{"id":22190,"date":"2020-12-07T19:04:35","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T00:04:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/?p=22190"},"modified":"2022-07-18T19:59:34","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T23:59:34","slug":"microsoft-partner-incentives-coop-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/microsoft-partner-incentives-coop-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaving money on the table? Recommended activities for Microsoft partner incentives and co-op funds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;ve noticed something about managed service providers (MSPs): they&#8217;re often bad at leveraging vendors! But honestly, it\u2019s not your fault. Some vendors like Microsoft are very intimidating. They\u2019re big beasts with massive ecosystems to scour for what\u2019s usable and leverageable!<\/p>\n<p>Sherweb has\u00a0a wide array of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/partners\/\">value-added services<\/a> to help MSP partners make sense of it all. We provide 1-1 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/mpn-id\/\">MPN consultations<\/a>, as well as guidance on <a href=\"https:\/\/partner.microsoft.com\/en-ca\/membership\/partner-incentives\">Microsoft\u2019s incentives<\/a> and co-op funds available to partners, including what you can do to leverage them with the greatest ROI.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Microsoft partner incentives and co-op funds<\/h2>\n<p>What are <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.microsoft.com\/en-us\/partner-center\/claims-overview\">co-op funds<\/a>? As Microsoft puts it: &#8220;The Partner Incentives Cooperative Marketing Fund (Coop) provides reimbursements of earned funds to participating partners to help differentiate and build channel awareness and preference for Microsoft\u00ae products&#8221;. With these funds, you\u2019ll be able to develop marketing strategies to gain leads,\u00a0promote your brand, incentivize your sales and more. Also know that you can find all the details in <a href=\"https:\/\/partner.microsoft.com\/en-US\/asset\/collection\/co-op-funds-resources#\/\">Microsoft\u2019s partner network portal<\/a>.\u00a0You can also check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.microsoft.com\/en-us\/partner-center\/incentives-ten-essentials\">10 essentials for working with incentives<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Microsoft.<\/p>\n<h3>Before we dive deeper&#8230;<\/h3>\n<h4>Eligibility<\/h4>\n<p>You can find the specific eligibility requirements for your program in the program guide.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Sign into the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/partner.microsoft.com\/dashboard\/\">Partner Center dashboard<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Under Incentives on the left nav, select Overview. The Program overview page opens.<\/li>\n<li>Select the program you want.<\/li>\n<li>In the Program details field, select Program Guide.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h4>Activity periods breakdown<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">FY21, H1: July 1, 2020 \u2013 December 31, 2020\u202f\u202f<\/span><\/li>\n<li>FY21, H2: January 1, 2021 \u2013 June 30, 2021<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Earning\/Accrual Period<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Meet eligibility requirements<\/li>\n<li>Sell qualifying products<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Usage Period<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202f<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">View Co-op funds based on Earning Period sales\u202f\u202f<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Conduct eligible activities\u202f<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Claiming Period Deadlines<\/span><\/b><br \/>\nSubmit reimbursement claims:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">FY21, H1: August 15, 2021 23:59:59 UTC\u202f\u202f<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">FY21, H2: February 15, 2022 23:59:59 UTC for H2\u202f<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Proof of Execution (POE) Approval Deadlines\u202f<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Obtain POE approval by\u202f\u202f<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"6\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">FY21, H1: September 30, 2021 23:59:59 UTC\u202f\u202f<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"6\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">FY21, H2: March 31, 2022 23:59:59 UTC\u202f<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b>Earning period<\/span><\/b>:\u202fThe six-month period during which you accrue your earnings.\u202fYou must use these earnings at some point during the following six-month.<\/p>\n<p><b>Usage period<\/b>:\u202fIf you don\u2019t use your earn>ings by the end of the usage period, you\u2019ll forfeit them.<\/p>\n<p><b>Claiming period:<\/b>\u202fthe six-month period during which you can claim reimbursement for your incentive program activities.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22192\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Microsoft-Incentives-Earning-Period.png\" alt=\"Microsoft Incentives Earning Period\" width=\"792\" height=\"172\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Microsoft-Incentives-Earning-Period.png 792w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Microsoft-Incentives-Earning-Period-300x65.png 300w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Microsoft-Incentives-Earning-Period-768x167.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The table below shows the different earning, usage, and claiming periods. Unless otherwise noted, periods extend from the first day of the first month to the last day of the last month.<\/p>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"186\"><strong>If your Earning\/accrual period is\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"168\"><strong>Your fiscal half-year period is\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"122\"><strong>Your Usage period is\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><strong>Your Claiming period is\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"186\"><strong>July &#8211; Dec 2020\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">FY20 H1<\/td>\n<td width=\"122\">Jan &#8211; June 2021<\/td>\n<td width=\"144\">Feb 16 &#8211; Aug 15 2021<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"186\"><strong>Jan &#8211; June 2021\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">FY20 H2<\/td>\n<td width=\"122\">July &#8211; Dec 2021<\/td>\n<td width=\"144\">Aug 16 2021 &#8211; Feb 15 2022<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"186\"><strong>July &#8211; Dec 2021\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">FY21 H1<\/td>\n<td width=\"122\">Jan &#8211; June 2022<\/td>\n<td width=\"144\">Feb 16 &#8211; Aug 15 2022<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"186\"><strong>Jan &#8211; June 2022\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">FY21 H2<\/td>\n<td width=\"122\">July &#8211; Dec 2022<\/td>\n<td width=\"144\">Aug 16 2022 &#8211; Feb 15 2023<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>If an activity spans multiple usage periods, and there&#8217;s a milestone delivery date with an invoice in-between those periods, the partner may submit a claim for the portion within the usage period that was invoiced.<\/p>\n<h4>The\u00a0lowdown on the\u00a0funds<\/h4>\n<p>During the earning period, Microsoft will calculate 60% of global incentive earnings to be paid as monthly rebate and 40% of global incentive earnings will be placed into a co-op fund to use for approved activities executed in the co-op usage period.