Will McNae
Turning pattern insight into partner performance — harmonizing cloud ecosystems with strategic precision.
I unify marketing, sales, and technical delivery—turning complex partner ecosystems into repeatable revenue engines.
Proven results:
- $1.46M/month net-new Azure CSP revenue growth
- $250M consumed revenue influenced
- 500+ partners scaled in under 12 months
My training in music and art taught me to see patterns others miss — what looks impossible is often just undiscovered design. I bring that same creative clarity to partner ecosystems, making complexity simple and scalable.
1
Technical Program Leadership
Built scalable frameworks, enablement, and playbooks that empowered 500+ partners to deliver enterprise-grade cloud, security, and AI solutions.
2
Strategic Alliances &
Co-Sell Leader
Co-Sell Leader
Driving Cloud Growth with Pattern-Driven Precision and Creative Clarity
3
Revenue Creator
Turning incentives into $250M+ Azure opportunities, $1M+ net-new monthly CSP recurring revenue generated
4
Cutting-Edge Expertise
Mastering Gen AI, Copilot, Security, customer usage propensity models
5
Thought Leader
Speaker & playbook author sharing best practices
Career Journey at a Glance
About Me:
I build partner revenue engines in ecosystems like Microsoft — turning incentives, co-sell alignment, and field enablement into pipeline SIs/ISVs can bank on. What really fuels me? Creative clarity. My background in music and art taught me to see patterns others miss — and I apply that same lens to cloud ecosystems. Impossible is just another word for undiscovered patterns.
Results: +25% YoY Azure Consumed Revenue, +$1.46M/month CSP growth, $250M ACR influenced across 35 Security offers and MXDR with 25 MSSPs, and $3M+ partner-earned incentives.
I thrive on simplifying the complex — whether that’s translating AI and Security into co-sell plays partners can execute, or turning incentive frameworks into measurable and repeatable revenue.
I make Cloud + AI, CoPilot, Security, and propensity models usable — codified into plays, enablement, and meaningful KPIs. If you’re scaling Azure/ Security/ GenAI, let’s collaborate on your 90-day Co-Sell blueprint that produces measurable wins.
Results at scale:
25%
Innovation
Unlocked new YoY revenue growth by creating consumed revenue systems and customer propensity frameworks based on next-logical-workload plays.
$1.46M
Growth
Created net-new recurring revenues in 6 months with Azure CSP cloud services partners (SI) using Co-Sell, lead referral, and marketplace GTM motions.
$3M
Scale
Built & published over 35 GTM marketplace offers which supported 200+ Microsoft incentive opportunities driving partner-earned incentives ($3M).
How I work:
My work is fueled by integrity, collaboration, and creativity. I believe success in partner ecosystems comes from arming others to win — sellers, solution architects, and partner executives — and leaving behind scalable playbooks and frameworks they can own with purpose. I harmonize data with empathy — arming teams and partners to win not just efficiently, but artfully.
I believe the best place to get started is with GTM and the field motions (Microsoft, AWS, MCEM, Solution plays). Make incentives simple. Arm sellers with differentiated solutions, proof assets, and operational clarity. I author playbooks, lead enablement, and leave behind dashboards that show where to land, expand, and renew. I recently authored the Azure Growth SI Playbook, delivered the Azure Accelerated Learning Series (~30 partners/session), and built a Specialization ROI model that converts certifications into forecastable services revenue.
Core competencies:
Strategic Alliances, Co-Sell & Incentives (Marketplace, Transactable Offers), ISV/SI GTM, Microsoft Security & Copilot, Offer Creation, Propensity Modeling & Insights, Partner Center Optimization, Field/Seller Alignment (i.e. MCEM), Customer Acquisition, Executive Partner Enablement.
Call to action:
If you're an ISV or SI looking to compress time-to-revenue with intent and insight, let’s design a 90-day co-sell plan with precision and purpose — where creativity completes the strategy by turning incentives → meetings → pipeline → revenue.
