Selling the value of

Google Workspace to
Microsoft customers
A playbook for Google Workspace Partners
 2

Purpose of this guide

As a trusted partner, your customers look to you for help choosing

productivity and collaboration tools, then setting up their
environment in a way that supports their employees’ work and
communication styles. With the hybrid, remote nature of work Please note: Find
today, your job has become vital to the success of companies and the latest set of
their culture.
assets and best
This partner playbook provides guidance on how to talk to practices here.
customers currently running Microsoft Office 365 who could benefit In our next version
from using Google Workspace alongside Microsoft deployments.
to be released,
For customers, this approach delivers a best-of-breed environment we will include
where they can access both Google and Microsoft productivity and
collaboration tools. For partners, the interoperability between the
guidance and
two platforms unlocks a land-and-expand strategy that lays the solutions for
groundwork for further deals. discussions with
Through the course of this guide, we’ll: Microsoft 365
customer accounts.
• Discuss the value Google Workspace brings to customers

• Address the advantages your customers stand to gain by using

Google Workspace in a Microsoft environment

• Describe the ideal interoperability scenarios for implementing a

Google Workspace solution, along with ways to identify them

• Provide links to go-to-market (GTM) assets and other

supporting materials that will help guide your conversations
with customers throughout the sales cycle
 3

Table of contents

Chapter 1:
Why partners sell Google Workspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Unlock new opportunities within today’s flexible workplace
The Google Workspace business opportunity

Chapter 2:
Why customers buy Google Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Google Workspace helps customers connect, create, and collaborate
Google Workspace value according to analysts

Chapter 3:
The business value of interoperability with Google Workspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Top 3 interoperability scenarios
Scenario 1: Limited implementation
Scenario 2: Partial implementation
Scenario 3: External collaboration

Chapter 4:
Selling the value of Google Workspace to Microsoft customers. . . . . . . . . . . 20
Step 1: Uncover opportunities in Microsoft accounts
Step 2: Understand the customer
Step 3: Qualify the customer
Step 4: Demonstrate the Google Workspace differentiators
Step 5: Handle objections and misconceptions
Stick to these best practices
 4

Chapter 5:
Addressing the need for change management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Investing in change management is critical to success
Success starts with communicating why
Google’s approach to change management
Services that assist with change management

Chapter 6:
Going to market with Google Workspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Four common GTM scenarios for Google Workspace
Resources to support you throughout the sales cycle
Pre-sales: Train your sellers and technical support resources
Demand generation: Engage your customers with the Google Workspace GTM
Opportunity creation and acceleration: Build momentum for sales opportunities
Technical evaluation: Accelerate the technical win

Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
 5

Chapter 1:
Why partners sell Google Workspace

Unlock new opportunities within today’s

flexible workplace “Google Workspace
For over a decade, Google Workspace has helped people transform is the lifeblood of
how they work. Now, work itself is transforming in unprecedented how we collaborate.
ways. Work is no longer a place we go to, and team members are no
longer people we bump into in the hallway. In fact, an estimated 80
We have so many
percent of the global workforce are frontline workers who don’t teams engaging
work behind desks at all.
across projects.
Today’s hybrid workforce presents unprecedented challenges for Google Workspace
leaders trying to build an engaged, agile culture. Teams need to tools like Docs,
function—and even thrive—without ever meeting in person. Time is
more precious and more fragmented across work and personal
Drive, and Sheets
responsibilities. Human connections are harder to maintain and keep us organized
more important than ever. This new environment calls for a better
and in step with
way to connect, create, and get things done.
up-to-date
Google Workspace brings email, chat, files, meetings, and apps into information.”
a people—first experience powered by Google AI so that teams can
safely connect, create, and collaborate. By offering your customers
Google Workspace deployed alongside Office 365, you can deliver
Liz Lehtonen, Associate
the tools every team member needs to stay connected and achieve
Director, Product
their goals–whether they’re on the frontlines, in a home office, in a
Management, Wayfair
conference room, or on the go.
Full story

Plus, your ability to help organizations recognize and understand

the value of this interoperability approach allows you to gain a
foothold in some rapidly growing markets, like software for frontline
workers, while expanding your Google Workspace practice.
 6

The Google Workspace business opportunity

Among key business-to-business (B2B) industries, the total

addressable market (TAM) for Google Workspace today is $51 billion
and estimated to hit $85 billion by 2025. This represents an 18
percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
The total
addressable market
(TAM) for Google
Workspace today is
$51 billion and
estimated to hit
$85 billion by 2025.

Source: Google’s analysis based on IDC Worldwide Public Cloud Services

Spending Guide; published January 2022.

As a partner, Google has established mechanisms for you to break

into this growing market and expand your footprint. Google offers
rebates and discounts on Google Workspace that make it more
profitable for you to sell versus other competitive products. We also
provide Deal Referral funds and deployment vouchers that make
services like deployment or configuration more lucrative.
 7

Partner incentives you can take advantage of

Once a registered deal is approved, the following can apply:

• If the deal is greater than net of $10,000 in annual contract

value (ACV), you are eligible to receive a 30 percent Deal
Registration Rebate.