<\/p>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"359\"><strong>Incentive\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"125\"><strong>Rebate Split\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"138\"><strong>Co-op Split\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"359\">Global Incentives \u2013 Core incentives<\/td>\n<td width=\"125\">60%<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">40%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"359\">Global Incentives \u2013 Azure Reservation and Subscription software<\/td>\n<td width=\"125\">100%<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"359\">Strategic Accelerators<\/td>\n<td width=\"125\">60%<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">40%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"359\">Local Accelerators<\/td>\n<td width=\"125\">100%<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>If a partner&#8217;s co-op earnings are below the threshold of $10K USD in a co-op earning period, the co-op earnings will be converted to rebate at the end of the semester.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>How to earn\u202fincentives<\/h2>\n<p>To be eligible for participation, a partner must have an active MPN membership and agreement. Partners must perform all registration requirements and qualifying activities\u2014as stated in <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">the incentives guide<\/a> before the incentive can be earned.<\/p>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"196\">\u202f<strong>Competency<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"426\">Active Gold or Silver membership in one of the eligible competencies:<\/p>\n<p>Cloud Business Applications,<br \/>\nCloud Platform,<br \/>\nCloud Productivity,<br \/>\nData Analytics,<br \/>\nData Platform,<br \/>\nEnterprise Mobility Management,<br \/>\nEnterprise Resource Planning,<br \/>\nSmall and Midmarket<br \/>\nCloud Solutions,<br \/>\nWindows and Devices<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"196\"><strong>Partner Agreement<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"426\">Microsoft CSP Indirect Reseller Channel Authorization<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"196\"><strong>Partner Center<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"426\">Valid and complete identification, tax and banking information submitted and accepted by Microsoft<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"196\"><strong>Program Term<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"426\">October 1, 2020 \u2013 September 30, 2021<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>How much\u202f you can earn<\/h3>\n<p>This incentive program includes global, local and co-op components. The rates for the FY21 incentive program\u202fyear will be in effect from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021.<\/p>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">\u202f<strong>Incentive structure<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">\u202f<strong>Rate<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"125\">\u202f<strong>Earning split<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">Core<\/p>\n<p>Azure billed revenue><\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">4%<\/td>\n<td rowspan=\"9\" width=\"125\">60% rebate<br \/>\n40% Co-op<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">Core<\/p>\n<p>Modern Work &amp; Security billed revenue<\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">Core<\/p>\n<p>Business Applications billed revenue<\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">4.75%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">Customer Add Accelerator<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Modern Work &amp; Security<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">10%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">Customer Add Accelerator<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Business Applications<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">20%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">Global Strategic Product Accelerator<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tier 1<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">Global Strategic Product Accelerator<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tier 2<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">10%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">Global PSTN Calling and Conf Accelerator<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">20%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">Azure Reservation consumption<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">10%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"375\">Subscription software<strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"202\">Core: 1.25%<br \/>\nStrategic: 6%<\/td>\n<td width=\"125\">100% rebate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>What does this mean for your business?<\/h3>\n<p>Microsoft says that if a partner&#8217;s co-op earnings are below the threshold of $10K USD in a co-op earning period, the co-op earnings will be converted to rebate at the end of the period. You\u2019ll also need your competencies to qualify. Microsoft offers two levels of competencies: Silver Competency and Gold Competency. They will help you\u00a0showcase your capability and expertise in delivering specific solutions.\u00a0The solutions are listed in the table above.\u00a0This proven expertise will also help your brand and the positioning of your business as an expert for your leads and clients.\u202fNote that a silver competency will cost\u00a0$1,670\/year and a gold competency\u00a0will be $4,730\/year. The good news is that when the time comes for your silver or gold membership renewal, you will be able to claim those fees from the coop funds as an eligible activity.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Let\u2019s talk\u00a0eligible marketing activities<\/h2>\n<p>The guidebook goes over each and every eligible marketing activity you can claim. There&#8217;s a lot of information, and a lot that can be claimed! However, because we each have a limited amount of hours in our days, I thought I would cover\u00a0two things:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"11\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">The activities with which Sherweb can provide help or content for<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"11\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Our recommended eligible marketing activities based on\u00a0what works for our partners<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Feel free to jump ahead to the activities you\u2019re the most curious about, but\u00a0we strongly recommend reading through because not only are these recommended activities eligible to claim co-op funds from Microsoft, they\u2019re also good to include in a broader marketing plan for an MSP.<\/p>\n<h3>How Sherweb helps<\/h3>\n<p>If you take a look at the\u00a0co-op incentive guidebook, you&#8217;ll probably notice there&#8217;s a really large amount of activities covered.\u00a0To make sure you gain speed and quickly, I thought I would cover the content we make available for you to use and claim.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/info.sherweb.com\/marketing-program.html\">Sherweb\u2019s marketing program<\/a> is packed with assets you can leverage to position Microsoft\u2019s Modern Workplace portfolio.\u00a0You can use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/buyers-journey\/\">full-funnel approach<\/a> to claim multi-touch digital campaigns, or\u00a0run webinars only. It\u2019s up to you!\u00a0You can plan your activities\u00a0and use the assets however you want, but straight out of the box, the program fits under the\u00a0multi-touch digital campaign\u00a0requirements. The campaigns are meant to leverage a mix of touchpoint and tactics and with co-op funds. You can claim the ad spend, as well as any collateral you\u2019d like to add to the current mix.