Sage believes that 'word of mouth' recommendation is the most important driver of new business and since much of it's software is sold through a network of Sage Business Partners, it is vital that customers appreciate the skills of these companies.
Sage Business Partners are located throughout the UK and have the skills to advise customers on the best Sage products to meet their needs, install the products professionally, train staff to use them correctly, and provide technical support to keep the products operating efficiently. Business Partners are an essential part of Sage's approach to marketing, providing as they do the necessary on-site skills to ensure a customer's investment in Sage software is maximised.
The Sage Circle of Excellence program is open to all Sage Business Partners in the UK. The Circle of Excellence status is conferred on the top 15 business partners for one year only, based on the responses of customers to an independent survey.
The survey asked a straightforward question: "Would you recommend your Sage Business Partner to others?". Answers were recorded on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 indicating "definitely would not" and 10 indicating "definitely would". Scores of 9 and 10 were deemed to indicate 'a promoter' of the business partner, whilst scores of 0 to 6 were deemed to indicate 'a detractor'. Scores of 7 and 8 were classed as 'indifferent'. The number of 'promoters', as a percentage of the overall number of customers questioned for each business partner, was then calculated.
The business partners with the top scores in 2006 were invited to a Gala Dinner at Manchester's Imperial War Museum, followed by an exclusive five star trip to Rome taking in the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, and staying at a top Rome hotel.
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