Let’s build it with creativity, clarity, and a system that scales.
What others have said about me:
Peer feedback:
"Will did a great job walking me through his tool and resources for analyzing service levels. He went above and beyond, generously sharing insights that will help both my partners and me. His partner center enablement around referrals and reporting was extremely valuable."
Partner/ Client feedback:
"Will is our Azure Success Manager, based in Seattle. He has impressive court vision well beyond his specific role within Microsoft. His collaborative efforts with the team are commendable, making him a key player in our success within the MSFT ecosystem."
Manager feedback (2024-2025):
Within six months of joining Microsoft, Will rapidly integrated with internal teams and applied a customer-centric, data-driven approach to Azure consumption growth—building propensity-to-grow and churn-risk models from customer data, developing visual tools for granular workload expansion, and creating an ROI calculator linking Microsoft specializations and funded engagements to partner revenue. These innovations, which included go-to-market plays drove a 25% year-to-date ACR increase (approximately $1 million in net new revenue) and were recognized as best practices to scale. Will took ownership of the Azure Accelerated Learning Series, delivering multiple sessions to 30+ partners per month, authored the ASM System Integrator Playbook, and led enablement on incentives, co-selling, profitability, and co-op funding, while mentoring peers and contributing to strategic customer-insights and reporting projects—earning recognition as a unique and highly valuable asset to the team.
Top Skills:
Top Skills
Cloud Marketplace Strategy & GTM
Co-Sell Strategy
Microsoft Partner Center Operations
Strategic Alliances
HubSpot
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Conversion Optimization
Certifications
Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate (SC-200)
Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate (MS-700)
Microsoft Fundamentals: Security, Azure, Azure AI, Microsoft 365, Dynamics, Power Platform
Inbound Marketing Certified Professional (HubSpot)
Contact
willmcnae @ outlook.com
Seattle, WA, United States
Career Experience
Microsoft
October 2024 - July 2025 (10 months)
Azure Partner Success Manager
- Drove 25% ACR YoY (~$1M NNR) by operationalizing workload-level ACR analysis and NLW propensity signals across the partner portfolio.
- Built an ROI model linking specializations + Incentives to services revenue; guided exec investment decisions.
- Delivered the Azure Accelerated Learning Series; led 4 sessions with ~30 partners/session to scale co-sell, incentives, and Partner Center execution. Authored the Azure Growth Playbook for SI's to standardize offers, referrals, and maturity engagement.
- Launched GTM plays (Security, M365 Threat Protection, Data & AI, Security/Purview) to expand Defender/Sentinel attach.
The Partner Masters
1 year 2 months
Director, Managed Partner Program
September 2023 - October 2024 (1 year)
- Built & scaled a Managed Partner Program to hundreds of partners over six months, teaching how-to sessions including incentives, referrals and co-sell motions.
- Launched "Microsoft Mastery" webinars from 0 to 100+ weekly attendees. Optimized Partner Center + incentives (CSP/ AMM/ Innovate/ Transactable) to raise partner profitability by double digit growth rates (10-30%+).
- Aligned partner sales with Microsoft's sales methodology "MCEM" and FY plays to increase field engagement.
- Advised executives on GTM best practices for Azure & Security offers to shorten sales cycles and increase services revenue.
Microsoft
July 2021 - October 2023 (2 years 4 months)
Partner Solution Architect – Security, Americas GPS
- Built 35 co-sell security offers (Defender, Sentinel) to standardize GTM for services and ISV partners, influencing $250M in ACR.
- Enabled 25 MSSPs with assessments/POCs/workshops to embed MXDR, expanding their security capacity and capabilities across US regions.
- Orchestrated field/engineering/marketing to remove sales and services delivery bottlenecks, reducing partner time-to-market and missed referral opportunities.
- Authored 25 win-wires to replicate motions across the U.S. partner ecosystem.
- Measured solution offer performance and retired low-yield marketplace listings, focusing investment on top quartile conversions.