\u00a0You can pair campaigns with some direct mail or telemarketing to improve your success rate and claim fees for these initiatives as well.<\/p>\n<p>If you choose to leverage webinar assets only, or host your lunch and learn digitally, know that all the fees related to that initiative could also be claimed under the Customer Seminars and boot camps activity in the guidebook.\u00a0The\u00a0giveaways, agency fees, external\u00a0speaker fees\u00a0or catering can also be claimed under these guidelines.<\/p>\n<h4>From Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">incentives co-op guidebook<\/a>:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><strong>Multi-touch digital campaign\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Allows Partners to claim expenses for a digital multi-media campaign that may be comprised of several co-op activity components under one eligible activity type, rather than multiple activity types within the tool. Digital marketing activities which can be grouped and claimed under Multi-touch digital campaign include digital advertising, social media marketing, direct email, partner website and search engine optimization, and telemarketing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Customer seminars are Microsoft-focused customer and reseller-facing training and recruitment, utilizing content developed by the partner. Digital events such as podcasts, video on demand, simulcasts, hands on lab online and other virtual seminar events are also eligible. Microsoft bootcamps are reseller-facing training events hosted by the partner, utilizing specific Microsoft presentation materials and Microsoft centralized registration. Customer seminars or Microsoft bootcamps must meet the core requirements. No proportional reimbursement is allowed for events that do not meet the core requirements. Events must be partner-led and partner-branded and not appear to be \u201csponsored by\u201d Microsoft.<\/p>\n<p>We can also help you make the most out of your incentives and co-op funds through\u00a0Sherweb\u2019s added-value approach. Our MPN consultation services, marketing consultation services and training opportunities can give you ideas and strategies you might\u2019ve missed. The consultations can also help you pinpoint growth or strategy opportunities to maximize your partnership with Microsoft. We can also offer expert training for Microsoft\u2019s competencies and exams\u00a0through third parties and help you claim any related fees.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Recommended activities<\/h2>\n<p>We&#8217;ve heard a lot of partners say that this year is the year for marketing.\u00a0But there&#8217;s often hesitation on where to start and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/the-case-for-an-msp-marketing-budget\/\">budget<\/a>\u00a0is always an issue.\u00a0Here, we&#8217;ve highlighted the eligible activities I recommend based on ease of claim, impact on growth and ROI and other areas of focus for most of our partner base. Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n<h3>Microsoft\u2019s MPN participation, Microsoft exams and tuition<\/h3>\n<p>One of the easiest and probably most useful ways to leverage co-op funds is to pay for the competencies that give you access to those funds in the first place. To get co-op funds you need to meet the revenue threshold, but even before that, you need a Silver or Gold competency. With the funds, you can cover the\u00a0annual MPN enrollment fees, the competency exam\u00a0and also the training fees.<\/p>\n<h4>From Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">incentives co-op guidebook<\/a>:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>MPN participation<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Includes Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) annual enrollment fees, MPN membership plaque and first set of DVDs and Additional Benefit Toolkit.<\/p>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"291\"><strong>Category<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"648\"><strong>Proof of execution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"291\">Core requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"648\">Original Microsoft invoice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"291\">Communications requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"648\">NA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"291\">Metrics<\/td>\n<td width=\"648\">NA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"291\">Eligible expenses<\/td>\n<td width=\"648\">Fee \u2013 Annual enrollment: MPN annual registration fees<\/p>\n<p>Plaque and DVD (first set): MPN membership plaque and first set of DVDs<\/p>\n<p>Additional Benefit Toolkit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Microsoft exams and tuition<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Official Microsoft exam and tuition fees for certifications and competencies available at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/learning\">www.microsoft.com\/learning<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"14\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Claims should be filed in the period during which the training activity occurred and after the exam\/training is completed.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"14\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Training vouchers may only be claimed after the completion of a training course. Partners must submit invoices for the vouchers and provide a certificate or a completion document that states the dates the course was taken and completed.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"14\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">If the invoice does not include the course\/exam code and date of completion, be prepared to show an alternative form of course completion, such as a course certificate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"176\"><strong>Category<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"763\"><strong>Proof of execution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"176\">Core requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"763\">Course code\/exam code on Microsoft Learning<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"176\">Communications requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"763\">Third-party invoice with course code and date of completion or invoice with exam code and date of completion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"176\">Metrics<\/td>\n<td width=\"763\">Attendee list and per person cost<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"176\">Eligible expenses<\/td>\n<td width=\"763\">Fee \u2013 exam: Microsoft exam fees for certifications and competencies<\/p>\n<p>Fee \u2013 training\/tuition: Microsoft tuition fees for certifications and competencies, including on-demand training expenses<\/p>\n<p>Third-party ISV solution training \u2013 tuition expenses for training on third-party solutions that can be demonstrated to leverage or reside on Microsoft applications and platforms<\/p>\n<p>Fee \u2013 MCT renewal: Microsoft Certified Trainer renewal fee (no metric required)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Caution<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Co-op funds will only cover predefined course materials, as listed on\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/learning\">www.Microsoft.com\/learning<\/a>\u00a0in relation to a completed course\/exam<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Are training vouchers eligible for Co-op funds?<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Training vouchers may only be claimed after the completion of a training course. Partners must submit invoices for the vouchers and provide a certificate or a completion document that states the dates the course was taken and completed.