Thanks for looking at my blog. This is where I publish my thoughts, musings, projects, and anything else that comes to mind.

Mark Smith Mark Smith

Microsoft Business Applications Podcast – Lessons Learned

My podcasting evolution from when I started. Nottingham, England budging free bed and board from my cousin and I had managed to schedule a time to speak with Guus Krabbenborg, a guy I had met years ago at a Microsoft Partner conference in Australia.

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Learning the Power Platform – AI Builder

Microsoft Business Application Summit 2019 announced another build tool – AI Builder. As many of you know, the world of Microsoft Business Applications has changed. Those that have been in the industry for some time will remember talking about Dynamics CRM, and then Dynamics 365. Although Dynamics 365 was the starting point, today it is just a PowerApp operating on the Power Platform.

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What are the Benefits of Employing a Microsoft MVP?

I recently had a conversation with the founder and CEO of a Microsoft Business Applications Global Systems Integrator (GSI). The discussion turned to Microsoft MVPs and his desire to hire as many as he could across their global business. Some interesting questions were raised including, what are the benefits of employing MVPs? And how can a Microsoft Partner effectively invest in attracting and hiring MVPs?

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Industry Targeting to Grow the Microsoft Power Platform Practice – Part 2

In Part 1 I highlighted the need for Microsoft partners to focus on an industry solution, how to decide which industry to focus on, and how to establish a “beachhead” to dominate that industry. In this post, I’ll share ideas for creating interest within the industry you’re targeting and how to build credibility through references and industry engagement.

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Industry Targeting to Grow the Microsoft Power Platform Practice – Part 1

In my sixteen years of working in Microsoft Business Applications and twenty years of working for Microsoft Partners I have never come across a partner that has said “we have more leads than we can handle, we have more opportunities than we can pursue, we are making more money than we know what to spend it on”.

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