Microsoft
September 2017 - August 2021 (4 years)
Partner Technology Strategist - US One Commercial Partner
- Orchestrated co-sell with global & national service providers across Azure, Modern Work, and Data & AI, aligning to MCEM and FY solution plays to drive engagement and accepted deals.
- Transformed partner services into repeatable assessments → workshops → POCs, standardized Partner Center listings, and cut time-to-first co-sell by streamlining technical validation and field handoffs.
- Enabled partner presales & delivery (architecture reviews, landing zones, app modernization, M365 security) and accelerated specialization paths (e.g., Infra, Security, Modern Work).
- Activated incentives (MCI/AMM) and built simple frameworks for pipeline/ACR/CSP tracking, turning funded engagements into forecastable opportunities.
- Advanced marketplace strategy (Azure Marketplace/AppSource) to improve co-sell eligibility & partner profitability.
Microsoft
January 2016 - September 2017 (1 year 9 months)
SMB Partner Marketing, Security and Windows 10
- Secured $1M to launch EMS (Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite) in SMB via scale partners; landed multi-million U.S. targets from worldwide.
- Launched a multi-year "Framework for Engagement" for partners to exceed revenue targets by 25%.
SAP Concur
October 2014 - January 2016 (1 year 4 months)
National Channel Development Manager, ERP Partners
- Forged alliances with top ERP consultancies to open a mid-market route-tomarket, generating $1M+ new revenue.
- Co-designed repeatable sales plays to attach Concur to ERP cycles, lifting win rates by 20%.
- Enabled partner SEs and AEs through joint demos and ROI models, shortening cycles.
- Built executive dashboards to track sourced vs. influenced pipeline, improving forecast accuracy.
- Negotiated GTM plans to drive predictable campaign lift.
Connection Model, LLC
November 2011 - October 2014 (3 years)
Digital Marketing Strategist
Scope: Led client engagements end-to-end post-sale across HubSpot CMS/migrations, SEO, content ops, landing pages/Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), paid search, social publishing, and mobile web. Owned KPIs, dashboards, and executive readouts.
- Built & launched full-funnel inbound programs (content calendar, SEO pillars, lead magnets, nurture) to increase MQL volume and lower CPL across SMB and mid-market accounts.
- Migrated client sites to HubSpot CMS and re-platformed blogs/landing pages, improving page speed and mobile conversion while standardizing analytics and governance.
- Designed SEO architecture (topic clusters, internal linking, schema) and optimized technical/on-page factors, driving organic traffic growth and rank improvements on priority terms.
- Activated paid search (Google Ads) with structured testing (SKAGs, bid/QA rules, ad extensions) and A/B tested landing pages to raise CVR and reduce CPA.
- Operationalized reporting in HubSpot + Google Analytics, publishing weekly KPI scorecards (traffic, CVR, CPL, pipeline influence) and executive QBRs with "next best test" plans.
Tooling/Stack: HubSpot (CMS, Marketing Hub, workflows, forms), Google Ads, Google Analytics, Tag Manager, Search Console, WordPress, basic HTML/CSS, Optimizely/Unbounce, Hootsuite.
Microsoft
September 2005 - July 2011 (5 years 11 months)
Microsoft Partner Account Manager and Business Development Manager
- Built strategic partnerships and surpassed revenue targets by launching a multi-year "Framework for Engagement" that enhanced partner licensing and adoption success. Helped partners acquire new clients through scalable relationship management and partner enablement strategies.
Strategic Impact in Action
Driving Customer Value with Repeatable Co-Sell Plays
Designed a consulting system aligning incentives, solution assessments, and co-sell motions to maximize lifetime customer value. Codified into sales maturing stages (MCEM) to accelerate adoption of Azure services, Security, Copilot, and AI workloads across partner portfolios and technical delivery capabilities.
Turning Data into Growth Decisions
Built consumption and performance dashboards to track ACR growth, segment risk for churn, and highlight category-level adoption trends. Enabled executives and partner sellers to see where to invest, when to intervene, and how to expand recurring Azure consumption.