<\/p>\n<h3>SPIFF<\/h3>\n<p>Internal incentives and sales performance incentive funds\u00a0(SPIF or SPIFFs)\u00a0are also eligible to be claimed. Find new ways to incentivize your sales representatives, or technicians,\u00a0on Microsoft content sales and claim up to 25% of your allocated maximum funds. If you\u2019re looking to use every cent of the co-op funds you receive, but don\u2019t have an established marketing plan,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/marketing-for-msps-picking-your-marketing-agency\/\">marketing agency<\/a>\u00a0or internal marketing resources, it can be challenging to figure out how to use that\u00a0without\u00a0losing a large chunk of your precious time. SPIFFs are a good way to claim that money and have it make an impact on your bottom line.<\/p>\n<p>Reps love money. They also love a good competition. Appeal to that\u00a0by devising a sales incentive plan. Offer them great rewards and watch them close more deals! You can claim the\u00a0giveaway,\u00a0signage and any printed material you might have used to drive your internal contest.<\/p>\n<h4>From Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">incentives co-op guidebook<\/a>:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Internal incentives and SPIFFs<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Internal incentives and sales performance incentive funds (SPIFFs) are activities in which prizes are awarded to partner employees (for example, sales staff) for achieving specific goals or for sales teams for winning sales contests.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"15\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Must be determined based on overall achievement relative to a peer group. Should not be awarded based on individual minimum commitments, first unit structures, attach rates, year-over-year growth percentage, or volume targets (not applicable for Surface partners).<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"15\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Giveaway items must adhere to Microsoft guidelines.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"15\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">The SPIFF giveaway expense of a floor day should be claimed under this activity. Other general event expenses for a floor day event should be claimed under \u201cInternal Training and Floor Day\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"184\"><strong>Category<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"755\"><strong>Proof of execution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"184\">Core requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"755\">Company brand name and contact information \u2013 internal contest rules will suffice if the company\/brand name is included in the communication material<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft content<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"184\">Communications requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"755\">Show offer with terms and conditions. Actual costs up to 25% total of earned co-op funds per usage period<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"184\">Metrics<\/td>\n<td width=\"755\">Summary of results<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"184\">Eligible expenses<\/td>\n<td width=\"755\">Actual costs up to 25% total of earned co-op funds per usage period for: signage, display, printed materials<br \/>\nGiveaways<br \/>\nFee \u2013 agency: Marketing services, including agency fees<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">SPIFFs should leverage key performance indicators (KPIs) to structure the payout, require that a minimum eligibility threshold be attained and place a cap on the award payable. SPIFFs cannot be used by the partner to achieve a lower street price as the partner must pay them to partner employees.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Reminders<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"16\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Do not include Microsoft software except as specified.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"16\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Cash\/cash equivalent is an acceptable giveaway for SPIFFs.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"16\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">The Internal Incentive and SPIFFs activity now requires an attestation form to be populated as part of the claim creation process. This applies to all programs on Partner Center, it is not applicable to the Commercial Distributor program.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Best practices<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Internal incentives\/SPIFFs are most effective when clear goals and timelines are set and the incentive is related to those goals.<\/p>\n<h3>Website and SEO<\/h3>\n<p>This one is a no brainer. We&#8217;ve lost count of all the partners and MSPs looking to refresh their website and gain more visibility with search engine optimization (SEO). The fun part is that SEO for MSPs is a continuous operation, too. So\u00a0if you just redid your website, you can still make sure it\u2019s bringing you the most visibility online to fuel your digital word-of-mouth engine. A continuous look at your rankings, competitive field and keywords can only benefit you in the long run, and the fees are all eligible to be claimed. So don\u2019t leave that activity\u2014and money\u2014on the table to waste away!<\/p>\n<p>Even if you have no other activities planned, this one should definitely be on your radar. A professional, up to date, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ninjarmm.com\/blog\/best-msp-website-examples-2019\/\">optimized website<\/a>\u00a0will make your brand and\u00a0other tactics look the most legit. We always say an image is worth a thousand words\u2014well, in branding and positioning, a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/msp-marketing-strategy\">website is worth a thousand images<\/a>! Even if all you do is direct mail or telemarketing, people WILL Google you to validate who you are, what you do and if your business is of any interest. Make sure you\u2019re online, findable and looking sharp.<\/p>\n<h4>From Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">incentives co-op guidebook<\/a>:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Partner website and search engine optimization<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Creation of a partner website\/microsite or content hosted on a partner-owned website or a partner\u2019s social media site. Includes e-commerce activities to promote solutions or set up online storefronts to drive sales of Microsoft products and solutions and mobile e-commerce efforts such as the development of a mobile-friendly website (web responsive design) or mobile application. SEO includes website optimization services to help attract customers, lower customer acquisition costs and increase content relevancy to a website.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"17\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">The complete activity, including the website or microsite being claimed and any associated web content, must meet the core\u00a0requirements as a whole.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"17\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Services for search engine optimization may be acquired through <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pinpoint.microsoft.com\">Microsoft Pinpoint Marketplace<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitalstride.com\">DigitalStride<\/a> or your local SEO agency.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"17\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Activities must be completed in the period the claim is filed.