Microsoft’s ServicesRadio Transforms Communication with the Services Field

In May 2005, the senior vice president of Services at Microsoft laid down a new mandate: an immediate halt of random and excessive communications to Services field personnel. Not only did the companys existing communications lack relevancy to the field, but there was such a high volume that most of the recipients simply ignored what was coming their way from corporate headquarters in Redmond, WA. Those who did want to stay abreast of news in the Services organization found that they were either:

• Unable to do so because they couldn’t access the corporate network from the field, or
• Confused by the sheer number of conflicting messages, which made it difficult for them to prioritize the work that would drive revenue.

Clearly, the communications team at Services headquarters needed to find an entirely new way to communicate with this mobile—and disengaged—workforce, and it needed to do it fast.

A New Approach

During interviews and meetings with representatives from the field, the communications team realized that future communications needed to:

1. Provide role-specific and field-focused information, including best practices around various customer sales and delivery scenarios.
2. Increase the field’s connection to the Services organization’s mission and vision by clearly articulating services investments, tactics, and goals.
3. Be available in a portable format that doesn’t require connection to the corporate network.

The team considered a number of different formats for the delivery of important, relevant information, including newsletters, executive blogs, and online communities, but none of them met all the criteria in their list. And then the team hit upon the winning idea: a new audio program called ServicesRadio.

“One of the big things we liked about the idea of doing a ‘radio show’ is that it’s easy for people to listen to while they’re driving from customer site to customer site,” said Scott Armstrong, host of ServicesRadio and a communications manager in Microsoft Services.

Delivered bimonthly via a mailed CD or downloadable file, the 70-minute ServicesRadio program includes field roundtables during which high-performing field employees share real-world examples of successful sales or engagements, news briefs on key services initiatives and customer wins, and a 15–20 minute technical product discussion with Microsoft Services CTO Norm Judah.

Production

The program, of course, doesn’t appear out of thin air. The communications team spearheads a six-step production process that includes:

1. Content planning. The team brainstorms ideas for program content. They focus on spotlighting field employees who are subject matter experts or who have driven big wins.
2. Content acquisition. The team conducts prep interviews with participants during which they review the objectives of the participant’s segment and create a segment outline.
3. Content development. The program is recorded at Microsoft Studios to ensure the highest audio quality.
4. Review. All segments are transcribed so that segment participants can review them before they are finalized. Once the participants have approved the content, the communications group lead reviews each segment and suggests any last-minute changes or edits that need to be made.
5. Production. Microsoft Studios creates a master CD and sends it to a duplication vendor. Next, the copies are sent to a fulfillment vendor for packaging and shipping.
6. Distribution. This step has been challenging due to the global nature of Microsoft’s field. Today, a CD is delivered directly to each employee through the interoffice mail system. The program is also available through an internal Web site that allows employees to download or stream content.

Results

Now in its eighth edition, ServicesRadio has increased the effectiveness of the communication from Services headquarters to the field, as indicated by an 83% satisfaction rating. So far, approximately 1,100 field employees have subscribed to ServicesRadio, and the team is planning to partner with the enterprise sales organization to promote it to a wider audience through a new internal podcast platform.

All in all, the communications team has found the audio program to be an effective and creative solution for increasing field engagement, improving the field’s understanding of the Microsoft Services organization’s mission and goals, and driving business impact.

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