--- title: "Microsoft Partner Performance: Benchmark Your Business on the Performance Curve" description: Learn how to benchmark your Microsoft business using the Investible Partner performance curve and identify your next growth stage. image: https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/ian-battaglia-TAswQnt641A-unsplash.jpg --- [![logo](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/logo.png?width=107&height=45&name=logo.png "logo")](https://www.partnerelevate.com) - [Home](https://www.partnerelevate.com) - [About](https://www.partnerelevate.com/about-us) - [How It Works](https://www.partnerelevate.com/how-it-work) - Solutions - [Vendor](https://www.partnerelevate.com/vendors) - [Distributor](https://www.partnerelevate.com/distributors) - [Partner](https://www.partnerelevate.com/partners) - [Resources](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog) - [Success Stories](https://www.partnerelevate.com/partnership-success-stories) - [Investible Partner Platform](https://www.partnerelevate.com/investible-partner-platform) [Contact us](https://www.partnerelevate.com/contact-us) # Microsoft Partner Performance: Benchmark Your Business on the Performance Curve ![Partner Elevate](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png) [Partner Elevate](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/author/partner-elevate)   |   Sept 09, 2021 02:07 pm ![Microsoft Partner Performance: Benchmark Your Business on the Performance Curve](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/ian-battaglia-TAswQnt641A-unsplash.jpg)  Partner Elevate’s team have spent years helping Microsoft partner channel businesses grow by more than 30% year on year. With that knowledge and understanding of the ecosystem, we know there are four clear areas of Microsoft partner performance.  1. Business Victims 2. People Pleasers 3. Untapped Potential 4. [Go-to Solution](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/go-to-market-strategy-for-microsoft-partners) We also know that the bell curve is just as real when understanding the performance of Microsoft partners as it is in any other area of performance. So, by looking at these four areas of partner performance in a bell curve model, we can begin to visualise the current state of your business.   ## Where Are You on the Microsoft Partner Performance Curve? The [performance curve](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/go-to-market-strategy-for-microsoft-partners) helps benchmark your Microsoft business by showing where your current behaviour, focus, and business maturity sit.  ![microsoft partner performance curve](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bell-curve-partner-elevate.jpg?width=638&name=bell-curve-partner-elevate.jpg) ### Business Victims Are Stuck These partners have highly variable performance that is more often down than up. The business is run by blind day-to-day activity, and leaders are struggling to understand which actions will truly make a difference. These partners are stuck because of fear and ignorance, and they believe the myth that being a Managed Partner will solve their problems. The truth is that you first need to be a great businessperson with a great business before Microsoft will be interested in you.   ### People Pleasers Know the Game They’re Playing Once you realise that you must be a great business first, you move into the amber zone. Businesses in this zone are what we call People Pleasers. Instead of carrying real weight in a specialised area within the ecosystem, they become commoditised generalists — doing as much as possible just to break even, while diluting their relevance to Microsoft. The key to moving swiftly through the amber zone is knowing the Microsoft game you are playing so you are well placed to play it strategically.   ### Untapped Potential Means Having a Game Plan By knowing the game, you begin to see the untapped potential in what you could be doing better. You become quietly confident in your ability to take decisive action, and you develop a unified approach that gives you predictable control of your business. The key for businesses with untapped potential is not only knowing the game, but also having a [game plan](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/lead-engagement-hand-raise-signature) to execute against so you do not get stuck behind the “good enough” line.   ### Go-to Solution Businesses Become Winners and Innovators The truth is that Microsoft loves winners and innovators, not businesses that are complacent or willing to settle. At this stage, you can realise exponential growth for your business. You become the expert in a specific area, and that creates a genuinely happy business. What we see at this stage is that these businesses recognise the need to have elite play.   #### Final Takeaway Keep an eye out for the upcoming blogs in this series, which explain how using our 9 key accelerators can move your business forward and help you become a go-to solution provider for Microsoft. If you want to learn more right now, download our eBook. It explains all of this and much more. ---   [![Investible Partner eBook](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/19961102/c651335d-2314-4d1b-9e13-7d8b07df51d9.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/19961102/c651335d-2314-4d1b-9e13-7d8b07df51d9) ---   ###### Explore More Tags - [Outcomes](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/outcomes) - [Value](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/value) - [Insights](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/insights) - [Sales](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/sales) - [customer-success](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/customer-success) - [Marketing](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/marketing) - [Attract](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/attract) - [Customer](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/customer) - [Sales Play](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/sales-play) - [Partner](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/partner) - [Skills](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/skills) - [Vendor](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/vendor) - [Marketplaces](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/marketplaces) - [Pathway](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/pathway) - [delivery](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/tag/delivery) ###### Recent Articles - ![AI Billable Hours: Why Channel Partners Need a New Services Engine](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png)[AI Billable Hours: Why Channel Partners Need a New Services Engine](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/ai-billable-hours) - ![How AI Discovery Is Changing B2B Software Buying, Marketplace Checkout & Partner Impact](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png)[How AI Discovery Is Changing B2B Software Buying, Marketplace Checkout & Partner Impact](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/ai-discovery-for-b2b-software) - ![AWS Partner Capability: Why It Now Drives Success and Revenue](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png)[AWS Partner Capability: Why It Now Drives Success and Revenue](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/aws-partner-capability) - ![AWS Partner Multiplier: Why Capability Is Your Growth Advantage](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png)[AWS Partner Multiplier: Why Capability Is Your Growth Advantage](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/aws-partner-multiplier) - ![Offer Creation Formula Case Study: How Intergy Improved Lead Conversion](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png)[Offer Creation Formula Case Study: How Intergy Improved Lead Conversion](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/offer-creation-formula-case-study) - ![How to create opportunity for lead engagement using sales enablement platform](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png)[How to create opportunity for lead engagement using sales enablement platform](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/lead-engagement-hand-raise-signature) - ![Case Study Creation Process: Build Credibility for Channel Partners](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png)[Case Study Creation Process: Build Credibility for Channel Partners](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/case-study-creation-process) - ![How to Connect With Prospects Without Wasting Time on Cold Leads](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png)[How to Connect With Prospects Without Wasting Time on Cold Leads](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/connect-with-prospects) - ![Lead Magnet Strategy: How to Build Your List | Partner Elevate](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png)[Lead Magnet Strategy: How to Build Your List | Partner Elevate](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/lead-magnet) - ![Steady Lead Generation: How to Attract Interested People](https://www.partnerelevate.com/hubfs/PartnerElevate_June2025/images/Vector%20(1).png)[Steady Lead Generation: How to Attract Interested People](https://www.partnerelevate.com/blog/steady-lead-generation) ### Scale Engagement. 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