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"17\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Paid promotion\/advertising on a social media site should be claimed under Social media marketing activity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"234\"><strong>Category<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"587\"><strong>Proof of execution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"234\">Core requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"587\">Review specific guidelines on the Activity Guidelines: Core Requirements slide.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"234\">Communications requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"587\">URL and\/or screenshots of site page(s) showing URL<\/p>\n<p>Statement of work or service agreement for SEO project (SEO activity only)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"234\">Metrics<\/td>\n<td width=\"587\">Summary of results (such as click-through report)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"234\">Eligible expenses<\/td>\n<td width=\"587\">Fee \u2013 agency: Marketing services, including agency fees<\/p>\n<p>Programming\/development: Programming and development fees<\/p>\n<p>Fee \u2013 SEO: Optimization and maintenance fees<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Best practices<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"19\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Key Product pages help create value by showing additional benefits to products; include an \u201cAdd to Cart\u201d or \u201cBuy Now\u201d link to drive sales.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"19\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Place banners on key pages, including the home page, that link to product pages to foster better measurements of results while expanding communication opportunities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"19\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Create up-sell or cross-sell opportunities by configuring dropdown menus with Microsoft products.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"19\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Do not limit your SEO to just keywords.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"19\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Set measurable goals before execution to gauge effectiveness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Multi-touch digital campaigns<\/h3>\n<p>We&#8217;re big fans of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/buyers-journey\/\">full-funnel, multi-touch approach<\/a>. If you have a marketing plan\u2014or even just a draft of a plan\u2014you\u2019re probably planning multi-touch campaigns already. Don\u2019t let the name stop you; all it means is that you&#8217;re planning to execute some marketing activities that are all part of the same campaign. You could be planning to send a piece of direct mail with a link to a landing page. That landing page can host an\u00a0eBook\u00a0or a webinar invitation. You could be planning to\u00a0follow up\u00a0that mailing\u00a0with\u00a0some calls from your sales team or a telemarketing firm.\u00a0All these activities tie in together to form a multi-touch campaign.<\/p>\n<p>A lot of marketers are strong with this type of campaign, including Robin Robins and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.technologymarketingtoolkit.com\/\">her Technology Marketing Toolkit<\/a>.\u00a0If you\u2019re a member and\u00a0have been wanting to try one of her campaigns,\u00a0then know that if it\u2019s used to position your Microsoft offerings, you could be claiming\u00a0the money needed for print materials,\u00a0telemarketing or design fees.\u00a0This is just one example of a multi-touch campaign. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/info.sherweb.com\/marketing-programs.html\">Marketing Program<\/a>\u00a0campaigns is another. Your own\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/info.sherweb.com\/msp-masterclass.html\">marketing plan<\/a>,\u00a0or future plan,\u00a0probably includes other examples. Dig into this eligible activity to know more and see what you can do.<\/p>\n<h4>From Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">incentives co-op guidebook<\/a>:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Multi-touch digital campaign<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Allows Partners to claim expenses for a digital multi-media campaign that may be comprised of several co-op activity components under one eligible activity type, rather than multiple activity types within the tool. Digital marketing activities which can be grouped and claimed under Multi-touch digital campaign include digital advertising, social media marketing, direct email, partner website and search engine optimization, and telemarketing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"20\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Complete campaign activity must meet all guidelines and requirements for each individual activity type, as detailed on the applicable activity page in the Co-op Guidebook.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"20\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">All proof of execution for each activity type included in the campaign is required.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"20\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Provide a marketing plan or other statement of work in the claim, which outlines the eligible activities included as part of the campaign in order to easily claim reimbursement for eligible expenses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"243\"><strong>Category<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"578\"><strong>Proof of execution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"243\">Core requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"578\">Review specific guidelines on the Activity Guidelines: Core Requirements slide.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"243\">Communications requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"578\">All Proof of Execution as detailed in the applicable activity page is required<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Digital Advertising<\/li>\n<li>Direct Email<\/li>\n<li>Partner Website and Search Engine Optimization<\/li>\n<li>Telemarketing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Third party invoice or certification statement and report (CSR)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"243\">Metrics<\/td>\n<td width=\"578\">NA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"243\">Eligible expenses<\/td>\n<td width=\"578\">\n<ul>\n<li>Third-party media placement<\/li>\n<li>Fee \u2013 agency: Marketing and creative services, including agency fees<\/li>\n<li>Database acquisition<\/li>\n<li>Programming\/development: Programming and development fees<\/li>\n<li>Fee \u2013 SEO: Optimization and maintenance fees<\/li>\n<li>Fee \u2013 Third-party call center charges<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Best practices<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Work with a marketing agency to create successful multi-touch digital campaigns that have an easily identified ROI and build customer pipeline.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Did you know?<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Microsoft\u2019s Partner Marketing Center offers resources for partners to easily build multi-touch campaigns. Visit smartpartnermarketing.microsoft.com for more information.<\/p>\n<h3>Digital advertising<\/h3>\n<p>MPSs can be reluctant to dabble in digital marketing because it takes a different kind of expertise, as well as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/the-case-for-an-msp-marketing-budget\/\">marketing budget<\/a>. The good news is that these are eligible activities in the Microsoft incentives co-op guidebook. That means that any\u00a0third-party fee or ad spend you put towards Microsoft product won\u2019t be coming out of your pocket. Still have\u00a0doubts? Did you know that small businesses\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smallbizgenius.net\/by-the-numbers\/advertising-statistics\/#gref\">earn an average of $3 in revenue for every $1.60 they spend<\/a>on Google AdWords? Not too shabby!