U.S.-Based Customer Immersion Experience (CIE) Boot Camp Develops More CIE Trainers For CSE
Technical Services Manager Eric Fuentes, Sales Manager Victor Sai and Operations Manager Gerald Villanueva, delegates of Computer Solutions East Inc. (CSE), attended Microsoft’s Customer Immersion Experience Boot Camp training held at the New York Microsoft Technology Center, 7th Floor, 11 Times Square, New York, USA, on September 26-29, 2017.
Microsoft Customer Immersion Experience is a simulation of real-life business operational problems that provides Microsoft-product-oriented solutions. CIE partner facilitators were there to guide the delegates in undergoing this experience.
Delegates Fuentes, Sai, and Villanueva unanimously viewed the Customer Immersion Experience as a holistic journey to engage in. “As a facilitator, I now listen, guide, and inspire my customers and create those ‘wow’ moments. I don’t aim to deliver a 3-hour sales presentation—rather, I [should] enable people to explore and [to] discover through an innovative hands-on experience,” Sai expounded.
Coming from different departments in the company, they had various takes on how CIE nurtured them as future practitioners of this experience-centered sales method. Villanueva felt that being a non-technical person played to his advantage to facilitate and speak the language of the customers. “CIE is where you understand how to effectively sell the product without directly telling them to buy the product,” Fuentes explained. Villanueva discerned it as “a training that enables a person to sell by convincing the customer to use the product.” While Sai believed that “CIE Training is a powerful tool that allows all Microsoft partners to access the resources we need to effectively sell the value of Microsoft services, drive sales and deployment, and create a unique, fun and engaging environment for all our customers.”
Contrary to their expectations that it would be a typical training with traditional product presentations, demos, and slide presentations that would heavily use technical jargon and statistics, it was instinctively facilitated with a free-flowing manner through the laying out of concepts by Mr. Mike O’Neill from BrainStorm, Incorporation. Sai affirmed that “CIE puts a customer in the driver’s seat for a rich and interactive experience. It is a unique and risk-free opportunity to explore Microsoft’s Office applications in a ‘true-to-life’ environment”.
The integration of real-life instances gave a more personal touch throughout the training since it was relatable, and the necessity for the product was subtly ingrained. “The training mainly focused on letting the customer drive the conversation and letting them find out the answer themselves. Oftentimes, you really have to give customers real-life experiences that they can easily relate to and show how the product would have played its part in the story,” Villanueva explained.
They believe that CIE could change the platform towards gaining optimum business productivity by concentrating on customer engagement and the assimilation of Microsoft products in every situation throughout the office. “CIE takes us through everyday business situations, such as working remotely, analyzing sales data, and collaborating with coworkers, and lets us see how Microsoft products make it all easy, convenient, and secure,” Sai added.
Fuentes emphasized the importance of practicing after the training to have a well-rounded grasp and execution of post-CIE. Thus, they would love to recommend this to be experienced firsthand by their colleagues. “As a CIE Certified Facilitator, I have gained the presentation skills, soft skills, and technology skills that help me lead my customer to discover the right solutions for their business and helps them experience the ‘future of productivity,” Sai said.
CSE felt that the four-day training was more than worth it for equipping them with effective client engagement methodology. The focus on the immersion was important since this is the key to recognizing Microsoft products’ importance. As Sai puts it, “they can really be powerful resources in helping us accelerate our sales of Microsoft products and services.” It has equipped them with practical lessons that they could easily execute to the clients. “CIE sessions will let you experience the product to a whole new level,” Villanueva stated.
“CIE prepares CSE to become more successful in the coming days. This training lets you feel and relate to the experiences of one’s business and provides help to make things easier for them,” Villanueva asserted.
—–
Computer Solutions East is a full-service Software Licensing, Network Services, and Support provider. Our services include software license acquisition and management, Lync and Exchange Online Migration, cloud computing, servers, and hosting services. Our expertise with Office 365 includes a unique understanding of aligning Microsoft Exchange Online for business environments, as well as SharePoint Online. We concentrate heavily on Software Licenses through Volume Licensing, Office 365 and have migrated thousands of users to Microsoft’s Cloud.
Computer Solutions East is a Tier 1 Managed Microsoft Partner and has been working with Microsoft Hosted Exchange, Sharepoint, and Cloud products since 2007, starting with their Business Productivity Online Suite (Exchange / Sharepoint / Lync 2007). Winner of 2016 East Region Renewal/Annuity Partner of the Year Award. Gold and Silver certified for Services on Volume Licensing, Office 365 and Azure Migrations (Small and Large), Dynamics CRM Online Customization and Configuration, Microsoft Authorized Education Reseller. Fixed Monthly IT and Ad Hoc Services.