Scaling Partner Success from Assess → Success
Developed a tactical roadmap that guided partners through assessment, insights, targeting, enablement, and execution. Resulted in repeatable co-sell wins, ROI on specializations, and accelerated Azure growth with measurable outcomes.
Technical Partner Excellence
Aligned Experiences to future MSP or ISV Role
Microsoft Experience
Bringing a proven track record of partner enablement and solution development.
Partner Technology Strategist (PTS)
- Created joint technical growth and solution goals across global and national MSPs including Services, ISV, and Large Licensing partners.
- Enabled US and Global partners across Azure, Modern Work, Data to deliver professional and managed services.
- Built solution frameworks aligning partner capabilities with Microsoft priorities.
- Created new solution offers aligned to growth initiatives and enabled their sales, marketing, & technical delivery teams to be profitable co-selling with Microsoft.
Partner Solution Architect (PSA)
- Scaled across the US partner business organization (GPS) as the lead Security solution architect for strategy and technical execution.
- Partnered with engineering teams to validate solution builds and delivery aligned to the Well-Architected Framework principles.
- Co-created 35+ security solutions with ISVs/MSPs and published offers to Marketplace.
- Delivered technical enablement, workshops, demos, and solution adoption assessments in-person and via webinars at scale to hundreds of partner attendees.
Learning Solutions (PDM)
- Supported Learning Solutions and Technical Certification Partners (e.g. New Horizons, Global Knowledge, etc) with learning strategies and customer adoption of technology.
- Built strategic partnerships and surpassed revenue targets by launching a multi-year "Framework for Engagement" that enhanced licensing and adoption.
Mapping to future Role
Directly transferable skills for driving success within the ecosystem.
Design & Execution of Scalable Technical Programs
- Authored playbooks and Consulting frameworks (Azure Growth SI, Accelerated Learning Series) for 500+ partners.
- Standardized frameworks for repeatable, scalable enablement motions delivered by weekly webinars, hands-on workshops with delivery professionals, and Hackathons scaling up to 100 attendees.
Intersection of Tech, GTM, and Growth
- Built GTM campaigns and published solution offers to Marketplace, automated Partner CRM lead management, measured conversion of marketing opps to sales pipeline to delivery projects.
- Integrated technical workshops with sales & marketing to accelerate partner revenue and create repeatable value proposition.
Programmatic Engagement Across Portfolio
- Influenced $250M in cloud revenues via repeatable co-sell programs.
- Developed long-term partner maturity models by creating a specialization ROI and cert-to-services revenue alignment tool.
Co-Sell Execution Framework
Equity You Control, Currency Sellers Use
Co-sell is a "Lego" build: cloud providers and partners watch for the finished model — wins, attach, transactability — but that model only stands when the foundational blocks are in place. Solution designations and specializations (the baseplate), published Marketplace offers and solution plays (the outer shell), attached to every outbound referral (the studs that lock pieces together), and disciplined sales methodology hygiene (MCEM) to convert attention into wins.
When those blocks connect, equity compounds — and you move from “we can” to “we did, repeatedly.”
It’s like composing music: every block, like every note, matters. Put them in the right sequence, and what might seem like noise becomes harmony — and the ecosystem scales with impact.
Build the Right Blocks. Win the Right Deals.
Building Your Co-sell Engine: A Systematic Approach
With services delivery capabilities and an abundance of ISV application choices, the gap is typically execution rigor: disciplined referral hygiene, services & transactable offers, measurable MACC consumption (with Azure ISV partners), and repeatable consistency. Build a system to drive results with Microsoft, your sellers, and your channel.
Where do we go from here?
Start where impact is most critical to your success. Run Enablement to teach and activate, or Enablement + Build to operationalize operations platforms (e.g. Partner Center + CRM) so the system runs on its own. Everything is modular and compounding.
Engagement modes
- Enablement Sprint (4–6 weeks) — Workshops + toolkits to move sellers and GTM now.
Outcome: fluent in co-sell mechanics, first referrals moving.
