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Quisitive Chairman and CEO Joins Ultimate Guide to Partnering®

If you’re focused on forging successful partnerships with industry leaders like Microsoft and are seeking actionable strategies to scale your business in FY24, then you’re in the right place. Welcome to “The Ultimate Guide to Partnering,” a podcast where host Vince Menzione, a seasoned partner sales executive, provides strategic insights to drive your business success. Today’s episode features an in-depth conversation with Mike Reinhardt, Chairman and CEO of Quisitive, a publicly-traded, multi-year award-winning Microsoft partner. Recorded just a day after the Microsoft Inspire conference, this episode offers an exclusive look into the best practices and strategies for sustaining a successful partnership in the rapidly evolving Microsoft ecosystem. Your journey towards achieving exceptional business results through strategic partnerships starts here.

What to Expect

A rare opportunity to gain insights from a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in fostering highly successful partnerships within the Microsoft ecosystem. As Chairman and CEO of Quisitive, a publicly-traded, award-winning Microsoft partner, Mike brings a wealth of knowledge in areas such as business strategy, operational excellence, and financial management. His expertise is not just theoretical; it’s built on decades of practical experience, leading to multiple industry awards and a robust, profitable business.

Beyond his credentials, Mike has a track record of being at the forefront of innovative solutions, speaking at industry-leading events and contributing to the discourse that shapes the future of tech partnerships. He offers not just a macro-level view of the trends and shifts in the technology landscape, but also a micro-level understanding of actionable strategies that can directly impact your business’s bottom line.

If you’re interested in scaling your business, optimizing your partnership strategies, or gaining a deeper understanding of the Microsoft ecosystem, Mike’s insights are invaluable. Whether you’re a startup looking for direction or an established firm aiming to pivot or scale, hearing from Mike offers a unique blend of strategic vision and practical advice. So if you’re serious about achieving exceptional business results through strategic partnerships, then this is a conversation you can’t afford to miss.

Why Listen?

1. Mike Reinhardt brings a quarter-century of hands-on experience building award-winning partnerships within the Microsoft ecosystem, offering invaluable insights into business strategy, operational excellence, and financial management.
2. Industry Leadership and Innovation: As Chairman and CEO of a publicly traded, award-winning Microsoft partner, Mike is a recognized leader in the field. He has been a key player in shaping the future of tech partnerships, speaking at industry events and contributing to important industry discussions.
3. Actionable Business Strategies: Mike offers a unique blend of macro-level industry trends and micro-level actionable strategies that can directly impact your business’s growth and profitability, making his insights essential for businesses at all stages of development.

In Quisitive’s Words

Mike Reinhardt serves as the Chairman and CEO of Acquisitive, a publicly-traded, award-winning partner in the Microsoft ecosystem. With more than 25 years of experience leading partner organizations focused on Microsoft, Mike has been instrumental in driving Acquisitive’s growth and positioning the company as a marquee sponsor of industry-leading events like “Winning with Ecosystems.” An industry veteran, Mike’s extensive experience spans various facets of business strategy, including partnership development, operational excellence, and financial management. A regular speaker at tech conferences, Mike offers unparalleled insights into the world of tech partnerships, having recently participated in the Microsoft Inspire conference. His leadership has been instrumental in steering Acquisitive to numerous accolades, further solidifying its reputation as a leading Microsoft partner. With Mike at the helm, Acquisitive continues to set new benchmarks in innovative solutions, fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration.

What You’ll Learn

1. Business Growth Through Microsoft Partnerships: 0:00
   • Mike Reinhardt, CEO of Quisitive, delves into the components of their award-winning partnership with Microsoft, focusing on how it has fueled business growth.
2. Leveraging AI and Marketplaces with Microsoft: 2:11
   • An industry expert discusses the historical context of their successful partnership with Microsoft, emphasizing the team’s strategies that align with Microsoft’s recent announcements about marketplaces and AI.
   • The segment touches on the necessity for partners to re-think offer assembly across channels, aiming to drive AI adoption and engage customers in innovative ways.
3. Strategic Acquisitions and Partnership with Microsoft: 8:09
   • The discussion shifts to Microsoft’s strategy to boost industry penetration via bundled offerings. Quisitive’s role as a key partner is emphasized, notably in winning the “Partner of the Year” award for healthcare business transformation.
4. Preparing for AI Integration and Future Partnerships: 12:10
   • Partners are urged to deliver maximum customer value by aligning closely with Microsoft’s capabilities.
   • The importance of focus and prioritization is underscored to avoid diluting brand value and customer dissatisfaction.
5. Upcoming Trends and Changes: Closing Remarks

This episode of Ultimate Guide to Partnering is sponsored by QUISITIVE.