• If the deal is less than $10,000 ACV, it works toward the SMB
Growth Rebate total.

• Partners with the Workspace Transformation Specialization are

also eligible to receive the Specialization Rebate of 1 percent of
new and expansion deals during a given quarter.

• A 5 percent Local Market Accelerator could be available for

partner-closed deals that are sourced in specific regions.

• An Adoption Rebate can be applied on specific SKUs for driving

usage for new domains over 150 seats.

Details about partner incentives in this

document apply only to direct partners
authorized for Sell, Service, Build
Engagement Models for Google
Workspace products. Partners who
purchase through distribution should
contact their distributors to learn about
incentives they may have available.

For more information on the Google

Partner Advantage Incentives Program,
please review the Partner Advantage
Incentives Overview.
 8

Introducing interoperability as a way to You can sell Google

gain traction Workspace as a point
solution in interoperability
In addition to making more for every sale, selling Google Workspace scenarios and better serve
to customers who are already using Office 365 helps your company your customers’ objectives
access a huge market. In a 12-month, quota-carrying world, it is while continuing to grow
important to have accelerated sales cycles to buffer your cash your business.
flow. However when it comes to selling productivity platforms,
there aren’t that many customers who can replatform in a Bloomberg grew from 500
protracted timeframe. Google Workspace users
to 22,000 users on
By utilizing Google Workspace as a solution for specific use cases, Google Drive and Meet
instead of targeting a full, company-wide replatform, you can close
deals in the short term, land a foothold within a customer’s
DocuSign replaced Box
landscape, and build a strong case for replatforming in the
in 2019 with Drive and
long term.
replaced Microsoft
Outlook with Gmail and
The interoperability strategy presents clear opportunities in which
you can help customers deploy environments that run both Google
Google Calendar in 2021
Workspace and Office 365. While this tends to be a temporary state,
it solves a critical need at a point in time for organizations that many
partners or cloud vendors shy away from offering. We’ll explore the
top reasons why your customers may need this type of environment
and how you can help them optimize for their goals—making it right
for their organization.
 9

Chapter 2:
Why customers buy Google Workspace

Google Workspace helps customers connect,

create, and collaborate For customers, Google
Workspace delivers:
Google Workspace is how teams of all sizes connect, create, and
collaborate—driving innovation from any device, and any location.
Built on the industry’s leading cloud-native communication and Flexible solutions that
collaboration platform, Google Workspace brings together the apps make it easy to work
loved by billions of people—Gmail, Chat, Calendar, Drive, Docs, securely
Sheets, Meet, and more—into a single integrated workspace. from anywhere

Helpful best-in-class
AI and search
technology that helps
maximize your time

Innovative, human-
centered experiences
that help people
stay connected

From small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations, see how

companies are using Google Workspace to work better together.

“Google Workspace gives us a centralized resource in the cloud to

empower host cities for the Canada Games and our own employees.
Compared to other solutions, Google offered a more powerful and
mature product at a better price.”

Dave Patterson, President and CEO, Canada Games Council

Full story
 10

“We’re a lean organization and Google has helped us stay that way.
We reduced our costs with Google Workspace but, with features like
live editing or simple document sharing in Google Team Drive, it’s
also helped make us more productive.”

Edwin Oude Middendorp, IT Advisor, Buurtzorg

Full story

“Airbus has spent the past year thinking about what it actually means
to return to work, and we’re looking to support greater flexibility
with Google Workspace in a leading role. In 2020, we held 5.6M
Google Meet sessions and we now have more than 70,000 shared
Drives where people collaborate. Google Workspace has changed
the way people work at Airbus and that will continue as the solution
empowers the hybrid work reality.”

Andrew Plunkett, Airbus Vice President Digital Workplace

Full story

"Google Workspace was one of the reasons why we were able to

achieve continuous store growth in difficult pandemic
circumstances. We were empowered not only to keep serving
communities, but reach new underserved areas.”

Lerry C. Sangalang, AVP - Information Technology, Alfamart

Full story
 11

Google Workspace value delivers 4x ROI

According to a recent IDC study, Google Workspace customers
experience significant operational efficiencies across their
organizations. Customers said the suite of tools enabled deeper
collaboration, easier information sharing, and enhanced productivity,
which culminated in a 412% return on investment (ROI) over a
three-year period.

Overall, the IDC calculated that the interviewed Google customers will
realize benefits worth an annual average of $120,700 per 100 daily
active Google Workspace users ($44.39 million per organization),

412% 3-year ROI

36% more time for creative/innovative work
28% higher productivity for field sales teams
35% higher productivity for technology teams

Source: IDC “A Business Value White Paper” sponsored by Google Workspace;

published June 2022. Doc. #US49146722
 12

Google enables more innovation than Microsoft

We asked a third-party firm (Quadrant Strategies) to conduct
independent research to tease out non-technical differences
between the Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Through the
firm’s findings, we learned companies that use Google Workspace
are more likely to experience positive outcomes than comparable
companies using Microsoft.