- Execution Build (90 days) — Create operational efficiency in the control plane of Partner Center, build & publish marketplace offers (transactable/MPO), and stand up weekly co-sell rhythm.
Outcome: measurable lift in accepted referrals, attach %, % transacted/MACC, and deal close time.
- Full Program (Quarterly cadence) — Continue ops run, automation, deal desk, dashboard, and QBRs.
Outcome: durable, scalable co-sell engine across Arrow + channel.
Step 1: Build the Offer
Build:
Nail the pain + mapped solution workload; published transactable offer or optimized for Co-Sell services (plans/ pricing/ private offer/ MPO/ certified software).
Run:
Produce the GTM kit with 1-pager, 90-sec explainer video, website landing page, content strategy, ROI calculator, demo path.
Measure:
Seller activation, demo requests, Incentives approvals.
“What must be true for a Microsoft seller to put this in front of a customer tomorrow and know our solution and value proposition drives mutual success?"
Deliverables: 2–3 seller-ready offers, price/pack, marketplace offers which may be transactable/MPO in design, 1-pager, 90-sec explainer, ROI calc.
KPIs: seller activations, demo requests, incentive approvals.
KPIs: seller activations, demo requests, incentive approvals.
Marketplace as Sales Channel
Companies leave revenue on the table by misunderstanding how Marketplace can actually drive sales. When customers purchase through a Marketplace, sellers quota credit/relief and help customers apply cloud commitments (MACC, Enterprise Agreements). This transforms Marketplace from a procurement tool into an active sales channel.
Most partners treat Marketplace like a product catalog—they list solutions and wait, or worse yet they forget and never look back. The real opportunity lies in positioning offers to incentivize sellers. When configured correctly, your solution becomes something a cloud provider actively promotes.
Three Critical Moves to Explore
Transactable eligible offers enable Sellers to earn commission and help customers draw down commitments.
Certified software with co-sell readiness elevates priority in Microsoft's seller ecosystem.
Streamlined buying path through private offers (24-48 hour turnaround) drives genuine engagement from the field and your priority ISVs.
Stop treating Marketplace like a dusty shelf. Configure it as a sales channel. Show sellers their compensation path, simplify the purchase process, and engage actively.
Bundle Strategy
For distributors with a Channel business, or MSPs with access to a portfolio of collaborative applications, bundle ISV transactable SKUs with professional and managed services:
- Publish bundle offers mirroring ISV Marketplace content with private offer pricing
- Secure CPOR for Modern Work and Cloud Business Applications services and map bundles to Partner Center/CRM using offer IDs
- Provide channel kits including white-label collateral, pricing frameworks, and private offer request processes
This approach transforms traditional technology implementation and channel distribution into active marketplace revenue generation.
Step 2: Target with Data Insights
Build:
Named-account lists by region/segment using propensity signals (consumption trends, workloads in place, usage gaps, incidents, industry triggers).
Run:
“Why this account, why now” analysis models + outreach scripts for AEs/SSPs/PDMs; next-logical-workload plays based on Land & Expand methodology.
Measure:
Referral acceptance %, meetings set, initial solution-attach rate.
“If we can only pursue 10 accounts this quarter, which accounts have the highest probability to add workloads?”
Deliverables: Top-50 accounts in US (Azure & M365 workloads, renewals, MACC and ISV opportunities), “why now” briefs, outreach story development.
KPIs: referral acceptance %, meetings set, initial attach rate.
KPIs: referral acceptance %, meetings set, initial attach rate.
Target with Data Insights: Signal-Based Field Focus
Direct your GTM and seller effort toward highest-probability attach or net-new opportunities using consumption patterns, workload gaps, and commercial pressures. Transform signals into targeted, persona-specific outreach. The use of AI tools like Copilot and Chat GPT play an important role in analyzing signals and market pressures on your prospects - before you have the first meeting.
Creating your own Agents to research your prioritized customers or pipeline opportunities will allow creative insights in a forward-thinking approach.