<\/p>\n<h4>From Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">incentives co-op guidebook<\/a>:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Digital advertising<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Includes web banners and online advertising placed on a third-party website or third-party email and is designed to drive traffic to the Partner\u2019s website or offer page. Also includes search engine marketing (SEM) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"23\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Complete digital advertisement, including web banner\/advertisement and landing page must meet the core requirements. Landing page refers to the website\/offer page where customers are directed when they click on the digital advertisement posted on a third-party website.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"23\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Web\/online advertisements should be placed on a third-party site with an established advertising rate, of which not more than 10% is\u00a0partner-owned. Digital content that is hosted on a partner-owned website should be claimed under \u201cPartner Website and Search Engine Optimization\u201d activity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"243\"><strong>Category<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"578\"><strong>Proof of execution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"243\">Core requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"578\">Review specific guidelines on the Activity Guidelines: Core Requirements slide.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"243\">Communications requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"578\">Screenshot of digital advertisement<\/p>\n<p>AND<\/p>\n<p>URL of landing page, showing program-specific core requirements<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"243\">Metrics<\/td>\n<td width=\"578\">Summary of results (such as click-through report)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"243\">Eligible expenses<\/td>\n<td width=\"578\">Third-party media placement<\/p>\n<p>Fee \u2013 agency: Marketing and creative services, including agency fees<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Telemarketing<\/h3>\n<p>Transparency alert:\u00a0we&#8217;re recommending this tactic based on some mixed data. A lot of our partners have run telemarketing\u00a0efforts and have seen different levels of successes. We think telemarketing is a good tactic in multi-touch campaigns, or paired with other initiatives, to contact leads who have engaged with your brand before. We do <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">not<\/span> like telemarketing as a first touch with cold or bought leads. Just like you don\u2019t like getting calls out of the blue from companies you\u2019ve never heard of, potential leads from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/buying-an-email-list-is-a-waste-of-resources\/\">purchased list<\/a>\u00a0feel the same way.\u00a0Use it right, and\u00a0leverage the tactic cleverly, as part of a broader marketing strategy.<\/p>\n<h4>From Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">incentives co-op guidebook<\/a>:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Telemarketing<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Calling partners\/customers or potential customers to promote and sell Microsoft products, services, solutions, or platforms. It can be an effective tool to prospect for leads, communicate directly with customers, and build a sales pipeline. Telemarketing activities must be partner-led and not appear to be from Microsoft. Microsoft products must be properly referenced in the script.<\/p>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"234\"><strong>Category<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"588\"><strong>Proof of execution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"234\">Core requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"588\">\n<ul>\n<li>Company name\/brand information must be included in the telesales script<\/li>\n<li>Microsoft content<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"234\">Communications requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"588\">Copy of script<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"234\">Metrics<\/td>\n<td width=\"588\">Summary of results (number of calls and number of successful contacts)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"234\">Eligible expenses<\/td>\n<td width=\"588\">\n<ul>\n<li>Fee \u2013 agency: Marketing services, including agency fee<\/li>\n<li>Fee \u2013 Third-party call center: charges<\/li>\n<li>Database acquisition<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Reminders<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"24\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Indicate that the call is from your company and not from Microsoft.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"24\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Use the correct trademarked name for software in the script and include the specific Microsoft product being promoted.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"24\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Use for special initiatives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Best practices<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"24\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Focus on communicating the most important message and driving a response.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"24\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Appeal to Customer by meeting a specific need.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"24\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Use a targeted call list.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"24\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Test multiple offers to determine impact<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Customer seminars and bootcamps \u2013 webinars\/podcasts<\/h3>\n<p>If\u00a0anything, 2020 is the &#8220;year of the webinar&#8221;. With the pandemic, most in-person seminars, boot camps and live events have been cancelled\u2014or should have been. Brands have turned online to host their events, and\u00a0each are trying out different ways of being different. Some have contests, others gift cards or draws and the most ambitious try\u00a0virtual cooking lessons or wine tastings.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever you\u2019re planning to cut through the noise, don\u2019t go against the nature of your brand voice and stay focused on your message. Don\u2019t conduct initiatives just to be flashy. Be original, but not tacky.\u00a0Webinars are always a good way to educate and inform. It\u2019s great as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/buyers-journey\/\">awareness or consideration<\/a>\u00a0stage content.\u00a0Use it to fill your pipeline with new leads, or target current clients to present new bundles or upsell\/cross sell\u00a0opportunities. You can leverage Microsoft\u2019s funds to\u00a0help pay for guest speakers,\u00a0agency\u00a0fees, catering (gift cards), etc.