Customers buy from people they know, like and trust. In tech, many deals begin through conversations sparked at industry events, in-person meetings and referrals. But after the meeting ends, buyers don’t stop evaluating. They enter what Google has described as the “messy middle,” a non-linear journey in between trigger and purchase decision where prospects flip-flop in a loop of evaluation and exploration across search engines, social media, reviews and websites. As an MSP, have you considered how your marketing strategy affects this buyer’s journey?
If you’re a Pax8 Microsoft partner, you have access to an array of free and premium marketing resources designed to help you build effective marketing campaigns, enhance your digital footprint and refine your sales strategy. We’ll explain the different sales and marketing tools available through your partnership and how to tap into them to grow your business.
Marketing Content
NEW Partner Marketing Center Pro
On February 13, Microsoft launched the new Partner Marketing Center (PMC) Pro. PMC Pro lets you build integrated digital campaigns with the power of AI, dramatically reducing the time and effort required to launch professional marketing initiatives.
PMC Pro replaces the retired Digital Marketing Content OnDemand (DMC) platform with significant improvements:
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- AI-powered customization and cobrandin
- AI language translation
- Options to build an asset from the ground up, then use AI to shape the first draft and move from idea to execution faster
- Automated campaign execution
Important: Unlike DMC, not all partners have access to PMC Pro. Access is limited to partners enrolled in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP) who have a paid partner benefits package, a Solution Partner designation or are part of ISV Success.
If you don’t currently meet one of these requirements, you’ll continue to have access to Microsoft’s self-serve content library where you can find ready-to-use marketing assets, including purpose-built content aligned to Microsoft solution plays and key product messaging.
Microsoft Content Library
Microsoft has compiled partner-ready go-to-market assets across all their cloud solution areas into online repositories that all partners can access, regardless of MAICPP status. Choose your solution area and find resources like customer pitch decks, use case scenarios, messaging for SMBs vs enterprises, ROI calculators and marketing campaigns-in-a-box.
Getting started is easy:
- Navigate to https://microsoftpartners.microsoft.com
- Select your solution area from:
- AI Business Solutions (Microsoft 365, Copilot, Dynamics 365)
- Cloud and AI Platforms (Azure)
- Security
- Select “Go to market”
From there, explore the available assets and select the right resources to elevate your brand and streamline your marketing efforts.
Pax8 Toolkits
Pax8 has built Microsoft toolkits to help you go to market across the Microsoft cloud stack. These toolkits include sales guides, customizable templates and white-label assets to help you start meaningful conversations with customers and identify new opportunities without creating materials from scratch. Toolkits are available today for:
Pax8 regularly updates these resources to reflect Microsoft’s latest innovations, ensuring you have the most relevant and impactful content at your fingertips.
Go-To-Market Strategy
Pax8 Microsoft OneCloud Guided Growth
Pax8 OneCloud is an enablement framework designed to help all Pax8 partners confidently build, sell and deliver solutions within the Microsoft cloud stack across Microsoft 365, Azure and Dynamics 365. It provides a phased, personalized journey to help partners move beyond license reselling to delivering complete, high-value solutions. By enrolling in OneCloud Guided Growth, Pax8 partners gain access to a robust enablement package, including:
A curated learning journey aligned to their assessment results.
- The OneCloud Go-to-Market Toolkit with positioning, marketing, and sales resources.
- Solution resources and guidelines tailored to accelerate Microsoft practice building.
And there’s a bonus: partners who complete the requisite coursework will unlock a Microsoft Certification voucher to alleviate the cost burden and provide customers with their validation of expertise.
Enroll now to start your journey with Pax8 OneCloud Guided Growth.
Results Selling Framework
Sales doesn’t have to be hard. The Results Selling Framework is a proven methodology designed for MSPs by MSP industry experts. It helps you develop the skills needed to achieve greater sales success by asking the right questions, uncovering prospect needs and articulating your unique value differentiation.
You can start your Results Selling Framework journey with one or more learning methods to best meet your needs:
- Complimentary on-demand learning
- Live, virtual instructor-led training
- Collaborative sales peer groups
- Personalized sales coaching
Whether you need quick prospecting tips or want to learn how to build strong customer relationships, the Results Selling Framework will help you have more insightful conversations and win more business.
Build Your Brand
Marketplace Storefronts
Pax8 Storefronts allow you to create customized customer experiences while maintaining complete control over permissions and access. Your Pax8 Marketplace Storefront is your digital showroom.
