eBook

How to Become a
Microsoft Partner

Your guide to building and growing a successful

Microsoft practice
If you are an independent software vendor, or provide services around
Microsoft products, becoming a Microsoft Partner will give you access to a
wealth of professional tools and resources that will help you to grow your
business.

Through the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN), you will get access to
support, training and software for your company. You will also get access to
recognition for your success through competency programs.
More information: see Microsoft’s Why partner with us? page on the MPN.

If you are new to the Microsoft ecosystem, you might be feeling a little bit
overwhelmed with the amount of information and resources that are available
to Microsoft Partners. This guide breaks down the process of becoming a
Partner into 10 easy steps, from the initial registration to the tools you’ll need
in order to grow and be successful.
STEP 1 - Join the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN)

What is the MPN?

The Microsoft Partner Network is your first stop on

your journey to becoming a Microsoft Partner.

It’s a hub filled with invaluable information and

resources to support you every step of the way.

It’s also your gateway to the Microsoft Partner

Name Center, which is the portal on which you will be
managing every aspect of your membership.

GO TO THE MPN
JOINING THE MPN

Click Become a partner on the Microsoft Partner Network homepage, or go directly to

the Partner Centre Enrolment page.

Follow the steps and provide the requested information. This will create a free account
for you on MPN and Partner Centre.
 GETTING FAMILIAR WITH MPN
AND PARTNER CENTRE

Take a look around the Microsoft Partner Network website: it’s full of resources around
all aspects of building and growing your Partner practice.

Log in to Partner Centre – this is where you can update your business profile and see
your membership options.

Learn how to use Partner Centre by reading through the Partner Center Documentation
on Microsoft Docs.
 STEP 2 – CHOOSE YOUR SOLUTION AREA

Modern Workplace Azure Business Applications

Modern Workplace is a set of Azure is the Microsoft Cloud Business Applications support and
solutions geared towards employee platform. It includes infrastructure enhance your customer’s business
solutions, data management, AI
productivity and satisfaction, as and IoT. processes with Dynamics 365 and
well as collaboration. It includes Power Platform
solutions like Microsoft 365, Teams
and Security.

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 STEPS TO DEFINING YOUR SOLUTION
1. Opportunity – Which products and areas of Microsoft opportunity are right for you? Use the
resources on the previous page.

2. Business Problem - What is the business problem you are solving?

3. Solution - What is your solution to this business problem?

4. Benefits - What are the benefits of your solution? Can you quantify them?

5. Value Proposition - What is your unique value proposition?

6. Door Opener – What gets you through the door at the customer?

7. Target Customer - Who is it aimed at? Which industry? Who is your perfect customer?

8. Commercials & Profit – Is your solution project-based or an ongoing managed service?

9. References - Are there transferable capabilities or references to support it?

 STEP 3 - Get your membership
The MPN offers four levels of membership on top of the free MPN registration. Each membership comes with its own level of benefits and services. You learn more about memberships
on the MPN Partner Offer page.

Microsoft Action Pack Solutions Partner Badges Advanced Specializations Expert MSP Programs
The Microsoft Action Pack is an
affordable yearly subscription Solutions Partner Badges become Advanced specializations are This level is for top Azure Managed
designed to help you grow your available to you once you have met for Partners who demonstrate Services Providers (MSPs). It gives
practice in the early stages. This is a specific set of performance deep knowledge in a specific you the highest level of support from
the level you will need to start with, criteria. solution area. Microsoft, top priority for customer
unless you qualify for the more referrals, access to training, and
They highlight your expertise in a They further increase your
advanced packages. sales support.
specific Solution Area and open up visibility to customers by
more opportunities for you. showing that you are meeting To reach this level, you will need to
It comes with software licences,
exceptionally high standards in meet a set of advanced
support and branding resources to
your area of specialization prerequisites.
get you started on your Partner
journey.

Learn more Learn more Learn more Learn more

 How to pick your membership level
Because of the rewards and exposure that come with the
more advanced levels of membership, it is beneficial to pick
the highest level of membership you can achieve in the
current state of your Partner journey.

The criteria for reaching the more advanced membership

levels include revenue, number of new customers, number of
Microsoft-certified employees, customer success.

Additional Notes
Membership levels work per solution area, so you can have
L E AR N M O R E
more than one if you are involved in several
L E AR N M O R E
solution areas.
L E AR N M O R E
 For new Partners

If you are entirely new to delivering Microsoft solutions,

chances are you will need to start at the Action Pack
membership level.

To get started with your purchase, check this guide from

Microsoft: How to purchase or renew your competency
or Microsoft Action Pack.

L E AR N M O R E L E AR N M O R E L E AR N M O R E
 For Existing Partners

If you have already been working with Microsoft

solutions, you may qualify for a Solutions Partner Badge.