Some key findings from the study that would interest your
customers, include:

82% of Google Workspace users say it has made their team

more innovative, versus 47% of Microsoft 365 users

58% of Google users said the collaboration benefits of

Google Workspace have had a positive impact on their
business as opposed to only 29% of Microsoft users

65-83% of Google Workspace users are likely to work

from their mobile phone compared to 40-59% of Microsoft
users (range attributed to age segments)
 13

Chapter 3:
The business value of interoperability
with Google Workspace

Google Workspace best-of-breed productivity and collaboration tools

can interoperate with Microsoft tools to support various use cases.
Through interoperability scenarios, you can demonstrate the value
Google Workspace delivers to a single line of business (LOB) or a
specific group, such as frontline workers, thereby opening the door to
bigger opportunities across the entire organization.

What is an • Selling full or partial Google Workspace deployments to organizations that

interoperability already run Office 365
opportunity?
• It does not require a full replatform, which most companies are not prepared
to do

• Sales occur largely with business units/LOBs versus IT, which can create
Why is this a different change champions outside of IT
approach?
• Each business unit/LOB has unique perspectives and demands, in many
cases, individual business units can increase productivity without
losing connection

• Large companies running independent subsidiaries

What kinds of • Teams with high percentage of younger generations

organizations are prime • Field-based groups that need better mobility options
for interoperability?
• Organizations facing EA renewal for Office 365 looking to test out Google
Workspace in a low-risk environment
 14

Top 3 interoperability scenarios

We’ve identified three interoperability scenarios where you can help
your customers realize the value of Google Workspace without a full
replatform. Armed with the knowledge that Google Workspace can
provide a profitable business model for you and that customers see
significant benefits beyond just cost savings when they switch from
Microsoft to Google Workspace, we encourage you to use these
scenarios to continue talking with customers about trying Google
Workspace—even when replatforming is not in their immediate future.

Limited Partial External

implementation implementation collaboration

• All users maintain non-Google
Workspace platform
• One or more LOBs use Google
Drive & Editors
• All users are on multiple domains
• Commonly a "best of breed"
deployment
• Majority of users maintain
non-Google Workspace platform
• One or more LOBs use Google
Workspace platform end-to-end
• All users are on one domain
• Common use case: Frontline
Workers
• Majority of users maintain
non-Google Workspace platform
• One or more LOBs use Google
Workspace platform end-to-end
• Users are on multiple domains
• Common use cases: M&A,
collaboration with third parties
 15

Scenario 1: Limited implementation

Licensing: Enterprise
In this limited scenario, all users within the organization use a mix of
Standard with restricted
tools based on their preferences for what is “best of breed.” For
example, they may use Google Drive and Google Editors for storage
licensing terms is needed
and collaboration on documents at first, but keep Microsoft Outlook for this scenario because
for email and calendar. the Microsoft users need
to have CI Free accounts.
The advanced compatibility between Google Workspace Enterprise Essentials
productivity tools and Microsoft Office makes this a low-stakes cannot co-exist in a
opportunity and an excellent first foray into Google Workspace. By domain with any other
focusing on the productivity tools only, employees can use their license type. These
existing knowledge and skills in a new interface to help them gain implementations are
confidence and familiarity with Google. They are also likely to save almost always for large
money on subscription or licensing fees and experience more companies that will require
dynamic collaboration.
security capabilities,
including Vault, DLP and
While there may be logical separation in which groups use which
mobile device
platforms (e.g. the marketing team uses Google Workspace), there
management, which
will still be many examples of sharing Microsoft and Google
materials back and forth. Because of this likelihood, you should
aren’t available with
proactively plan for interoperability and help customers develop a Enterprise Essentials.
plan for change management.

Benefits of a limited implementation

All users keep their existing Microsoft

configuration, and selected teams can move their
primary collaboration to Google Drive + Editors.

This enables true real time collaboration between

all users, whether they use Microsoft 365
documents or Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

No need for document versioning, merging

changes, and waiting for others to send edited
documents back.
 16

Scenario 2: Partial implementation

Partial implementations
The partial in this scenario refers to the fact that only part of the
company uses all of Google Workspace. For instance, a subsection
are common when part of
of an organization, such as a line of business, uses Google a customer’s organization
Workspace for everything from mail and calendar to collaboration needs or prefers to use
and communication, while the rest of the company uses Microsoft Google Workspace. Those
tools for these activities. users within the LOB will
have a unified Google
In this scenario, you have the chance to empower Google experience that includes
Workspace champions who are pushing their organizations to adopt Gmail, Google Calendar,
Google tools. Perhaps they've used Google Workspace at previous Meet, Drive, and Editors.
organizations, or they simply want an easier means to collaborate.
Either way, you're able to deliver. Solidifying a win with these
customers can be the start of a much bigger strategy, in which
Google Workspace spreads further across the organization and
leads to a replatform play.

