For SAP partners, digital marketing of a SAP-Qualified Partner-Packaged Solution can be almost as important as the development of the package itself. After all, what good is the best solution in the world if no one knows about it.
Prebby Moonsamy, an SAP partner business manager in Johannesburg, South Africa, tries to articulate that point to every partner she talks to—as well as her fellow PBMs. It’s crucial, Moonsamy says, to leverage popular social platforms to highlight your solutions’ capabilities because everything about packaged solutions (with a fixed scope, cost and implementation) requires marketing different than traditional project-based solutions.
For example, she cites one partner that did an onsite event and a LinkedIn campaign. Analyzing the results after the completion of both revealed that the cost per lead for the onsite event was 6x the LinkedIn campaign.
“Digital demand generation works. This is solid proof. The partners that can adapt their marketing to digital stand to spend less and be more successful,” she said.
Of course, the partner needs to have a solid packaged solution that customers want too, Moonsamy said. In her experience, partners are at very different stages of development of their own packaged solutions.
“I have one partner that finished a number of packaged solutions. They’re drawing attention from customers and that’s drawing attention from other partners,” she said. “You have to define where your focus is and whether or not other partners have packaged solutions in that area. The more unique your solution is, the more you will have a competitive advantage in that space.”
Teamwork Breeds Success
Packaged-solution success requires PBMs to work closely with their partners, but PBMs also need to help sell the partner’s capabilities internally within SAP, Moonsamy said. In South Africa, she works closely with a member of a local Solutions Center team and others.
“It’s been a team effort. From a PBM’s perspective, you have to understand the whole demand generation angle. Who is generating the leads? Who is engaging in best practices? Who is making sure the partner is executing? There’s a lot involved but once it works, it works great,” she said.
For example, one South African partner has forged close ties with SAP Digital Demand Executive (DDE) teams to ensure it has warm leads to pursue. SAP has showcased the partner at local events and the partner has invested heavily—and successfully—in digital marketing, Moonsamy said.
“Their success story is attracting other partners, even those who first question whether packaged solutions could be successful,” she said. “Early adopters will still have an advantage. There’s no comparison.”
Digital Marketing Pays Dividends
Today’s business customers are doing their homework and a lot of them make a purchasing decision before even talking to a salesperson. The more information a partner has on their website and social media can absolutely help sway a prospect in their direction, Moonsamy said.
“With a package solution, a customer is able to better understand what they are getting, how much it will cost and how long it will take. People absolutely look for those things. It’s an easy first step for introducing a product like SAP,” she said.
Digital marketing of packaged solutions can also help buyers, especially those in the small and medium-sized enterprises space, make a decision quicker. In South Africa, the DDEs with SAP work closely with partners to qualify leads, which helps accelerate buying decisions even faster, Moonsamy said.
“We’re really working to support partners in South Africa. The DDEs are almost an extension of the partner’s sales force,” she said. “Early adopters in packaged solutions are starting to see results. More partners are making the right investments. Packaged solutions are driving more business. It’s working quite well.”
More than 350 SAP partners have qualified over 800 qualified partner packaged solutions. For a complete list of SAP-Qualified Partner-Packaged Solution, visit the SAP Partner Package Finder.
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