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Unveiling Ultimate Partner LIVE—Dallas, TX, Nov 13-15, 2023

Ready to decode Microsoft’s recent game-changing investments in #Marketplace, #SMC, and #GenerativeAI?

Are you looking for actionable insights and a success roadmap?

Are you looking to network and have bi-directional engagement with Microsoft Executives, SMC sellers, GPS and Marketplace Leaders, and other Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partners?

Your solution has arrived: Ultimate Partner LIVE – The Americas Summit.

Ultimate Partner LIVE – The Americas Summit

I’m beyond excited to launch our first LIVE event. Consider this the “double-click” from Microsoft’s Inspire Conference to provide the prescriptive guidance and executive engagement to align, leverage, and scale your Microsoft Partnership.

This is a one-of-a-kind, unique event that will help you crack the code.

Ultimate Partner LIVE| Americas 2023 

Why Attend?

🎯 Are you geared up to exploit the $50B Marketplace opportunity? Do you have a Marketplace Transactable Offer, not just built but with effective marketing and sell-through support?

💼 Have you designed an impactful co-selling plan for Small, Medium, and Corporate Accounts – SMC? Are you even sure where to start?

🤖 And let’s not overlook the game-changing potential of Generative AI, especially with innovations like Co-Pilot.

Join Us in Dallas – November 13th to 15th

Graciously hosted by Microsoft at the Las Colinas Campus, this event is designed with mainstage keynotes, breakout sessions, and individual boardroom sessions.

The event will begin with registration and a social at 4 PM on November 13th, hosted by SMC Leadership. On November 14th and 15th you’ll experience:

• Deep-dive sessions that build on insights from Microsoft’s Inspire Conference.
• A unique assembly of 300+ participants, including Microsoft executives from GPS, SMC, and Marketplace.
• A confluence of industry experts offering prescriptive guidance through real-world experiences, frameworks, and best practices.

Interactive Experience:

• Bidirectional keynotes
• Hands-on workshops
• Breakout and boardroom sessions

Networking:

• Connect with Microsoft Executives, SMC Leaders, GPS, and Marketplace Experts.
• Meet some of the SMC Field Organization looking to engage with partners.
• Engage with award-winning partners: ISVs, SIs, LSPs, and CSPs.

Walk away from these two days ready to implement your 2024 partner plan!

How do I sign up?

Limited Early Bird Pricing is now available. You can secure your seat today for what promises to be a transformative experience. https://cvent.me/8DN9bP?RefId=Company+Website

I look forward to hosting you and seeing you in Dallas, TX, November 13-15!

Vince Menzione

Why Ultimate Partner?

Over six years ago, I embarked on a mission to empower partners struggling to navigate the complex world of tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and AWS. Today, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of Ultimate Partner, an extraordinary media, events, and advisory company dedicated to transforming your Cloud Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy and fostering Ecosystem Led Growth.

Having witnessed the industry from multiple perspectives – leading a $4.6 billion Ecosystem at Microsoft, spearheading partnerships for a billion-dollar company, and hosting 200 episodes of the Ultimate Guide to Partnering®, I’ve gained invaluable insights and crafted a manifesto of principles to guide your success.

In an era defined by tectonic shifts, such as the global pandemic, economic headwinds, and the rise of AI, the role of hyperscalers has become increasingly critical. With investments of billions of dollars in ecosystems, technology, and customer acquisition costs, they have secured over $200 billion in customer commitments to durable cloud budgets. We stand on the precipice of a marketplace moment where simplifying and streamlining economic models associated with co-selling and ecosystem-led growth will shape the decade ahead.

Yet, as vendors and organizations demand more from us while resources diminish, we ask, “Where do we go? How do we navigate these seismic shifts? How do we thrive during this decade of the ecosystem?”

If you’re a partner, you’re likely grappling with these questions. The watering holes of the past no longer offer the guidance required to transform into a Cloud GTM and embrace Ecosystem Led Growth. That’s why Ultimate Partner exists – to be your trusted compass amidst the noise.