An example of this scenario would be an organization with existing Licensing: The need to
Office 365 licenses that has a new project management team that deploy CI Free licenses
wants to use Google Workspace. across the organization
increases the deployment
Benefits of a partial implementation complexity and may drive
pushback from the central
Common when a line of business chooses Google IT team.
Workspace as their end-to-end collaboration
platform, while the rest of the company remains
on the legacy platform.

The line of business users will have a unified Google

experience that includes Gmail, Google Calendar,
Google Meet, Google Drive, and Editors.

This allows teams to use the best tools for their

collaboration needs, while still collaborating with the
rest of the company that is using the legacy platform.
 17

Scenario 3: External collaboration

Licensing: If there are no
The external collaboration scenario is ultimately defined by whether
other Google Workspace
or not the Microsoft and Google productivity tools run on the same
or different domains. It could be the case that an external company,
licenses in the
such as a vendor or partner, wants to collaborate but uses different organization, and the
tools. Or it might be that a group, which is technically part of the customer doesn’t need any
same parent organization but runs on a different domain, wants to advanced security or
collaborate with internal groups that use different tools. No matter admin features, Enterprise
what productivity tools a company or business group runs, as a Essentials can be used.
partner, you can help ensure the tools your customer uses facilitate However, in most scenarios
both internal and external collaboration. there will be other SKUs
Benefits of external collaboration
and also the need for
security features, which
By allowing parent and target companies to means Enterprise Standard
continue to collaborate, neither business is with an RSL will be
disrupted due to the M&A transaction. required.

Both organizations have a unified experience on

their respective platform of choice.

This allows organizations to use the best tools for

their collaboration needs, while still collaborating
with external stakeholders.

This scenario is typically seen in merger and acquisition (M&A)

situations, in which the organization essentially operates as two
separate entities. For instance, a regional franchise, independent
country unit, or recently acquired subsidiary that runs on its own
domain might prefer to retain its existing productivity tools.
Likewise, an internal department or team such as a frontline service
team or social marketing group might want to adopt Google
Workspace and operate independently from the parent company.
Whatever the scenario, Google Workspace users still need to be
able to collaborate with Office 365 users and vice versa.

While this resembles the partial implementation scenario, it has one

major difference. In a partial implementation, the groups use the
same domain or run on sub-domains that are part of the same
parent domain, whereas in the external collaboration scenario, the
user groups are on different domains.
 18

Interoperability in action
Here's how interoperability scenarios play out when collaborating
on Google documents across single and multiple domains. See
more examples here.

Across a single domain

Limited
implementation

Partial
implementation

Across multiple domains

External
collaboration
 19

For real-time collaboration on Microsoft documents, Google Drive

facilitates interoperability between Excel and Google Sheets.

Using Google Drive

Limited
implementation

Partial
implementation

External
collaboration
 20

Chapter 4:
Here are the most common
Selling the value of Google starting points for
Workspace to Microsoft customers LOB discussions.

• Greenfield customers on
Microsoft EAs are not likely
Step 1: Uncover opportunities in
to consider a full replatform,
Microsoft accounts however, you can anchor on
As you talk with customers about their productivity and Drive and Editors and how
these tools are considered
collaboration tools, be on the lookout for key phrases and situations
best of breed for
that indicate if they’re good candidates for interoperability
collaboration, then expand
scenarios.
from there.

LOB decision-makers are a key target persona because they often

• Frontline workers provide a
have their own budget, have the freedom to use products that are strong opportunity to
relevant to their LOB function, and can make the decision to position Meet, Chat, and
improve how their teams work. Calendar as ways of
ensuring they stay
connected and have clear
ways of communicating
Target Persona Customer Scenario Position Value of... with peers and managers,
as well as of managing
Limited
Implementation their time.

Partial
• Compelling events such as
Implementation M&A or business unit
spin-outs provide an
External opportunity to land
Collaboration
and expand Google
Workspace across multiple
business units.
 21

Step 2: Understand the customer

When you know customer specifics, it’s easier to identify low-
hanging fruit. Assess the customer’s level of deployment and
commitment to Microsoft to determine how difficult it might be to
win a new opportunity. Map the customer’s IT landscape and ask
discovery questions—like which competitors own which workloads—
to understand their business goals.

It is important to know what solutions your customer is using for

each core workload, their satisfaction with it, and their contractual
commitment. By mapping the competitive landscape, you can
identify which other point solutions can be replaced with Google
Workspace, allowing the customer the benefits of both vendor and
cost consolidation.

Map the competitive landscape

• What is the customer using for each workload—

productivity, chat, meetings, voice, room,
identity, security, endpoint management, email
hygiene, eDiscovery, EPP, etc.
What
• What is your customer's commitment to
Microsoft (Office 365, Microsoft 365)

• What SKU of the solution are they buying from

each competitor?
Where • Where are solutions deployed? (geos, orgs, etc.)