<\/p>\n<h4>From Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">incentives co-op guidebook<\/a>:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Customer seminars and bootcamps<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Customer seminars are Microsoft-focused customer and reseller-facing training and recruitment, utilizing content developed by the partner. Digital events such as podcasts, video on demand, simulcasts, hands on lab online, and other virtual seminar events are also eligible. Microsoft bootcamps are reseller-facing training events hosted by the partner, utilizing specific Microsoft presentation materials and Microsoft centralized registration. Customer seminars or Microsoft bootcamps must meet the core requirements. No proportional reimbursement is allowed for events that do not meet the core requirements. Events must be partner-led and partner-branded and not appear to be \u201csponsored by\u201d Microsoft.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"24\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Microsoft business model transformation consultants may be leveraged as external speakers to deliver workshops.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"24\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Giveaway Items and event claiming for customer seminars and bootcamps must adhere to Microsoft guidelines.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"24\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">When conducting digital events, an image of the initial welcome screen of the webinar should be submitted in place of the event photos.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"199\"><strong>Category<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"622\"><strong>Proof of execution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"199\">Core requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"622\">\n<ul>\n<li>Company name\/brand information<\/li>\n<li>Microsoft content<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"199\">Communications requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"622\">\n<ul>\n<li>Event invitation and agenda\/program<\/li>\n<li>Event photos<\/li>\n<li>Presentation materials if event invitation and agenda don&#8217;t meet core requirements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"199\">Metrics<\/td>\n<td width=\"622\">Number of registered guests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"199\">Eligible expenses<\/td>\n<td width=\"622\">\n<ul>\n<li>Signage\/display\/printed materials<\/li>\n<li>Giveaways<\/li>\n<li>Fee \u2013 agency: Marketing services, including agency fees<\/li>\n<li>Fee \u2013 registration<\/li>\n<li>Fee \u2013 external speaker<\/li>\n<li>Fee \u2013 facility and equipment rental including Surface devices owned and managed by a third party<\/li>\n<li>Catering (excluding alcohol)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Did you know&#8230;<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Distributors participating in both the Authorized OEM Distributor incentives and Commercial Distributor co-op programs may claim the appropriate percentage of OEM and\/or commercial\u00a0business-focused\u00a0event expenses under the respective programs. Proof of execution must designate the percentage of total expenses applied to each program.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Best practices<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"26\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Customize your strategy based on the unique needs of your business and customers.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"26\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Provide giveaway items to attract attendees, increase participation, and collect customer information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Customer offers<\/h3>\n<p>Customer what-now? Think of customer offers like SPIFFs, but for your clients and\/or leads. They\u2019re promotions and contests created to generate interest in a product or solutions. They\u2019re easy to claim simply because\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">you can use 25% of your earned funds directly for a customer offer, same as the SPIFF.\u00a0To make this easy claim successful, however, you\u2019ll need to target the right audience and see what could make them tick! Make sure that the offer is closely related to the benefit or the\u00a0solution it\u2019s meant to promote.\u00a0Don\u2019t give out something so bedazzled that it takes the spotlight and\u00a0eclipses the promotional message or value associated with your services.<\/p>\n<h4>From Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">incentives co-op guidebook<\/a>:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Customer offers<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Customer offers are customer or thru-partner marketing activities with promotional giveaway items offered to customers\/resellers\/channel partners to create excitement, generate sales opportunities, and reward outstanding sales performance.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"15\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Should not advertise bundles or include a discount on a bundle which includes software.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"15\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Should not be awarded based on first unit structures.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"15\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Giveaway Items must adhere to Microsoft guidelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\"><strong>Category<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"665\"><strong>Proof of execution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Core requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"665\">Microsoft content<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Communications requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"665\">Show offer with terms and conditions. Actual costs up to 25% total of earned co-op funds per usage period. Surface partners may claim up to 100% of earned co-op funds per usage period for eligible activity expenses.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Metrics<\/td>\n<td width=\"665\">Summary of results<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Eligible expenses<\/td>\n<td width=\"665\">\n<ul>\n<li>Signage\/display\/printed materials<\/li>\n<li>Giveaways<\/li>\n<li>Fee \u2013 agency: Marketing services, including agency fees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>Reminders<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"15\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Target your offers to the right audience.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"15\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">What if giveaway items do not comply with the Core Requirements? Giveaway items that cannot physically contain the core requirements must include supporting communication material that demonstrates the core requirements. Examples include advertisement, direct mail, or a brochure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>On-site champ<\/h3>\n<p>This one&#8217;s a doozy, but easy to claim. Microsoft allows you to use your funds to hire or fund someone\u2019s salary internally. All that&#8217;s needed is for that resource to be fully dedicating to promoting Microsoft\u2019s portfolio. In truth, you can use these funds to fund sales reps or even yourself, if you\u2019re\u00a0a CSP partner and want to develop your Modern Workplace market share, for example.<\/p>\n<h4>From Microsoft\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">incentives co-op guidebook<\/a>:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><b>On-site champ<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">The On-site champ activity is an allowance for the use of co-op funds for Microsoft-focused services, such as leading and coordinating marketing or sales campaigns, provided by current or hired, full or part-time partner resource(s) (employees or vendor-contracted) that demonstrate clear business development results such as Microsoft solutions competitive wins and sales uplift. These services should be for specific Microsoft-focused sales and marketing initiatives, or strategic incubation projects that are covered by the eligible co-op funds.