Critical Signals for Targeting
Consumption trends reveal growth trajectories across Azure services—Compute, Storage, Networking, SQL, App Services, AI/ML. Growth patterns indicate expansion readiness and budget availability. M365, Security, and Business Apps benefit from routine assessments for user adoption and feature use. Ensuring users with an E5 license are using the full potential is critical to their long-term success and monetization of incentives.
Workload gaps expose attach opportunities. VM sprawl without Defender for Cloud, absent Sentinel deployments, or legacy SQL on IaaS signal security and modernization needs. M365 users without Defender for Endpoint enabled, etc.
AI readiness indicators combine heavy SQL/IaaS footprints with GenAI discussions. This signals PaaS modernization opportunities through Azure SQL MI/DB, governance via Purview, and Fabric/AI use cases. Using Copilot without driving adoption of Copilot Studio.
Risk triggers include low first-party security adoption, recent incidents, audit findings, and compliance deadlines. These create urgency and budget allocation.
Commercial pressure points focus on MACC balance timing, EA renewal windows, and Marketplace purchase history. These drive decision velocity.
When direct consumption data isn't available, use proxies: renewal dates, hiring patterns, public job postings, partner-shared architecture reviews, and seller intelligence. Leverage your AI tools and create and train Agents to do this research for your teams.
Propensity Scoring Model
Build a Top-50 target list per region using weighted scoring aligned to your sales motion:
Scoring criteria (0-5 scale):
- Consumption Growth: >20% quarterly = 5; flat = 2; declining = 1
- Workload Footprint: Service breadth across VMs, SQL, Storage, Networking, PaaS
- Security Gap: High when VMs/SQL present without Defender/Sentinel
- Data Modernization Need: High for SQL-on-VMs + GenAI interest; medium for mixed; low for PaaS-native
- MACC Pressure: Large balances expiring within 2 quarters = 5
- Renewal Urgency: EA/commit renewals within 6 months = 5
Include coverage fields so that execution is real: assign PDM, AE/SSP, district, and partner coverage to enable real field activation.
Step 3: Co-Sell Equity Engine
Build:
Automations within Partner Center → CRM auto-create with owner/MS seller/workload/offer ID; enforce solution offer attachment to referrals; MCEM stage gating, Incentives ROI mapped to Specializations.
Run:
Incentives + commerce: PAL/CPOR capture, Incentives workflow, private offers/MPO process, transactable SKUs, Lead referral systems; weekly hygiene SLAs (accept ≤48h, update ≤7d).
Measure:
Accepted referrals, median days accepted → won, attach compliance ≥95%, % deals transacted, Specialization ROI.
"Which metrics are measured by Microsoft to evaluate our potential to effectively win deals Co-Selling with their teams, and are we building the right Lego blocks?"
Deliverables: setup automation for referrals from your CRM to Partner Center (owner/MS seller/workload/offer ID/MACC flag), attach co-sell ready solution to every referral habit, MCEM process hygiene.
KPIs: accepted referrals, median days accepted→won, attach ≥95%, % transacted/MACC.
KPIs: accepted referrals, median days accepted→won, attach ≥95%, % transacted/MACC.
Co-Sell Equity Engine: Control Your Microsoft Scorecard
Partner Center integrated with CRM becomes your control plane for Microsoft field credibility. Partners determine their leaderboard position through referral quality, offer attach discipline, MCEM hygiene, and accurate win/loss reporting of their opportunities AND co-sell ready solution offers. At scale, this requires automated CRM thru to Partner Center synchronization with governance.
Microsoft's Scorecard Metrics
Referral performance: Volume created, acceptance rate, median days to acceptance. Quality beats quantity when acceptance rates exceed 80%.
Attach discipline: Percentage of referrals with solution offers attached, stage progression freshness, notes quality. Microsoft prioritizes partners who consistently attach transactable offers.
Sales velocity: Median days from acceptance to close, win rates, average deal size. Fast movers get more field attention and priority access to seller time.