• Which parts of the workforce are solved for?

Who
• Is there a frontline worker opportunity?

How • How are the products being used?

When • When are the contracts for each up for renewal?

• Will they renew?

Why • What do they like/not like about the competitive
solution(s)

Use discovery questions to help validate an
interoperability opportunity
Here are some questions you can ask to see
if the customer is interested in an
interoperability scenario:
• What percentage of your organization is under
25? How likely are they to want mobile solutions?
How many have shown a proclivity for Google
based on school experiences?
• How are you looking to improve the mobility of
your workforce and the ability to work from
remote locations?
• What teams in your organization support
frontline workers? What tools do they use to
collaborate? What kind of issues or pain points
do they need help solving?
• How does your organization decide which
productivity tools to use?
• Does your company have multiple locations
and time zones your employees need to
work across?
• When is your EA renewal for Office 365? Are you
feeling pressure to upgrade to Microsoft 365?
Would you like to see what other options are
available for a lower cost?
22
• What challenges do your employees face when
collaborating with each other? Are there any
shortcomings with your Microsoft apps that you
feel may be limiting collaboration? (If yes, explore
scenario 1)
• Are you currently using multiple collaboration
platforms and tools? Do you see some groups or
teams showing preference for one over another?
(If they run on the same domain, explore scenario
2) (If they run on different domains, explore
scenario 3)
• Does your organization have any independent
business units that effectively function as
standalone organizations? (If they run on the
same domain, explore scenario 2) (If they run on
different domains, explore scenario 3)
• Do you have any teams or departments asking to
choose their own productivity tools? (If they run
on the same domain, explore scenario 2) (If they
run on different domains, explore scenario 3)
• How does your organization decide which
productivity tools to use? Can individuals choose
for themselves? (If they run on the same domain,
explore scenario 2) (If they run on different
domains, explore scenario 3)
• Has your organization recently undergone any
mergers or acquisitions? Or are you planning to in
the near term? (If yes, explore scenario 3)
 23

Step 3: Qualify the customer

Now that you’ve done some fact finding, the next step is to qualify
where your customers sit in terms of their Microsoft commitment
and deployments, then devise next steps. This grid shows you the
associated guidance for each customer type so you can move the
opportunity forward.
High

Extremely complex / difficult to

uproot for Google Workspace.
Real tactic is to surround Microsoft
with Google Cloud. Partner on
strategic bets with Alphabet or
other Google businesses.
Level of deployment

Need significant, compelling

events and compelling reasons
such as cost saving, Google fan,
anti-Microsoft sentiment,
enterprise agreement price hike.

Less commitment to Microsoft

opportunity to displace with
Google Workspace value and
TCO discussion.
Low

Office 365 Microsoft 365 E3 Microsoft 365 E5

Commitment to Microsoft

Keep in mind there are other attributes that could make a customer
more open to moving to Google Workspace that would move them
down and to the left in the grid. This includes:

• Deep anti-Microsoft sentiment

• Decision maker with prior Google Workspace experience

• Security concerns with Microsoft technology

• Merger or acquisition

• Change in industry regulations

• Bankruptcy or financial constraints

 24

Determine the approach

Next, it’s time to combine all the information you’ve learned.

Consider the customer’s IT map, their business goals, and their
Microsoft commitment to devise the best approach for landing
Google Workspace. While a full Microsoft replacement is not easy,
it’s also not impossible. More likely this process will lead to a land-
and-expand strategy that you can grow over time.

Position Guidance

Low commitment • Opportunity for full Microsoft displacement

Low deployment • Land the value of Google Workspace with leadership

Office 365, Microsoft 365 E3

• Showcase cost savings through TCO

• Capitalize on Microsoft price increase

• Vendor consolidation: look for Zoom, Webex, Slack

takeout opportunities

• Land and expand to gain footprint and prove Google Workspace

Moderate commitment • Possible full displacement, focus on landing footprint

Moderate deployment • Find compelling event / business and use case for landing
Google Workspace
Office 365, Microsoft 365 E3,
Microsoft 365 E5 • Showcase compelling reasons: TCO (with caution), cost saving /
consolidation, employee morale

• Focus on Google Workspace value selling

• Vendor consolidation: look for Zoom, Webex, Slack

takeout opportunities

• Frontline worker opportunity / interoperability

High commitment • Land and expand: win footprint, or surround beyond
Google Workspace
High deployment
• Look for opportunities to surround: disaster recovery, citizen dev,
Microsoft 365 E3, hybrid work
Microsoft 365 E5
• Frontline worker opportunity as whitespace to win before Microsoft

• Strategic partnerships outside Google Workspace, Google Cloud,

Alphabet, Data, AI and Alphabet businesses
 25

Step 4: Demonstrate the Google

Workspace differentiators
Selling Google Workspace into Microsoft accounts is not about
selling SKUs and discounting, it’s about selling the customer value
and the benefits of a fresh, future-ready cloud platform. The
Google Workspace value should be your key anchor point in
conversations with customers. Demonstrate that value as potential
cost savings through consolidation, solution simplicity, and
productivity gains. You can also promote existing usage and
demand from millennials seeking innovative employers.