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"16\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Specific marketing activities driven by the On-Site Champ (for example, telemarketing) must be claimed separately under the applicable activity categories and must meet the core requirements.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"16\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">On-Site Champ can be a current or hired, full or part-time partner resource(s) (employees or vendor-contracted) to perform Microsoft-focused sales and marketing initiatives, or strategic incubation services.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"16\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">In cases where the On-Site Champ is an employee of the partner, a CSR form must be populated as proof of execution. In cases where the On-Site Champ is a vendor-contracted resource, an invoice will be required as proof of execution.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"Montserrat\" data-listid=\"16\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Can include projects that extend beyond the current fiscal period, and co-op funds that are available to the partner in subsequent fiscal periods can be used to fund services provided by On-Site Champ for these projects within the policy guidelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table width=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"196\"><strong>Category<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"743\"><strong>Proof of execution<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"196\">Core requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"743\">Services focused 100% on Microsoft products<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"196\">Communications requirements<\/td>\n<td width=\"743\">Sample of deliverables (based on what is described in the On-site Champ form)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"196\">Metrics<\/td>\n<td width=\"743\">NA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"196\">Eligible expenses<\/td>\n<td width=\"743\">Actual costs up to 50% of earned co-op funds per usage period for: Fees \u2013 services: Services provided by On-Site Champ resource(s)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Conditions to claim to Microsoft<\/h3>\n<p>Content must support the marketing and promotion of Microsoft products. If the services marketed by the partner do not clearly show a Microsoft component, the partner must provide supporting documentation which describes the Microsoft product, service, solution or platform that the partner service or solution is based on.<\/p>\n<p>A minimum of 100% Microsoft-focused content for the following activities:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>On-site champ<\/li>\n<li>Internal training and floor days<\/li>\n<li>On-demand training<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A minimum of 75% Microsoft-focused content for the following activities: Social media marketing<\/p>\n<h3>Useful resources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>To claim your funds, you\u2019ll need to\u00a0follow <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.microsoft.com\/en-us\/partner-center\/claims-overview\">Microsoft\u2019s guidelines<\/a><\/li>\n<li>The complete <a href=\"https:\/\/images.sherweb.com\/Documents\/fy21-ms-incentives-co-op-guidebook.pdf\">Partner Incentive Co-op Guidebook<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Now that&#8217;s what I call a deep dive<\/h2>\n<p>Alright, that was a lot of information. Hopefully you found some information to help you use those funds to their full potential! Maybe it also helped you realize that you <i>can<\/i> claim those funds, giving your marketing a well intended kick in the behind. Our goal is really to help you grow and help you leverage everything you can to make that happen.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/how-sherweb-can-help-you-with-marketing\/\">MPN consultations<\/a> are a part of our offering here, so make sure that if you have any doubts, you engage with your account management team.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, make sure to check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/info.sherweb.com\/marketing-program.html\">marketing program<\/a> and the campaigns within it. Even if you don\u2019t qualify for Microsoft\u2019s co-op funds, the white-label campaigns within the program can help you go to market and position your offerings strategically.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta-track\" href=\"https:\/\/info.sherweb.com\/marketing-program.html\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-21679\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gap-Remodel-Cumulus-banner-\u2013-V2-EN@2x.png\" alt=\"Sherweb Marketing Program\" width=\"1000\" height=\"496\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gap-Remodel-Cumulus-banner-\u2013-V2-EN@2x.png 1290w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gap-Remodel-Cumulus-banner-\u2013-V2-EN@2x-300x149.png 300w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gap-Remodel-Cumulus-banner-\u2013-V2-EN@2x-1024x508.png 1024w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gap-Remodel-Cumulus-banner-\u2013-V2-EN@2x-768x381.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;ve noticed something about managed service providers (MSPs): they&#8217;re often bad at ","protected":false},"author":177,"featured_media":22203,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[750],"tags":[508,917,952],"class_list":["post-22190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-partner","tag-microsoft-csp","tag-microsoft-partner-network","tag-microsoft-incentives"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to leverage Microsoft partner incentives and co-op funds | Sherweb<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Microsoft partner incentives and co-op funds can help you develop marketing strategies to gain leads,\u00a0promote your brand, incentivize sales and more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/microsoft-partner-incentives-coop-funds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to leverage Microsoft partner incentives and co-op funds | Sherweb\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Microsoft partner incentives and co-op funds can help you develop marketing strategies to gain leads,\u00a0promote your brand, incentivize sales and more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/partner\/microsoft-partner-incentives-coop-funds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sherweb\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Sherweb\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-12-08T00:04:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-07-18T23:59:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Microsoft-Incentives-Co-Op-Funds-1200x480@2x.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"The Sherweb Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SherWeb\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@SherWeb\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"The Sherweb Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"25 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sherweb.com\\\/blog\\\/partner\\\/microsoft-partner-incentives-coop-funds\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sherweb.com\\\/blog\\\/partner\\\/microsoft-partner-incentives-coop-funds\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"The Sherweb Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sherweb.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/42a19dccace310904575a5656cc20976\"},\"headline\":\"Leaving money on the table? 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