Unsolicited business proposals to Microsoft: there is a way

My friend, Sean, has a post from January on how he’s not feelin’ the love so much from McDonald’s, specifically how the company doesn’t accept unsolicited proposals.

This was sent to me today:

http://www.mcdonalds.com/contact/contact_us/unsolicited_ideas.html

Not clear if he was offering a new spin on the Filet-O-Fish® or what… (and who knew that the bun has more calories than the patty?) One of Sean’s comments on the blog noted that…

“Microsoft has no such policy [on unsolicited proposals]…The challenge is more likely that there are too many ways to give suggestions and feedback which makes idea management and follow up difficult. http://connect.microsoft.com/ is one such visible place.”

A commenter notes that Microsoft does have a general policy on unsolicited ideas…

Unsolicited Idea Submission Policy: Microsoft or any of its employees do not accept or consider unsolicited ideas, including ideas for new advertising campaigns, new promotions, new products or technologies, processes, materials, marketing plans or new product names. Please do not send any original creative artwork, samples, demos, or other works. The sole purpose of this policy is to avoid potential misunderstandings or disputes when Microsoft’s products or marketing strategies might seem similar to ideas submitted to Microsoft. So, please do not send your unsolicited ideas to Microsoft or anyone at Microsoft. If, despite our request that you not send us your ideas and materials, you still send them, please understand that Microsoft makes no assurances that your ideas and materials will be treated as confidential or proprietary.

OK, that’s pretty clear (and note that I formatted the type smaller than is displayed to save on space). But there is a flip side to this legal boilerplate.

I have noted previously that when you live in Oz, you have to remember what life was and is still like in Kansas. We shouldn’t ignore new opportunities, but you can’t expect that an MS Wish like avenue will allow for proper vetting. As a company, we recognized that we need a managed and scalable way to accept unsolicited business proposals.

That’s why there is the Proposal Submission Tool at the Opportunity Management Center (OMC), a managed way for companies and individuals to submit their unsolicited business proposals to Microsoft. The OMC’s tool was designed to provide potential partners with a managed way to submit business proposals to Microsoft.

“If you are interested in working with us and your needs are not met through the programs found on this site, please submit a non-confidential business proposal through the link below. Please ensure that your proposal conforms with our corporate idea policy.”

Remember, it’s for business proposals. There are other links on the page to help you connect with other services at the company 😉

Tags: Microsoft, customer satisfaction, Microsoft culture, Oz, business proposal.

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