Transaction execution: Percentage transacted via Marketplace, private offer volume, MACC application rates. Direct correlation between marketplace usage and Microsoft investment.
Incentive alignment: PAL/CPOR attribution accuracy, ECIF approval rates (e.g. MCI Partner-led and Field-led), specialization ROI tied to actual wins. Clean attribution drives program benefits.
Field signaling: Consistent Partner-led vs. Assist requests with rapid follow-through. Ambiguous asks create seller frustration and reduced engagement.
Implementation Framework
Automated CRM synchronization eliminates manual data entry errors. Auto-create referrals from co-sell flagged opportunities with bi-directional updates for owner, stage, amount, close date, win/loss status, and progress notes.
Required field validation ensures data completeness: Owner, MS Seller email, Customer tenant/domain, Workload/Solution Area, Offer ID, MACC flag, Partner-led vs. Assist designation, Next step with date, Estimated amount, Industry, Country.
Referral-attach enforcement prevents stage advancement without valid Offer IDs and co-sell ready solutions attached. The digital-equity and visibility you create when properly attaching your own solutions is critical to your long-term success.
MCEM stage gating implements exit criteria validation. Each stage requires unique and different notes, next steps with dates, decision maker identification, and proof asset usage. Lost opportunities need standardized reason codes including competitor, blocker, and pricing details.
Explicit engagement models differentiate Partner-led (partner drives cycle, requests intros/validation) from Assist requests (specific checklist: workload SSP intros, ECIF funding, executive sponsors, private offer support, solution validation).
Data governance defines field ownership, allowed values, update cadence, and performance SLAs: referral acceptance ≤48 hours, updates ≤7 days, attach compliance ≥95%.
Turn your mythologies, systems, and philosophy into leaderboard equity.
Step 4: Activate the Field
Build:
Understand each party's motivators (Revenue goals, Consumption targets, accelerated workloads, Frontier-ready KPIs), Joint account planning with Sellers and PDM; account target lists by geo and segment; objection handling & competitive traps.
Run:
Weekly co-sell standup; ECIF-funded POCs; deal-desk guidance to issue private offers within 24–48h with ISVs.
Measure:
Meetings with Field teams, win-rate lift when ECIF/transactable offers used, Microsoft-sourced vs. partner-sourced mix.
“If a Microsoft Seller pings us today, how fast do we deliver: a meeting, a POV plan, and a solution play-aligned offer?”
Deliverables: joint planning with PDMs and appropriate AE / STU, Incentives profitability + POV success plan, deal desk capable of private offers/MPO in 24–48h, weekly co-sell standup.
KPIs: meetings/POVs per district, win-rate lift with ECIF/private offers, MS-sourced vs partner-sourced mix.
KPIs: meetings/POVs per district, win-rate lift with ECIF/private offers, MS-sourced vs partner-sourced mix.
Activate the Field: Speak Microsoft Seller Language
Success requires dropping your own ego and speaking Microsoft seller outcomes. It can be really difficult, feel awkward, and at times even feels like there's an authentic piece to the relationship building process missing. But that can and should be done before and after this step of driving results with a seller. Microsoft reps care about quota retirement, MACC drawdown, and platform adoption — not your features or services at this moment.
Three Common Outreach Failures
Product-focused messaging ignores MCEM stage alignment. Don't pitch deployment outcomes during Listen & Consult or technical POCs during an early MCEM stage. Match your seller value to their current stage—discovery workshops for early stages, verifiable outcomes like "Azure landing zone deployed" for later stages.
Missing buying path misaligns stage and action. If you're asking for help in pre-sales but referencing post-purchase deployment milestones, sellers can't connect the dots. Align your ask with MCEM stage exit criteria—qualified opportunity creation, technical validation, or purchase decision.
Vague partnership requests lack stage-specific verifiable outcomes. Replace "let's explore this opportunity" with MCEM-aligned asks: "30-min alignment on to qualify a $2M opportunity against Inspire & Design exit criteria and advance to Empower & Achieve stage with attached Marketplace offer and managed services."
