How Microsoft Partners Can Increase Sales in 2026: My Data Driven Playbook for Sustainable Growth

Through my work with partners across the region, I’ve observed clear behaviours that separate fast‑growing partners from those who plateau. Growth today is not simply about selling more—it’s about selling with focus, alignment, and repeatability. Below is my practical, proven playbook for partners who want to increase sales and build a predictable, scalable revenue engine.

1. Make Marketplace a Core Sales Engine

Marketplace has evolved from a passive listing environment to a powerful, high‑intent sales channel. Buyers now prefer to evaluate, shortlist, and even purchase cloud solutions directly through digital marketplaces. The partners who thrive in this new model invest time in creating compelling listings that speak directly to customer needs.

A marketplace listing is more than an administrative step—it’s your digital storefront. It reflects the quality of your offering, your expertise, and your ability to align with Microsoft’s cloud and AI strategy. Well‑packaged offers that clearly state the value, scope, and outcomes drive more conversions and become natural entry points for Microsoft sellers to engage you in co‑sell motions.

To maximise marketplace impact:

• Build at least one strong, outcome‑orientated listing.

• Include simple, customer‑friendly messaging.
• Update your listing frequently to ensure it reflects your best and newest work.
• Use industry keywords to align to customer search intent.

Marketplace visibility is no longer optional—it is foundational to partner sales success.

2. Use Microsoft Designations to Improve Win Rates

Designations have become one of the strongest signals of partner quality and capability. Customers want assurance that they are working with a trusted advisor, and Microsoft sellers need confidence that the partners they recommend can deliver consistently.

Achieving a designation demonstrates that your organisation has the right blend of skills, certifications, customer success, and operational maturity. It shows that your company meets Microsoft’s standards for excellence—making it easier for customers to select you and for Microsoft teams to co‑sell with you.

To improve win rates with designations:

• Start with the designation that aligns to your strengths—Modern Work, Security, Infrastructure, Data & AI, or Business Applications.

• Map certification paths to your internal skills plan.
• Use your designation in all GTM materials, proposals, and marketplace listings.

Designations create instant credibility—and credibility creates sales momentum.

3. Increase Marketing Investment to Multiply Close Rates

The difference between partners who grow slowly and partners who grow predictably often comes down to one factor: marketing. Under‑investing in marketing is one of the most common blockers I see in the channel. Modern buyers are digital, self‑educated, and impatient; your marketing must do the heavy lifting long before a sales conversation begins.

Consistent marketing builds recognisable presence, positions your expertise, and shortens the buyer’s journey by answering the critical questions early. When executed correctly, marketing doesn’t just generate leads—it generates qualified, ready‑to‑engage opportunities.

Where to focus your marketing investment:

• Thought leadership on LinkedIn

• Campaigns aligned to marketplace listings
• Industry‑specific value propositions
• Clear, outcome‑driven landing pages
• Customer stories with measurable impact
• Webinars, workshops, and short educational videos

Marketing drives awareness; awareness drives trust; trust drives sales.

4. Strengthen Co‑Sell Alignment With Microsoft

Co‑sell remains one of the most effective routes to growth—when partners know how to use it. The partners who succeed with co‑sell are those who align their offers to Microsoft’s fiscal priorities, package their value clearly, and make their solutions easy for Microsoft teams to position.

Successful co‑sell partners:

• Build solution plays aligned to Microsoft’s strategic priorities.

• Maintain updated, concise Partner Center materials.
• Provide customer-ready one‑pagers that clearly articulate business outcomes.
• Equip their sales teams to work effectively with Microsoft account teams.
• Share wins, successes, and customer stories that reinforce their value.

Co‑sell unlocks new customer segments and accelerates pipeline velocity, but it requires readiness and alignment. When done right, the Microsoft field becomes an extension of your sales force.

5. Use Microsoft Funding to Accelerate Customer Decisions

Funding is one of the most powerful tools available to partners—yet many underutilise it. Workshops, assessments, proof-of-concept credits, and marketing development funds help remove barriers and make it easier for customers to progress with confidence.

In many cases, funding is the catalyst that moves a customer from interest to action. It reduces perceived risk, builds trust, and provides tangible value before the commercial engagement begins.

To make funding a sales accelerant:

• Use funded workshops as early engagement tools.

• Promote funded assessments directly in your campaigns.
• Train your sales team to identify funding-eligible opportunities.
• Integrate funding into your proposal structure.

Funding is not just financial support—it is a strategic sales lever.

6. Build Cloud & AI Skills to Capture Modernisation Deals

Skills have become the backbone of partner competitiveness. As customers modernise their environments, adopt AI, and navigate cloud governance, they need partners with specialised, up‑to‑date expertise. Certification, practical experience, and role‑based training are no longer optional—they are essential components of a partner’s value proposition.

Skills drive:

• Higher win rates

• Better delivery quality
• Greater customer trust
• Stronger profitability
• Repeatable solutions and faster time‑to‑value

Practical steps to strengthen your skills:

• Build internal capability maps tied to strategic offers.

• Use Cloud Champion for low‑cost, high‑impact training.
• Align team skilling with designation and marketplace goals.
• Track skills development as a strategic KPI.

The more skilled your teams, the greater your impact—and your revenue.

7. Use Data to Drive Predictive Selling

Data is transforming the channel. Partners who leverage consumption analytics, CRM insights, and lifecycle metrics are able to predict customer needs, identify upsell opportunities, and intervene early in renewal and consumption challenges.

Insight‑driven selling helps you focus your energy where it matters most—on the accounts that are most ready to take action.

Data enhances:

• Account prioritisation

• Customer segmentation
• Campaign targeting
• Upsell and cross‑sell visibility
• Forecasting accuracy
• Customer retention and satisfaction

Your goal is to move from reactive selling to proactive, insight‑led engagement.

8. Standardise Your Offers for Repeatable Selling

The days of custom scoping for every project are behind us. Partners who scale effectively do so on the back of repeatable, packaged, outcome‑based offers. These offers fit naturally into marketplace listings, co‑sell motions, and customer buying patterns. They reduce presales headaches and create a predictable sales cycle.

Strong packaged offers include:

• A clear customer outcome

• Defined scope and timeline
• Delivery methodology
• Pricing guidance
• Customer-ready messaging
• Alignment with Microsoft priorities

Repeatability drives consistency, margin, and scale—three pillars of long‑term growth.

My 2026 Sales Growth Formula

When you combine these growth levers, you create a scalable sales engine:

**Marketplace Visibility

• Designation-Backed Credibility

• Strong Marketing Investment
• Co‑Sell Alignment
• Funding Leverage
• Skills Acceleration
• Data Intelligence
• Repeatable Offers
  = Predictable, Scalable Revenue**

Partners who execute these motions consistently—not perfectly, but consistently—outperform the market.

Let’s Build Your Next Growth Breakthrough

If you’re ready to turn these eight growth levers into a focused, practical sales plan—one that strengthens your Microsoft alignment, sharpens your solution positioning, builds partner readiness, and increases your pipeline—I’d be glad to support you. Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and let's make 2026 your most successful year yet.