If you do, you will be able to find this out in Microsoft

Partner Centre. The platform will tell you which badge(s)
you qualify for and provide you with the link to use to
purchase or apply for the badge you want.

L E AR N M O R E L E AR N M O R E L E AR N M O R E
STEP 4 - Find the right licensing agreement

In order to sell Microsoft solutions, you will need to either establish a reseller account (Direct Partner), or partner with a
Microsoft Distributor (Indirect Reseller).

Microsoft offer a variety of licensing agreements for their Partners, depending on the type of software and services they
provide. To find out which licensing agreement is right for you: Microsoft licensing agreements. This page lists all the
licensing agreements available to Microsoft Partners, and contains links to the information you need both for becoming a
reseller and for finding a distributor.
STEP 5 - Build your team

Once you have established which solutions to sell and picked your licensing agreement, you’re going to need to build
a team to sell, deliver and support your Microsoft solutions.

Here are a few important steps to do this.

1 – Permanent employees vs 2 – Learn how to source talent in the 3 – Use the right hiring resources and
freelancers Microsoft ecosystem partners

If you are just getting started, hiring freelancers There is a shortage of skilled Microsoft technology It takes a special set of skills to find good
to work on your projects is a great way to experts. If you want to get a great team that will candidates in the Microsoft job market – and a
kickstart your implementation projects without deliver optimal results to your clients, it’s important solid network too. Having the right team
risking having a lot of resources on the bench members is essential to a successful
to learn the specificities of sourcing candidates in
as you build your customer list. implementation.
this particular market: how to attract the right
If you are more established, having your own candidates, how to screen CVs and interview, how
to build your employer brand. A reliable hiring partner with the right expertise
in-house consultants enables you to strengthen can make a big difference for you. Take a look
your own internal processes and your company at how we can support you through expert
identity, as well as encouraging loyalty and Microsoft hiring services.
career development. This is also a safer way of A good place to start is our collection of expert
article and guides about Hiring Strategy in the .
securing your Silver and Gold competencies.
Microsoft sector.
STEP 6 - Train your team

Whether you are cross-training your team from

another sector or working with already
experienced collaborators, being in the Microsoft
sector means needing regular training and
certification updates to keep up with product
updates.

There are two main options to receive Microsoft

training, and we recommend a combination of
both.
 Option 1: Free Training
Microsoft Learn is an amazing resource filled with
loads of free training courses and learning paths,
organised by solution and by role.

It’s also the place you need to go in order to see what

certifications are available and to book your exams.
The site also recommends which training corresponds
to which exam when you check the certification pages.

It’s always a good idea to look through the training

content available on Microsoft Learn to build more
knowledge and prepare for exams.

L E AR N M O R E L E AR N M O R E L E AR N M O R E
 Option 2: Instructor-led training

Instructor-led training gives your team the knowledge

and focus to prepare for their certification exams in the
most effective way. They get to hear from an industry
expert about real-life applications of what they are
learning as well.

We know it can be challenging to free up your team for

training, so we’re offering open schedule registrations
(where you can book one person at a time) as well as
private sessions (where you decide the dates and times
and we work around your commitments).

View our Courses below!

L E AR N M O R E L E AR N M O R E L E AR N M O R E
P R I VAT E T R AI N I N G M I C R O S O F T TAL E N T
SESSIONS C R E AT O R
 Building your Learning Path
When you explore the above resources, you may notice
that there are many certifications and many courses for
you to choose from.
It’s important for you to make sure you get the training
that is most relevant to your team and your
competencies.

If you’re not sure what is right for you or where to start,

book a free consultation with us about building your
learning path.

T R AI N I N G P L AN
C O N S U LTAT I O N
L E AR N M O R E L E AR N M O R E
Azure Courses
STEP 7 - Find and manage your customers
Get listed on the right Microsoft sites

Create your company profile on Commercial Marketplace in your Partner Centre account so that customers can find you and your services.

Your steps:

- Read the MPN page about how the Commercial Marketplace supports your practice.

- Create your Commercial Marketplace company profile in your Partner Centre account. (you will need to be signed in for the link to work)

- Check out what Commercial Marketplace looks like from the customer’s point of view

- List your SaaS offers and Apps in AppSource if you’re working with Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Power Platform

- List your Azure-based solutions on Azure Marketplace if you’re offering tools that can be useful to IT professionals and developers
 Get the Right Marketing Tools
Leverage the Marketing Resource Hub. It’s a collection of
Marketing tools tailored to your needs as a Microsoft
Partner. If you sign in to your Partner Centre account, you
will see personalised resources and offers that are relevant
to you on this page.

