Consulting Account Management

Drives and leverages for agreement with the core account team, building and strengthening relationships with Microsoft partner teams, such as software and customer success teams, (e.g., Account Team Unit (ATU) and Customer Success Account Management (CSAM)), as well as the pursuit and delivery teams, through regular rhythm of connections. Brings expertise, insights, and perspectives from customer engagement to Microsoft business to drive deeper customer engagement. Contributes to and leads the Microsoft overall account teams, solution teams, and other partner groups.

Leverages insight from consulting account-delivery team to ensure awareness of status of projects in delivery. Plans regular consulting connections with customer to seek customer feedback and maintain proactive dialogue on overall consulting value provided, as well as relationship risks and issues. Anticipates issues/risks on customer satisfaction, determines the root cause of problems, removes blockers, and establishes recovery action plan to improve customer's overall experience. Facilitates CXO connections between customer and Consulting to enable customers to provide feedback directly to Microsoft executives, and to develop customer/consulting executive relationships.

Owns and maintains in agreement with the core account team customer and partner relationships, influences key decision makers and leads effective rhythms of connection with customer and partner stakeholders. Builds and maintains relationships with appropriate networks of Microsoft decision makers and leaders, and successfully leverages them where needed for customer and partner success.

Leads the contributions of the Account Team and the Consulting account team to the account vision and strategic approach. Provides insights, ideas, and recommendations to address immediate and longer-term customer priorities and Microsoft objectives. Contributes to the overall One Microsoft strategy, driving for agreement with account team on Consulting and Partner strategy. Leverages appropriate tools, frameworks, and methodologies to develop a deliberate approach to position potential modernization and digital transformation outcomes specific to their industries across 3 horizons which are aligned with customer's priorities. Understands the weaknesses and strengths of competitor solutions and footprints and leverage this knowledge in strategy and planning.

Leads the Industry Solutions account planning contribution with the wider Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) account team, defines Industry Solutions sales priorities to leverage insight and provide input to overall account plan. Proactively looks ahead and identifies actions required to develop Consulting opportunities that are aligned with the account strategy, Microsoft's strategy, and Consulting catalog go-to-market solution plays. Leverages business outcomes specific to their industries across 3 horizons as a point of view/roadmap for digital transformation. Leads Consulting input to account-team planning sessions, follows the common sales and delivery methodology for Microsoft, and provides updates per required account-team governance and rhythms.

Understands revenue drivers for other Microsoft business segments (e.g., Microsoft Azure Commit to Consume (MACC)) and aligns plans appropriately (e.g., cloud-success metrics, revenue-recognition timelines). Thinks strategically about account planning for assigned accounts, setting standards and priorities, outlining where to and how to invest resources of the account management team and other stakeholders, engaging internal and external decision makers on long-term business planning, and anticipating needs of assigned accounts to turn enterprise accounts into strategic accounts.

Identifies, qualifies, leads, manages, and closes strategic industry cloud opportunities on prioritized accounts aligned to documented customer business value and outcomes. Has in-depth knowledge of advanced cloud solutions and cross-check with the solutions of key competitors. Drives advanced workloads and usage. Accelerates Microsoft Cloud differentiation (e.g., security, AI) against competitors and wins more market share. Increases customer business value with advanced technology (e.g., AI) and drives consumption.

Leverages Microsoft Consulting go-to-market scenarios to drive intentional customer conversations about Microsoft Cloud adoption. Provides feedback on required go-to-market scenarios based on local market requirements and opportunities. Educates senior decision makers of assigned account(s) (e.g., director-level) on Microsoft's value proposition, aligned to the customer’s priorities and maturity, appropriately differentiating competitor solutions. Proactively identifies and engages other stakeholders who are key influencers of decision makers.

