Voices For Innovation: Involving Partners Through Policy Engagement
Over the years, I have often shared different initiatives, programs, offers, etc. that partners may or may not be aware of, that they can join and take advantage of if they think they are a good fit for their businesses and charters. Today, I’m once again sharing another one of these opportunities with you: Voices For Innovation, as well as how you can get engaged with it. Here are the high-level basics of Voices For Innovation to get you grounded on what it is and why you should consider becoming a part of it:
What we do: Voices for Innovation (VFI) is a Microsoft supported community of our partners and other IT professionals who want to stay informed on public policy issues that impact the IT sector and their business, as well as learn about unique IT opportunities in that space.
The business opportunity: Because of VFI’s unique position at the intersection of technology and public policy, partners have the potential to secure new business. Our members get involved at a variety of levels—from writing op-eds to meeting with lawmakers to testifying before Congress—which enables them to influence decisions and gain a higher level of exposure to decision makers, who are also potential customers. Several VFI partners have secured new business and strengthened their position in the market as a direct result of connections made during VFI engagements. There is no cost to join VFI, and partners can get involved at whatever level suits them best.
The more you engage, the greater the opportunity: The more you participate in VFI events, the greater your potential opportunities. VFI facilitates engagement not only with lawmakers but also key Microsoft officials and industry thought leaders through webinars, executive briefings, and in-person events—rich networking opportunities that many partners, especially those in the SMB space, may not otherwise have. And the more you participate, the more invitations you receive to new events.
Learn more, get involved:
- Sign up for the VFI newsletter
- Follow VFI on Facebook and Twitter
- Take your first action: sign our petition to make Computer Science count in schools
Did you find this information helpful? If so, you may want to make sure you are utilizing all of the areas I share information online, such as:
Thanks again for being a reader of my blog!
Thank you and have a wonderful day,
Eric Ligman – Follow me on TWITTER, LinkedIn, and Facebook
Sr. Sales Excellence Manager
Microsoft Corporation
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
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