A Word from AG1

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Transcription – by Otter.ai – Expect Many Typos

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

microsoft, partner, customers, capabilities, business, mike, today, industry, ag, offerings, solutions, services, marketplace, ai, ip, teams, healthcare, platform, microsoft ecosystem, focus

SPEAKERS

Announcer, Mike Reinhart, Vince Menzione

Vince Menzione  00:00

Do you want to hear from a partner with over 25 years experience building and shaping award winning partnerships with Microsoft? Do you want to learn his secrets to success as you shape your own strategy to grow your business practice? And do you aspire for incredible business growth in fiscal year 24, then you’ve come to the right place.

Announcer  00:21

This is the ultimate guide to partnering the top partnership podcast. In this podcast, Vince Menzione, a proven partner sales executive shares his mission to help leaders like you achieve your greatest results through successful partnering. And now your host, Vince Menzione.

Vince Menzione  00:41

Welcome to or welcome back to The Ultimate Guide to partnering. I’m Vince Menzione, your host, and today I will. Mike Reinhardt is the Chairman and CEO of acquisitive, a publicly traded multi year award winning Microsoft partner and a marquee sponsor of the winning with ecosystems event. And Mike joined us the day after the Microsoft inspire conference, as I had the unique privilege to be joined by many leaders in the Microsoft ecosystem that day, including Mike, with over 25 years experience leading partner organizations focused on Microsoft. I hope you learn from this discussion. As much as I enjoyed welcoming back, Mike Reinhart. I’m here with Mike Reinhart, the Chairman and CEO of inquisitive, a multi year award winning Microsoft partner, and a marquee sponsor of this event. So great to see you again, Mike.

Mike Reinhart  01:39

Thanks. Great to be here events.

01:42

First off, I want to thank you for your partnership and sponsorship of this first live digital event. You live in a lead and amazing organization and your leaders at some of the finest in our industry. And this event is designed to help partners harness the power of working with Microsoft during these tectonic shifts we’ve all been seen to effectively grow their business. And frankly, I couldn’t think of a better person to spend time with today discussing success as an award winning partner.

Mike Reinhart  02:11

Well, I appreciate that we were really pleased to you know, really, I have a long running history with Microsoft, I know every year you when you sign up for inspire, they ask you have you been here 10 years, 20 years, whatever. And I say, just give me the box. It says since it started with Fusion back in 1996, I’ve been there. So I’ve seen that history. And we’ve been very successful in that journey with Microsoft and how we you know, first and foremost, it’s all about the team, you’ve talked about the great team that I have around me, that’s what my secret to success is, is all centered around assembling diverse perspectives and people who know and understand what our customers are looking for. But also known understand what partnering with Microsoft means. And then understanding how you have to be adaptable and evolve with them, and know when and where you’re best positioned to bring value. And that’s been kind of our focus through all the different technology innovation changes that have occurred. And the timeframe I’ve been doing this. And we’re probably gonna talk a lot today about this latest sort of trend and shift that I think is gonna be fundamental in partnering with Microsoft around AI and some of the things we’re doing with marketplaces and things like that.

03:18

Yeah. And you and I had a longer dialogue on our podcast. And I encourage people watching today to go back and listen to that. We’re going to certainly provide links to that in today’s event. So a big few days here, right? The last couple of days, Microsoft made some big announcements, Satya and Nicole’s announcements around marketplaces and AI, you know, really, really critical to future growth. It’s I call this the tectonic shifts, we’re all seeing how do these priorities align to you and your business, Mike? Yeah,