Proactively builds and maintains up-to-date knowledge of customer's business priorities, risks and challenges, internal landscape (e.g., organization structure, stakeholders, business performance), industry/sector challenges, regulations, trends, and futures (e.g., impact of artificial intelligence [AI], sustainability) to meet customer needs and drive customer satisfaction. Proactively connects with internal and external network of industry experts to build industry knowledge and connections. Shares knowledge with virtual team.

Orchestrates the consulting-sales relationship with the core account team, working closely with Enterprise colleagues to ensure successful creation, maintenance, and execution of the Industry Solutions account plan components, and a positive One Microsoft customer experience. Orchestrates and coordinates across the account team, customer success team, service team, and the Consulting account team, effectively influencing and collaborating with account-aligned and solutions-aligned, pursuit and delivery colleagues including Partners to bring the best resources to ensure customer success and satisfaction, successfully closing deals. Follows and champions the One Microsoft methodology (e.g., the common sales and delivery methodology for Microsoft).

Ensures all applicable leads and qualified opportunities are linked to customer priorities in the account plan. Maintains accurate Sales Stage, Forecast Recommendation (e.g., committed, committed at risk) and Due Dates in required systems of record (e.g., Microsoft Sales Experience [MSX]), in alignment with close plan. Consistently delivers on committed forecast recommendations. Coaches peers by providing guidance and tips on good practice for ensuring accuracy in deal commitment forecasting. Uses required tooling to report out the state of the business.

Leverages customer connections and the account team's insight to confirm Budget, Authority, Need and Timeline (BANT) information to determine progression or lack thereof of a lead to become a consulting opportunity and throughout the Microsoft sales process. Leverages trusted customer stakeholder relationships to expand customer thinking. Probes and challenges customer appropriately to determine quality of customer service's BANT. Secures pre-sales investment to secure appropriate consulting resources needed to shape and scope the opportunity into a compelling customer proposition. Focuses on opportunities that are in alignment with organizational strategy, prioritizing opportunities based on highest potential for impact/consumption.

Drives discussions of terms and conditions (e.g., scope, milestones, price) with executive-level customer stakeholders (e.g., CFO, CEO, elected officials, board level) for opportunities in collaboration with the entire account team and customer through multiple iterations to ensure agreement. Maintains productive working relationships with those involved in negotiation, persuading others, and driving a positive atmosphere during difficult objections and discussions. Successfully leverages recognized techniques for handling difficult questions, overcoming objections, and respectfully challenging. Builds and executes negotiation activities into the close plan for the opportunity, based on guidance from broader team (e.g., business operations).

Maintains relationship with the customer to secure formal signing of contract and oversees the processing of that, including financial purchased orders. Drives smooth transition of sales-led accountabilities to delivery-led accountabilities. Support the delivery aspects with customers and delivery teams, and drives future opportunities. Once contract is signed and the Consulting engagement is in the delivery stage, supports tracking the Industry Solution Delivery (ISD) direct Azure impact (aligned with the consumption plan). Meets or exceeds personal Revenue-based incentive (RBI) targets and makes valuable contribution within team and beyond for broader impact. Contributes to win/loss reviews with sales and pursuit management, champions lessons learned activities to drive improvements and efficiency for customers and peers. Identifies repeatable intellectual property that could be replicated and sold to other customers, increasing the sales team's ability to scale the solution and grow market share.

Gains active contribution from others in building close plans for all qualified opportunities, initially (at qualified stage) comprising the core Budget, Authority, Need and Timeline (BANT) information and commercial strategy for the deal, and progressing to include detailed customer procurement process, risks, and issues. Updates the close plan as deal progresses through each sales stage. Obtains consensus and participation from entire account team to the close plan. Executes, updates, and closes on customer-centric actions that achieve alignment between Microsoft and customers. Builds and shares plans with the customer. Secures Microsoft virtual Consulting account team and customer stakeholder buy in to schedule of activities for successful closure of the deal. Anticipates potential risks and blockers and takes proactive action to mitigate to maintain deal velocity. Works with internal key stakeholders and approvers to ensure margin targets, consumption plans, and other key metrics are considered/met.