Explain the value of Google Workspace by describing

these differentiators:

Key Google Workspace

Details
Differentiators

CLOUD BASED Easier deployment

No heavy apps to install and configure. Deploy once and use across all devices.

ONE CONSOLE Easier to manage

One administration console for license management and configuration; no
software updates to push (all on the cloud).

KNOWN AND LOVED Easier to onboard

Tools that users know, 3 billion people use our tools every day. They are familiar,
known and loved. Consistent experiences across devices and modalities.

NEXT GEN TALENT Attract the best talent

People want to join forward thinking, innovative companies that provide flexible
productivity tools. 170 million students and educators use Google Workspace
worldwide to create, collaborate, and communicate.

MOBILE USERS Mobility

Google Workspace users are significantly more mobile than Microsoft users,
especially among the younger workforce (18-34); mobile phone: 83% vs. 59%,
tablet: 70% vs 24%.
 26

Key GWS Differentiators Details

SECURITY Secure by design

Architecturally superior browser based approach—no need for local devices,
native apps, or email attachments. Built in zero-trust, global scale protection,
no patching and constantly updated.

LET IT GO Untether from MSFT

Reduce reliance on Microsoft, loosen their stronghold and EA price inflation.

NEW WAYS Innovate like Google

TO WORK 82% of Google Workspace switchers say after switching “my team has become
more innovative” vs. 47% for Microsoft 365 users.

GET THINGS DONE Productivity

70% of younger Google switchers* strongly agree that Google Workspace
“saves me time so I'm able to focus on my work” vs. 52% for younger
Microsoft 365 users.

FUTURE OF WORK The future is Google

96% of Forbes' next billion dollar start-ups run on Google Workspace.1

INNOVATION Immersive Collaboration

• Connected Sheets
• Communications hub
• ChatBots
• Smart canvas
• Search chips in email/Drive—just to name a few!

PUBLIC SECTOR FedRAMP High

• All Google data centers are FedRAMP High certified, making all Google
Workspace services FedRAMP High by default—providing peace of mind
that all services offerings and SKUs are compliant.
• All innovations in Google Workspace are immediately FedRAMP High
approved thanks to the DC certification. Microsoft has to have each new
feature approved, which is a 8-12 month process. We can bring innovation
faster to government customers

1
https://workspace.google.com/business/startups/
 27

Step 5: Handle objections and misconceptions

Below you’ll find a list of common misconceptions customers have
when it comes to running Google and Microsoft in the same
environment and guidance on how to address them. We also
provide a few key considerations for interoperability and links to
help you prepare your team for a successful deployment from
day one.

Objections/misconceptions Response

It’s going to be too confusing to use Word and
Docs in the same company.
–or–
Won’t Google Workspace get in the way of how
my Office 365 users are collaborating already?
Get the best of Google's real-time collaboration in
PowerPoint, Excel, and Word files—without converting them.
Store, share, and co-edit Office files while avoiding version
conflicts and collaborating on a single source of truth, plus
easily schedule and join Google Meet calls from your
Outlook calendar.

Google Workspace isn’t compatible with my
file types.
Store and collaborate on 100+ file types. In addition to
Office files, Google Workspace also supports a number of
additional file types, including image files, CAD files, and
PDFs—so your team can store, share, and work together on
any document.

I don’t want to spend time fighting with
Google Workspace to connect to our other
productivity tools.
Integrate with other existing technology. Google Workspace
integrates with many of the business and productivity tools
your team already uses, including Adobe, Atlassian,
Autodesk, Box, DocuSign, Dropbox, Salesforce, Slack,
Zoom, and more.

Won’t one system become the default for the
organization even if we offer both?
Maybe! Maybe not. The beauty of offering both is you can
appeal to all types of users and as our research shows,
people that switch from Microsoft to Google experience a
big uptick in collaboration and productivity. So, if your teams
organically default to using Google Workspace (versus IT
forcing everyone to move), that could become a competitive
advantage for your organization.
 28