When prospects find your Storefront, they see your expertise, your point of view and your recommendations. Partners using Storefronts to support buyers through self-guided exploration, a crucial phase in the “messy middle” of the buyer’s journey.
Use Storefronts to:
- Showcase offerings in a branded space
- Highlight featured products or bundles
- Let prospects explore before scheduling a call
- Capture leads with a built-in contact form
- Embed on your website or share a hosted link
Every element removes friction and makes your business easier to understand. Start building your Storefronts in the Pax8 Marketplace today.
Microsoft Co-op Funds
Microsoft invests deeply into their partner ecosystem, including distributing marketing funds through their Microsoft Commerce Incentives (MCI). Below is a breakdown of how Microsoft partners can earn co-op funding and how they can invest it back into their marketing strategy.
MCI rewards Cloud Solution Providers who make a direct impact in delivering value-added services and driving customer adoption and consumption. Partners must enroll in incentive programs at the Partner Center before they can begin earning. Effective October 1, 2025, to qualify, indirect resellers must:
- Have a Solutions Partner designation OR 25 partner capability points specific to the solution area incentive
- Maintain $25,000 USD in Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) revenue at Partner Location for all solution area incentives
Earnings split:
- 60% rebate (paid directly to you)
- 40% co-op (held for Microsoft-approved marketing activities)
Cooperative marketing funds accrue as one MCI co-op amount per enrolled Partner ID. You’ll need at least $25,000 in earnings to be eligible for co-op and funds must reach a $10,000 USD minimum threshold to be available for use. If you don’t meet the threshold, funds are deposited as a rebate.
View the FY26 Pax8 Microsoft Incentive Guidebook for full details on incentives.
What You Can Claim with Co-op Funds
Cooperative (Co‑op) marketing funds provide reimbursement for approved marketing efforts that promote Microsoft products and strengthen its presence in the market. The program is flexible, so you can use these funds in several ways to build visibility and preference for Microsoft solutions.
Demand Generation
Advertising with brand reach that extends the marketing and promotion of Microsoft-specific offerings, including:
- Print and digital advertising
- Direct mail/email/SMS
- Partner website and SEO
- Multi-touch digital campaigns
- Social media marketing
- Microsoft syndicated content
Market Development
Marketing activities designed for a specific customer audience that support the sale of Microsoft software and licenses include:
- Telemarketing
- Customer seminars and bootcamps
- Tradeshows and expositions
- Customer offers
- GTM services
- Internal sales incentives
- Proof of concept/migration services
- Employee purchase web setup for customer
Partner Readiness
Expenses related to Microsoft training, technical certification and program fees for internal partner personnel that promote the development of Microsoft technology expertise, including:
- MPN participation
- Internal training and floor days
- Microsoft-hosted conferences
- Product seeding and demo units
View the complete details and proof of execution required to claim eligible activities in the FY26 Partner Incentive Co-op Guidebook.
Quick Tip: Use Copilot Chat to Break Through Marketer’s Block
Microsoft’s Copilot Chat can help you brainstorm if you’re struggling to build a campaign, wondering how to promote new products or need to find a new channel to add to your marketing funnel.
The best part? Copilot Chat is free to access within your Microsoft 365 applications. Your conversations with Copilot stay within your Microsoft account, so your next big marketing campaign won’t be exposed on the Internet.
The best results come from strong prompts that are specific to your goals and customers. Here’s an example of how to use Copilot Chat to brainstorm a marketing campaign:
Weak prompt: “I want to promote Microsoft cloud to SMBs.”
Strong prompt: “I want to create an integrated marketing campaign promoting [Microsoft 365 Copilot] to small and medium-sized business owners within the [nonprofit industry] who may not be familiar with AI-powered productivity tools. Provide three campaign recommendations and include social media, web, email and field marketing tactics. For each campaign, include key messaging points and an example call-to-action.”
Build Trust at Every Touchpoint
In today’s crowded digital landscape, trust isn’t built in a single meeting. It’s developed across every interaction that follows. As modern buyers move through the “messy middle,” your online presence, content and consistency become just as influential as the relationships that started the conversation. The partners who win are the ones who show up clearly and confidently at every digital touchpoint, making it easy for prospects to understand their value and take the next step.
Now is the time to take a hard look at your sales and marketing strategy. How are you nurturing leads and upselling current clients to unlock new revenue streams? Are you maximizing every marketing development dollar (MDF) within your vendor ecosystem to amplify your reach and impact?
By combining the right tools and programs to build an intentional marketing approach, you can guide buyers through the evaluation-exploration loop and turn trust into long-term growth.
