goals.
• Plan campaigns for maximum leads and ROI. • Apply metrics and logic to ensure you get the results you want.
• Develop a marketing plan and budget that can be monitored and measured with appropriate quantifiable checkpoints.

Attend this session and get a jumpstart on a marketing plan that will put you on the map.

More industries, more states, and the federal government are adding audit compliance requirements for both public and private companies. The Microsoft Dynamics products can win head to head against any product on audit compliance and this session will give you the vocabulary and knowledge to convince your prospects and customers.

Many organizations are saddled with challenges in any economy in regards to building their business. Much of the challenge comes in the management of prospects above the sales funnel, and opportunities in the pipeline. The basic reason behind stalled opportunities is that either a) there is no systematic process in place to manage deals, or b) not everyone is on the same page in the communication of the deals in question. As a result, limited resources are misapplied or unutilized where they would be appropriate in the sales process. In our presentation, we will share best practices learned through the management of Partners in the tele- arena for systematic management of multiple deals; understanding how and where stalls occur in the selling process; and remedies to move deals forward, move them to nurture status, or disengage as appropriate.

Many Partners are looking for ways to generate additional revenue while at the same time utilizing the skills of their current consultants and providing a good price/value opportunity for their clients. Seminars do this! With knowledge of the product, presentation materials, and a bit of promotion, a successful seminar series can create a consistent cash flow for your firm and knowledge for your clients. If you are looking for ideas to improve your seminar business or want to start holding them, this session is where you need to be.

Organizations are faced with a simple choice: Innovate or die. Most leaders recognize the need for creativity and innovation, and try to seek out creative team members. But it isn’t enough to tell team members “Go forth and innovate.” This session will help show how to create an environment that inspires and nurtures creativity, and how to align your organization’s resources on creating innovations that change your market space and make the competition irrelevant.

Do you effectively use OFFERS in your marketing efforts? Too often we assume “if we build it, they will come.” After all, we have a great product, great services and a great team of people. Why wouldn’t prospects be breaking down the door to speak to us? This session will focus on the importance of using offers effectively in your marketing to catch a prospect’s attention and get them to respond. You’ll also learn about “soft” offers vs. “hard” offers, when to use each type, and where to find good offers that appeal to your prospect.

In this session we will discuss how to properly plan for a successful upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010. We will discuss things such as: setting expectations of the client, performing a TEST upgrade, analyzing and preparing the databases to identify potential issues, and troubleshooting techniques. The key to every successful project is planning, and this session will leave you with tangible practices to implement in your next project.

ISVs want more VARs to sell their products. VARs want more reliability and great support from ISVs. Are the goals of these two types of companies at odds with one another, or are there grounds for creating better win-win relationships? Come add your thoughts to this interactive discussion of what works and what doesn't, hosted by Jesse Byam, Partner at Etelligent Solutions and Mark Rockwell of Rockton Software, two partners who keep working to get it right.

Webinars, seminars, customer conferences and other events can be excellent vehicles for generating and nurturing leads, as well as cross-selling to existing clients. So why does the effort often feel like it exceeds the results? Because not all events are created equal.

During this session we’ll explore the factors that separate a highly effective event from a downright waste of your precious marketing dollars. Topics will include:

• How to use events to identify qualified
prospects and move them through the sales cycle • Elements for successful events - What works and what doesn’t
• How to host an event on a shoestring budget
• Good & Bad Topics - Why content is “king” and how to avoid looking like a joker
• How to promote your event using email, social media, and others’ websites
• Insider secrets for boosting attendance and results
• Follow-up strategies for maximum ROI

Come prepared to roll up your sleeves and participate. This session is designed to be highly interactive, so you can walk away with immediately actionable ideas.

The title piques your interest, right? Maybe your company is doing some? There are ten of ‘em … here’s a sneak preview: Using the telephone as a mass marketing medium; Making calls that your own CEO would not accept; and Relying on the wrong metrics. Want to know all about these and the other seven … and what to do instead? Get there early, get a good seat, and prepare for a no-holds-barred session. Note: Because of non-disclosure, I can’t name names, but our participants will hear true stories.

What’s new, and what’s still around, in terms of Microsoft marketing resources? If you’re new to marketing or new to a Microsoft Dynamics partner organization, this is a “must attend” session. Microsoft has a wealth of great marketing materials. Leverage what they have before spending money to create your own!

Fifteen participants will hear Michael A. Brown reveal what is flopping and what is working in software lead generation and “nurturing.” Be prepared to challenge entrenched thinking and consider some new and profitable heresies. Then we will discuss and perhaps debate your own strategies and tactics and calling approaches with your peers. The objective: come away with at least one actionable improvement to your sales lead “machine.”

Do you find yourself searching PartnerSource for operational questions and have nowhere to look for the answers? If you answered yes, this is the session for you! Join team members from the Microsoft Dynamics Operations team as they cover Operational topics such as: Order Central, License Transfers, Name Changes, MESA Agreements, plus additional other topics focused around Operations. In addition to the previous content, team members will also be available to answer questions during a Q&A session.