Chapter 5:
Addressing the need for
change management

Customer success with Google Workspace is not just about making

new tools available, it’s about driving adoption and leveraging the Transformational change
technology to create more business value. In order to achieve this, can be risky
customers must be prepared to transform how their employees
work, not just the tools they work with. • 70% of corporate
change initiatives fail to
We recognize driving transformational change can be hard. achieve their goals,
Customers can be hesitant to take on projects at the risk of largely due to employee
employee disruption, particularly given the increasing uncertainty resistance and lack of
that exists today. Although change can be challenging, it presents management support1
an opportunity for partners who can facilitate change management
that enables lasting transformations. Change management is the
• 86% of projects without
effective change
application of tools, processes, skills, and principles for managing
management finish
the people side of change to achieve the desired outcomes of a
change project or initiative.
behind schedule, and
52% finish over budget2
For customers, change management results in: • 75% of change-affected
employees experience
Agility: Stay ahead of the competition and changing moderate to high stress
market conditions levels; burned-out
Consistency: Provide the structure, intent, and tools to drive employees are 2.6x
adoption by supporting individuals through the changes more likely to look for a
Speed: Bridge the gap to future state business objectives and new job3
managed the transition to get there
Sustainability: Apply best practices on a continual basis,
Source: McKinsey & Company, Changing
1
helping speed up the trajectory toward success
Change Management
2
Source: Prosci, Inc., The Correlation
After many years of successfully supporting large customers in their between Change Management and
transformation journey, Google has developed a methodology and Project Success

resources our partners can use to help your customers successfully 3

Source: Gallup, Inc., Employee Burnout,
manage change. Part 1: The 5 Main Causes
 29

Success starts with communicating why

Foundational to Google’s methodology is establishing the case for
Establishing the
change—the why behind the customer’s decision to move to Google case for change is
Workspace. This underpins everything else that comes after, so it’s foundational
where you must start. The time invested upfront in developing a
powerful case for change will help ensure everyone across the
1. Establish the
organization has a clear and consistent understanding of the
positive impact this change is intended to bring. "why"

The why must be relevant to individual employees, as any change is

2. Make it relevant
ultimately driven by individuals changing the way they work. A 3. Engage
relevant rationale helps those impacted to understand the
importance to the business overall as well as their role in driving
employees
positive change. Helping to define this in terms that make sense and
matter to individuals is critical to getting teams aligned with the
goals and the work needed to get there.

When considering the case for change around a technology

solution, it’s easy to become focused on the technical aspects as
the first priority, and considering the people and process changes
as a second priority. In order to most effectively land the case for
change, all aspects around the tools and how employees get work
done is critical.

Achieving transformational change is an ongoing journey, not a

one-time project. And as such, partners like you can help customers
leverage the full capabilities of Google Workspace over time.
 30

Google’s Change Management Methodology

The four
Google’s Change Management Methodology includes four critical
workstreams include:
workstreams to drive initial and long-term change management.
Through this methodology, customers can build their organization’s Sponsorship: Activate a
knowledge of the change, gain proficiency in the tools and platform, coalition of visible and
and foster a commitment to using it to improve their work. influential sponsors

The four workstreams coincide with different phases of customer Organizational analysis:
adoption. Beyond the initial excite and enable phases that result in Understand user groups to
deployment, Google’s methodology also includes expand and establish the “what’s in it
embed, which is when you can provide the structure, tools, and for me”
processes to help your customer drive ongoing, lasting change in
Communication: Build
the long term. In addition to the workstream activities, it is key to
excitement for change and
establish success metrics in each phase and to evaluate progress
drive engagement
on a regular basis.

Training: Create working

sessions for the change
to stick Proprietary + Confidential

Excite Enable Expand Embed

Engage sponsors Engage change agents Promote adoption Champion continuous

Sponsorship innovation

Analyze organization Address impact Prioritize transformation Measure success and

Org Analysis opportunities evaluate needs

Plan Execute project Continue Promote innovation

communications comms communications initiatives
Communication

Plan training Conduct training Continue training Train on new releases

Training
 31

Services that assist with change management

Change management
Google offers services that complement any change management
resources
offerings you may have already developed and are providing to your
customers. These services are also designed to complement each Deployment planning
other, so that the most basic components—learning and workshop
enablement—are available to everyone, with additional services
Change management
available for larger clients with more complex needs.
kick-off
Those services include:

• Learning and certification

• Technical support for resolving problems and for guidance on
how to prevent them and optimize workspace usage
• Consulting services to provide deep expertise on deployment
and change management solutions
• And customer success to ensure long term adoption and
value realization

Google’s Cloud Customer Experience team can help enable customer and partner success

CSM
Partner Learning Technical Professional Customer
Experience Services support Services Success
PSO

An extended Training and To resolve Including Providing Critical

network of certification issues, implementati best brick!
managed to enable key ensure Support
on and practices
services and roles and technical change guidance to
implementati validate their health, and management drive
on partners skills provide advisory, adoption and Learning
technical transformati value
account on labs and realization
Start
management more here
Service Partners

In addition to success services, we have a number of resources to

help guide customers in deployment planning, change management
best practices, and driving long-term transformations across
their organizations. dory/paris-cce

These presentations and working sessions are critical to help

assess, scope, and recommend the right support the customer will
need to drive change management success. For more information
and resources, please review Professional Services for Google
Workspace on Partner Advantage.
 32

Chapter 6:
Going to market with
Google Workspace

While the focus of this playbook is to help you understand the value
of Google Workspace alongside Microsoft tools, transitioning your
customers to Google Workspace still requires you to sell based on
the business value of enhanced productivity and collaboration as
explained in the GTM scenarios.

