Igniting the Revolution...

I've got to hand it to Parker and the team at ALI . For weeks leading up to their event, I was asking about their registration numbers...as in they weren't moving at all . "Don't worry," Parker would tell me, "this is Roanoke Virginia. It always happens...

About a week ago, I posted on how incredible Infotec was in driving demand for their event. And they delivered, big time! Over 138 people attended and a whopping 94% of the people who registered more than 3 weeks out showed up! A tremendous conversion...

Jill at DP Solutions read the story about BEI's trouble with the Microsoft-led assessment program . She was inspired and offered the following: I have two suggestions for the Click to Attend registration page: Make the “How Heard” a required field. Don...

In the old days (read: 10 years ago), you were rewarded for having as many "subscribers" to your email list as possible. Hearing what CBS SportsLine is doing shows that quality over quantity is the new benchmark. How's this for an idea? Actively unsubscribe...

One of the things that differentiates you as a partner is the value you bring to customers by the nature of your close relationship with Microsoft. Attached (pdf file) is a list of GREAT reasons why customers should buy software now. Be the trusted...

When we talk about events, we talk a lot about how you "tell the story" to get a customer engaged. Dave from Evolve and I were chatting a few weeks ago and he's taken a great story idea and run with it. In the book, Moneyball ( Book Review: Moneyball...

Some of you may remember Nicholas Carr who wrote the article, “Does IT Matter?” Well, he’s got a good post today on the topic of “Is Microsoft Dead?” You may be surprised by his opinion . His post links to the original article that started the debate...

How can you make your customers love you? Check this out from a business that is about as commodity as it gets... printing t-shirts . From: Personal Touch < personaltouch@customink.com > Date: Apr 26, 2007 9:10 PM Subject: Brain Tumor Society...

The whole objective of what we are trying to do for partners who put on events is to make it as (choose buzzword here) "plug and play" "synergistic" "leveragable" like a recipe/assembly line ....as possible. The point is: Microsoft has a gazillion resources...

There's a saying at Microsoft "Laptops Down," which is when your boss (or her boss, etc.) wants your undivided attention and tells you to stop e-mailing. I began my discussion this AM saying "Laptops Up. And please open up Outlook." (note: it wasn...

Remember how Mike wrote in with some pretty candid feedback about how Microsoft was letting him down ? Well, he wrote in again today again: Well, its obvious you guys rattled some cages somewhere! I just had a nice call with the XXXX telemarketing people...

More from Mark Cuban's blog about the good and the bad of having everything about our lives only a search query away . My favorite line (as a father of a daughter): By the time she starts dating, I wont need to great her dates at the door with...

An interesting piece asking the questions: do customers save $ by using open source? are programmers better off going to open source?

If you ever get up in front of an audience and say "I know it's an eye chart," your presentation is headed down the wrong course. If I can't see (or have to strain) to figure out the story you are trying to tell, your message is being clouded out....

You can win a $500 marketing subsidy by attending an upcoming Ready to Go Webcast. Beyond that, it's worth a look to see if these the tools can help you update (or begin) your marketing best practices through the use of Microsoft Ready-to-Go Campaigns...

If there's one factor that determines event success, it's having a long ti me horizon to prepare and generate demand . Looks like our business isn't the only one where this is true. I saw this morning that the first Democrat Presidential Debate is next...

Anyone who has ever been to one of our Shark Tank blitzes knows a few things. The good you get focused calling time you get to network with the MS employees and other partners you get pizza and have a good time The bad the quality of the list is not the...

I get off the plane in Chicago and look at my T-mobile Dash. Bang...the timezone was automatically updated. Love that!

Flying to Redmond for a few days. I get an email last night from United re: automated check-in. Great! I go through the process and then I see an offer. Redeem 15,000 miles for a First Class Upgrade. I figure, what the heck, let's give it a whirl (redeeming...

Read an article a few weeks ago in SmartMoney about high-end spas/resorts where the rich go to refresh themselves. They are in unusual locales, or at least that was the theme of the article. For a work retreat last week, I went to Nemacolin which may...

If someone asks you, "which is more secure a Mac or Windows machine?" Everyone will say Mac, right? I'm not saying that's incorrect, all I'm saying is that I think there's a perception out there that Macs are invincible. Link to Myth crushed as hacker...

Some may have thought I was a bit harsh after the last partner marketing call , but our awesome partners didn't (see the comments on the post ). What a GREAT response and some great conversation! They took Seth Godin's advice on meetings to heart ...

If you are doing an event before June 15th and have funds allocated for reimbursement, here's a PSA from the Partner Events Team. If you could instruct each partner that in order to receive reimbursement funding, there are a few “rules” they need...

For those of you who are "tele-managed" partners, there's a good chance that your PAM sits in our Fargo, ND facility (a legacy of the Great Plains acquisition, I believe). I had never met Gail, one of the reps who handles Mid-Atlantic partners until this...

With DVR's, it's old news that people don't watch commercials anymore. Product placement was the next evolution and as I watched the Apprentice lat night, (yes, I still do), the bulk of the storyline centered on Renuzit's Super Odor Neutralizer . So,...