Seller Value Framework
Frame every interaction around Microsoft seller scorecards. Lead with quota impact, platform adoption metrics, and customer success outcomes that matter to field compensation. Your solution's technical brilliance matters less than its ability to help sellers hit numbers and advance Microsoft platform adoption.
Make it simple to say yes. Provide deal details, referral IDs, estimated closing dates, and clear next steps. Sellers need ammunition for their pipeline reviews, not product demos.
Step 5: Convert & Expand
Build:
Post-win success plan including future workload adoption; Frontier-ready enablement roadmap, reference package; vertical/region playbooks (Security, Cloud & AI, AI Business solutions).
Run:
Land → expand to next workloads; publish & scale win stories; quarterly scorecard & exec QBR.
Measure:
ARR from expansions, attach per win, % wins turned into references, total MACC drawdown.
“What is the next workload we will sell to this customer within 90 days—and what problem does it solve?”
Deliverables: 90-day success plan, next-workload plays to Land & Expand, reference and Win wire library, vertical and industry use-case examples.
KPIs: expansion ARR, attach per win, % wins → references, total MACC drawdown, CSP revenue consumption growth %, ISV attach win examples.
KPIs: expansion ARR, attach per win, % wins → references, total MACC drawdown, CSP revenue consumption growth %, ISV attach win examples.
Convert & Expand: Repeatable Growth Engine
Transform closed-won deals into multi-workload expansion, reference assets, and visible MACC/CSP growth through systematic 90-day cycles.
Build Foundation Assets
90-Day Success Plans define adoption milestones with owners and dates, telemetry monitoring, risk flags, next-workload triggers, target MACC application, and private offer pathways for each account.
Next-Workload Playbooks follow "if X is live, sell Y next" logic across Security, Data/AI, Modern Work, and Infrastructure. Each playbook includes value proposition, proof requirements, POV scope, Marketplace offer ID, and 24-48 hour private offer SLA.
Reference factory workflows establish referenceable account criteria, request processes, one-page win summary templates, and verticalized case study assets for field enablement.
AI-readiness roadmap provides enablement paths for AI/Copilot adoption, data governance through Purview/Fabric, and security hardening to support credible AI implementations.
AI Account Brief Agent generates pre-meeting intelligence for Sales and Marketing teams, synthesizing consumption patterns, expansion opportunities, and competitive positioning.
Operating Motions
Land-to-expand cadence drives day-0 onboarding, day-30/60 value validation, and day-90 expansion planning with "what we'll add next" decision points.
Win story amplification converts every closed deal into Win Wire communications for internal and Microsoft field consumption while updating Marketplace offers with fresh proof points.
Quarterly business reviews aggregate expansion ARR, attach rates per win, reference additions, MACC drawdown, and CSP growth. Sessions identify next plays and remove expansion blockers.
Expansion deal desk provides pre-approved discount bands, 24-48 hour private offer turnaround for add-ons, and ready ECIF kits for proof-of-value engagements.
Success Metrics
Expansion performance: ARR growth per account and cohort, average Microsoft solution attaches added post-initial win, percentage of wins converting to references with time-to-reference tracking.
Commercial impact: Total MACC drawdown from expansion deals, transaction percentage through Marketplace, CSP revenue growth rates where partners maintain customer relationships.
Influence measurement: ISV attach examples with count and dollar influence, demonstrating partner-driven Microsoft platform adoption.
Stage Checkpoint Question: "What is the next workload we will sell to this customer within 90 days—what problem does it solve, and what proof will unlock it?"
Give sellers clarity, proof, data, and a buying path — then measure it relentlessly. Co-sell isn’t a one-time isolated pitch; it’s a system. When your designations, specializations, transactable offers, attached referrals, and MCEM hygiene snap together in Partner Center + CRM, equity compounds — sellers choose you.
Education
University of Denver
B.M, Music Performance
SoundCloud recordings of original compositions by Will McNae
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