The objectives of the BDS sessions are to generate incremental revenue growth on current SaaS offerings for the participating Software Vendor (SaaS Provider) partners, to understand the priorities and needs of the SaaS Provider, to influence the roadmap for future Microsoft offerings in support of these types of SaaS Providers, and to establish a positive working relationship with the SaaS Provider that is business (sales and marketing) focused rather than technology focused.
In response to the technical complexities, Microsoft has developed and delivered the Microsoft Windows-Based Hosting for Applications Solution along with significant technical guidance on the development of applications for delivery as a service. The BDS workshops, which are focused on successful marketing and sales of SaaS services, are a natural counterpart to the Windows-Based Hosting for Applications solution. Microsoft has elected to partner with Mural Consulting, a third party with significant background and expertise in hosted Microsoft applications businesses and Software-as-a-Service, to deliver the BDS workshops.
The primary objective of each BDS project is to enable SaaS Providers to increase revenue through the sales of their SaaS offerings. This is accomplished in a structured two-day workshops in which the Mural Consulting principal presents a best-practice approach to the sales and marketing of Software-as-a-Service, and conducts working sessions with the SaaS Provider to understand the provider’s current approach to each of 8 key success factors for selling SaaS. These key success factors are:
- Competitive Differentiation
- Messaging & Positioning
- Packaging & Pricing
- Web-Site Best Practices.
- Integrated Demand Generation Activities
- Online Customer Experience
- Direct and Indirect Sales Processes
- Organizational Effectiveness