Mike Reinhart  03:49

so the marketplace has obviously been something Microsoft has really been investing in for several years, and we’ve been an active participant in that space, we’ve got nearly 100 different apps and solution offerings in the marketplace today. And again, it goes back to this whole idea about I talked about big IP and little IP in our model, the big IP are the major offerings that we’re bringing to market around our patient care management platform, and healthcare revenue cycle management and some of those kinds of things. We’re also doing all kinds of micro IP that are embedded as part of offerings. In a partner to partner model, we’re doing some unique things with board and there are financial planning and analytics tied into Business Central. So you see us doing those kinds of things. And again, Microsoft sees how that’s an important value point for customers, to again, get them to solving their business problems more quickly. consuming those services through the Marketplace experience, obviously, all bundled back and tied into the Microsoft platforms. But that process is a really critical one for customers or for partners to think about in serving their customers in two lenses. One is about how do you get your marketplace capabilities, whether it’s IP solutions, marketing programs, whatever embedded into that, to have visibility to interact with both Microsoft teams as well as customers. But the second is that PDP scenario looking for ways that you might be able to assemble offers together across the partner channel, that again, are going to allow you to engage with customers in a new way, and help accelerate that, as you think about AI is going to be a fundamental shift in how services are performed, as well as how we’re using that technology with our customers. And we think about it as an embedded process in everything we do. I believe it’ll be a fundamental change in how services are performed, how development services shift from an hourly based construct into performance units in a different way, as you think about paired programming, leveraging GitHub, co pilot and other kinds of mechanisms. So it’s going to fundamentally impact everything we do in the coming years. And thinking not only about how you use a I mean, co pilot, all the different offerings that Microsoft is bringing to mark market and how you’re going to be an expert to do that, but also how it’s going to be applied to what you do as a service and solution provider for your customers. And embedding that in the framework of how you provide services, whether it’s development services, consulting services, or how you really interact from a customer service, platform perspective, all those things are going to be key beyond just knowing how to deploy and implement AI technologies with customers.

06:26

So exciting it this time. I mean, we’re just at the precipice we’re at the beginning of this, it’s gonna be so great to have Lane join. For our viewers today, please stay tuned for that spotlight session featuring leaders from Microsoft and lanes origin for inquisitive. I’m so excited to announce our continued partnership with ag one. Many of you know, I made taking a green drink supplement, part of my health ritual for over 21 years now. And it has made all the difference to my health and well being over six years ago, I found athletic greens, and now their product ag one became my go to supplement. Ag one is the first thing I take every morning to power my day. It covers all of my nutritional bases, supports my gut health gives a boost to my immunity, and energy levels. If you want to take ownership of your health, try ag one and get a free one year supply of vitamin D. And five free ag one travel packs with your first purchase. Go to drink ag one.com forward slash Vince M. That’s drink ag one.com forward slash Vince M. Check it out. But Mike, I want to spend a little bit more time with you here on solution plays, which were another big area of focus from Microsoft’s announcements and the SMC market. And I know you have a very strong point of view from your work with Gartner. Can you tell us more? Yeah, so

Mike Reinhart  08:03

we’ve been spent a lot of time with Gartner talking about what’s the next generation of IT services and solutions. And there’s a construct that they’ve been evolving really centered around product enabled industry services and solutions. And we have really been building our business model around that future sort of mindset where we’re thinking about industries that we have deep relevance in our own IP, again, that is helping accelerate value to customers and healthcare, manufacturing, retail with our payments and capabilities with our pay IQ platform and others, bringing all those together supported by and built on the fabric of the Microsoft Cloud across all three of the pillars that we discussed earlier. But then in addition to that, still, having that sophisticated systems integration capabilities that we know has to happen when you deploy these offerings into a customer’s environment. It has to coexist, both within their four walls and all the technical environment and business process environment that they have. But as well as in their partner or supply chain and other kinds of things as you start to extend outside that. So it’s really that bundling that we see. And as you think about the SMC landscape, and the ability to bring that kind of bundled offering around these products, enabled services and solutions. Again, it is what will help Microsoft really accelerate their penetration into those markets as they’re increasingly deriving value from industry. But also, again, the value to our customers is that we can get them in their journey and move them more quickly through that process to get to the value that they’re looking to achieve.

09:39

Well, it sounds like acquisitive, is poised to help those clients on that journey.

Mike Reinhart  09:42

So we’re excited about it. We’ve seen some really good early wins as we’ve built out these capabilities over the last couple of years, continuing to build that momentum and continuing to invest significantly in enhancing not only the platform and products that we have in that space today, but continuing To invest in new industries and capabilities as we go forward, and we’ll look to acquire those capabilities to complement areas that which is hard. Sometimes you can’t do everything organically because you got to pick and choose where you allocate the capital. And that’s where the m&a strategy for us is critical to go and find some great partners that know and understand particular areas or domains, whether it’s industry or horizontal or functional, and bring that into our ecosystem to again, have more arrows in the quiver, as I describe it as we go to a customer to be able to solve a broader set of their problems and opportunities.