Learn how to manage your customers

on Partner Center
There’s a lot to learn when it comes to using and
leveraging Microsoft Partner Center. One important area
for you to get familiar with is customer management – to
learn how to use customer management features, read the
L E AR N M O R E L E AR N M O RConnect
E with Customers documentation
L E AR N on
M OMicrosoft
RE Docs.
STEP 8 - Build your practice

An essential success factor for Microsoft Partners is to

spend time building their practice from a strategic point of
view. This includes solution design, marketing strategies,
sales strategies and more.

Does the thought of doing this all on your own feel

overwhelming? Consider joining our BizApps Practice
Builder program.

We offer expert guidance, risk mitigation, and a

personalized roadmap tailored to your unique goals and
resources.

V I E W T H E B I Z AP P S
P R AC T I C E B U I L D E R
Learn practice building strategies

If you’re not quite ready for our guided program, start with the free tools offered by
Microsoft.

Discover the resources that are available to you on MPN to assess the state of your
practice; and learn the Microsoft five-phase approach to practice development on the Build
a Practice page.

By signing into your account, you will get access to e-books around accelerating digital
transformation and building a practice in a specific area.
Get into the Microsoft ecosystem

Join the Microsoft communities and stay up to date with important news and updates:

- Follow Microsoft on social media

- Keep an eye on the Microsoft Blog
- Read case studies and success stories
- Join the Microsoft Partner Community

.
STEP 9 – Get Recognized

Microsoft Partners who are great at what they do

get recognized through competencies and
awards.

Earning a competency or award gives you

increased opportunities and visibility, so it’s
important to start working on them now.

Regardless of your current membership level,

make sure you inform yourself about how you
could reach the next step up and build a strategy
to get there.
UNDERSTAND SOLUTIONS
PARTNER DESIGNATIONS
If you are at the action pack level, it’s important for you to understand how to obtain and
maintain your badges in your chosen solution areas.

To do this, go to the Solutions Partner page and check the requirements for your area of
focus, as well as the benefits that come with getting the badges.

The badges are attributed on a point-based system, the details of which you can see on the
page. You can also track how you are doing in your Microsoft Partner Center account.

For a high-level summary of what is changing, you can also check our blog article:
Microsoft Partner Competencies are changing this October – find out what is new
UNDERSTAND ADVANCED
MEMBERSHIPS
If you are a Gold partner, now is the time for you to dig into advanced memberships. There are two
options for you to look into.

- Discover advanced specializations

- Find out if the Expert MSP Program is right for you

Additional recognition opportunities

Through Digital Partner of Record (DPoR), you can associate your customers’ Microsoft software
subscription to you. This way, you can keep track of your successes as well as make sure you will
get the recognition (and regular payment) you deserve.

Take part in the Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards event. Each year, you can submit a
nomination to be considered for this award; winners are announced during the annual Microsoft
Inspire conference in the US, and publicised throughout the year so you will get global recognition.
STEP 10- Grow your practice

Once you’ve started your Microsoft Partner

practice, there are several ways you can expand.

From expanding your Microsoft product offering

to breaking into new markets through the power
of partnerships, the possibilities are there for you
to seize.

With the right expansion strategy, you can

generate exponential success.

Would your practice benefit from a guided

approach to expanding? Click the button and see
how our Practice Accelerator can help.

V I E W T H E B I Z AP P S
P R AC T I C E
AC C E L E R AT O R
EXPAND YOUR CLIENT BASE

Expand into new solution areas

There is a wide range of Microsoft products and solutions you can sell – if you’re looking to
expand, how about expanding into a new solution area?

Here’s how you can see what the possibilities are:

- View the full list of Microsoft solutions you can deliver
- Use the Solution Workspace framework to build new solutions

Reach even more customers through Commercial Marketplace

Take a look at this MPN page about reaching more customers and learn how to leverage
Commercial Marketplace even more.
LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES
Leverage Partner incentives

Microsoft are offering various incentive programs to reward your success as a Partner. We
recommend getting familiar with them and seeing what you might qualify for by checking the
Partner Incentives portfolio.

Join the P-Seller program

Joining the Partner Seller (P-Seller) program lets you work as a part of the Microsoft sales team.
Through this, you can get access to exclusive Microsoft sales resources and boost your customer
engagement.

Explore partnership opportunities

A great way to expand your business fast is to work with other Partners to deliver solutions.
Microsoft supports partners who want to connect and work together. To explore the opportunity,
read the MPN page about building partnerships
 Continuing Your Journey to Success

[eBook] How to Create Net New Transform Your Business Strategy with
BizApps Talent to Grow Your the BizzApps Practice Accelerator
Microsoft Partner Practice Programme
Keep pace with the market growth, build a
Become an industry leader and trend setter in
successful business strategy, accelerate your
talent creation, shorten your hiring cycle and build
marketing and sales.
the best team in the Microsoft ecosystem.

D O W N L O AD E B O O K L E AR N M O R E R E AD AR T I C L E