Four common GTM scenarios for

Google Workspace
As indicated earlier in this playbook, your sellers need to convey the
business value of Google Workspace. Our internal Google teams
have identified four leading themes that frequently win customers
over based on their priorities. These themes have been developed
as GTM strategies to help you target your sales efforts and land the
message that each unique customer values most.

Resources to support you throughout the

sales cycle
In this section you’ll find links to resources and assets that help your
teams understand how to sell Google Workspace to existing
Microsoft customers, and support your engagement throughout the
entire customer buying journey.
 33

Pre-sales: Train your sellers and technical support resources

Ramp up on Google Workspace and how to position the business

value with existing Microsoft customers. When you’re ready to start
reaching out to customers, review the value prop messaging so you
can relay the benefits of Google Workspace, no matter what stage
your customer is at. The Partner Advantage portal contains all the
training and assets your sellers will need, including:

• Google Workspace Webinar Series

• Google Workspace Pre-sales Technical Assets

• Microsoft compete assets

Demand generation: Engage your customers with the Google

Workspace GTM Campaign Playbooks

To help you uncover Google Workspace opportunities, we’ve built out

four sales playbooks with assets to help you get the conversation
started. GTM themes provide sellers with a sales strategy and
narrative describing how to find and win new business. Each theme’s
narrative provides a high-level overview of the business challenges
customers need to address, target account characteristics, target
persona roles and LOB titles, and the “Why Google” differentiators
comprising SKUs, products, and solutions.

Using these GTM themes in conjunction with the interoperability

scenarios detailed above, you can help your customers tailor their
environment to meet the specific needs of their teams and business.

Work Safer Frontline Worker Hybrid Work Better Together

Everything you need Deliver seamless, Reimagine what's Amplify impact and
to protect against mobile, connected possible with hybrid value by bringing
cyberattacks in an experiences to 80% and embrace what's complementary
all-in-one package of the global possible by working solutions together
workforce that are differently under one
not behind a desk partnership
 34

Build your outreach emails from the templates we’ve provided and
attach the marketing one-pagers for your prospects to better Google’s Partner
understand the Google Workspace solution. Post on social media,
and write blogs that demonstrate your expertise with Google
Marketing Studio
Workspace. This will help you gain trust with customers as they is your one-stop
further evaluate Google Workspace options. When you’re ready to
resource for all
pitch the customer, prepare your slides using the applicable
templates. And finally, leverage our product journey demos to tell campaign materials
the product truth behind the business case you’re pitching. and a marketing
Opportunity creation and acceleration: Build momentum for
platform for
sales opportunities partner-led
campaign execution.
Solidify interest with tangible proof points that underscore why
Google Workspace is the right option for your customer. Share the
new IDC “Business Value of Google Workspace” whitepaper to help
your customers understand how Google Workspace can improve
their bottom line through enhanced productivity and collaboration.

• Google Workspace Customer Stories

• TCO Calculator
Looking for some
team coaching?
• Google Workspace-led Value Based Workshops (Google
Partner Development Manager Sponsored) Ask your Partner Development
Manager about Google Workspace
• Google Workspace Change Management Deployment Seller Coaching Room.
Planning Workshop
 35

Google Workspace Commercial Sales Offers

Targeting When to use

Google Workspace Adoption New customers Competitive takeout deals

Pricing Plan

Google Workspace Existing high-growth customers (new Co-exist; shadow IT; upsell
Accelerated Ramp Program customers eligible as well)

Google Workspace New customers and upgrades to Deals with a secure collaboration use
Work Safer Enterprise Plus case

Google Workspace New Google Workspace Frontline New and existing customers with
Frontline Worker customers (500+ seats) frontline workers

Technical evaluation: Accelerate the technical win

Bolster customer confidence by bringing in technical expertise so

prospects can see Google Workspace in action. Work with a Google
Workspace Customer Engineer to and kick off a Mutual Evaluation
Plan (MEP). You can also initiate a POC or jumpstart, then follow
our standard pricing and discounting policies to close and win
your customer.

• Google Workspace Delivery Excellence Handbook

• Mutual Evaluation Plan (MEP)

• Sandbox Toolkit - Demo Domain Ordering Guide |

Google Workspace

• Google Workspace Presales Technical Assets

 36

Conclusion

Throughout this playbook, we've shared high-level strategies and

tactical tips for selling the value of Google Workspace to existing Ready to
Microsoft customers. Deploying Google Workspace alongside get started?
Office 365 can offer the right solution at the right time, providing
customers enhanced productivity and collaboration tools as they Check out
look for better ways to connect, create, and get things done. This
the Partner
strategy often leads to a land-and-expand opportunity where
partners sell customers on the value of Google Workspace and Advantage Portal
grow their footprint over time. For deals that come to fruition, be
sure to advocate for change management, as this can make or
break a customer's adoption of Google Workspace.