10:34

Speaking of those solving for those opportunities, congratulations on another successful year, and another Partner of the Year award. In fact, this time for healthcare business transformation, Mike, I thought maybe you’d spend a few moments with us there on what this award meant, and what you’re solving for. Yeah,

Mike Reinhart  10:51

super proud of our teams in the accomplishment, we’ve been awarded a partner of the year for five years running, this is a third year in a row for our healthcare. And as we think about how we’re trying to bring our value to market, again, in this industry context about really building out a depth and breadth of service capabilities for customers, we have some great showcase wins with some of our customer set with Microsoft, both it optim as well as Arthur health and others that really are leveraging the power of this product enabled services and solutions. And it’s really exciting for our teams to be recognized for the great work they’ve done and acknowledgement that Microsoft is feeling and seeing the impact that we’re having with them to not only create value and revenue for Microsoft, but more importantly back to the customer lens, how we’re together, having an impact of those customers and helping really optimize their business through the technology. So excited about that we actually won two awards this year, not only the health care, but also solution assessment. And again, our teams are really focused on how we engage with Microsoft to drive the shared partnership value that we need to do. And then again, together serve our mutual customers to to achieve their outcomes.

12:02

Exciting times, Mike, and over 1000 employees. Now I think that’s up about 150. From our last conversation earlier this

Mike Reinhart  12:09

year. Yeah, continue to grow, obviously moving and shifting. And that’s one of the things that all of us is partners, as we have these changes with AI and others, we got to be, you know, focusing on readiness for our teams to really align skill sets to how we’re going to be serving customers, how we’re going to be integrating these new capabilities from Microsoft. So encourage all the partners to really be having an ongoing process to think about how do you prepare your organization for this next generation, and be ready with your capabilities, but also with your people, you have to really focus? We’re spending a lot of time internally here acquisitive, around, how do we do readiness to enable AI into everything that we do. And it’s a process that’s going to take a long time. But we’ve started that journey and investing back into that process to make sure that we’re ready to serve customers and partner with Microsoft in the new way that I believe they’re going to really start to amplify beginning here in fiscal 24.

13:08

Well, you brought up some really good points, we have two workshops following this session on helping partners achieve and take advantage of this massive opportunity. But any closing words of advice for those partners that are watching us today?

Mike Reinhart  13:20

Yeah, I think you know, depending upon where you are in your spectrum, obviously we’ve had a significant growth cycle and so are capable of taking on more things even even in that we gotta be careful about taking on too much. But really identify and prioritize what is it that you think is your best value to your customer first? And then where how do you align that best within the Microsoft ecosystem and capabilities and become excellent at doing that, and will showcase and build on that. And then take and build and grow that as you go forward. And again, it’s hard sometimes to you know, really know and understand how to best and most effectively do that. But prioritization is the key, you get in trouble. When you try to do too many things across too many fronts, you start to have brand value issues with Microsoft, as well as customer so stay focused and really prioritize the things that you think you can have the biggest impact on

14:11

yeah, really great point. I know we’re going to talk about that in one of the workshops, but specifically being that shiny quarter and a bucket full of shiny quarters showing up as the one that one partner that can do this one thing better than anyone else. I think that’s a great. Yeah, Mike, I want to thank you again for spending time with us today. Appreciate the

Mike Reinhart  14:28

opportunity events. It’s always fun to have the conversation and continue to talk about where we’re headed. And again, there’s gonna be some, I think, fundamental changes in how Microsoft partners with all of us and I’ve been doing this a long time and excited about what this next journey will look like and looking forward to future discussions about how it’s unfolding and what what is happening in the marketplace. That’s creating value for both Microsoft and our customers.

14:54

So excited to have you here today. Thanks again. Thank you if you’re a partner are working with Microsoft. I hope you learn from this discussion as much as I did. And chances are, you want to learn even more, which is why I’m hosting my first live event in Dallas, Texas, November 13. Through the 15th. Come to our website, Ultimate Guide to partnering.com or the ultimate partner.com. And learn more. I hope to see you in Dallas, November 13 through the 15th.

Announcer  15:28

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of The Ultimate Guide to partnering with your host Vince Menzione online at Ultimate Guide to partnering.com and facebook.com/ultimate Guide to partnering. We’ll catch you next time on The ultimate guide to partnering