MSP Business Marketing Needs to Look at Selling as Problem Resolution
Your MSP business will have a lot more success in sales if it presents itself as a provider of solutions for common problems. At least, that can be the case if you do the job right. Basically, you’re providing relief for existing and potential clients. You’re the problem solver, and this is the attitude that you must attain and disseminate throughout the ranks of your MSP. A sales approach structured from such an attitude will look something like this sequence of steps:
- Discovery of issues
- Priority identification as it pertains to clients
- Clear description of issue as client sees it
- Resolving the problem cost-effectively and cohesively
- Marketing that employs this strategy in a non-obtrusive and effective way
Discovery of Issues
The first thing your MSP business will want to do in relation to both existing and new customers is to discover common issues they face. As a matter of fact, you want to be able to identify what’s going on before the client even tells you what they need. This can be done by looking at your local market, identifying likely clients and figuring out where they may have needs in terms of IT.
Granted, there will always be clients who you can’t predict. Also, even ones you can predict may have problems you didn’t see coming. However, you can probably get an accuracy rate that’s greater than 50 percent for “discovering” issues before clients enter your MSP. If you’re wise enough with free time to study existing and prospective clients, comparing them with other clients to see potential issues, then you’re likely to make some salable discoveries.
Priority Identification
You need to have your clients’ priority figured out, or it doesn’t matter how many fundamental issues you discover that your MSP could fix. Clients are going to put things together this way: if they don’t absolutely need tech provision A, they’ll put it on the “back burner” of repair and upgrade. When you discover issues, you want to focus on those that are a priority of some type for your existing and potential clients.
Clear Description of Issue as Client Sees It
It’s not enough for you to describe what the issue is and how you’re going to fix it. If you want to be the most successful using problem resolution as a marketing strategy, you need to present the problem as the client understands it. It’s like a mechanic saying something to the effect of: “So when you turn left, it squeals and pulls a little, right?” Well, when that mechanic can exactly describe what his potential client is going through, they’re more likely to trust him with their money for a repair. It’s the same thing with you and your MSP. You want to say something like: “So you’re spending tens of thousands of dollars on employees, patches, troubleshooting, storage and upgrades, right? Well, our MSP can cut that figure to X and save you X, then implement it all by X date and over X amount of time. Overall, you’ll get the same service through the cloud, but it won’t cost you X amount of dollars.”
Solving the Problem Cost-Effectively and Cohesively
At this point, the client is willing to work with you. So, you need to do your job. Solve the problem, save them money and ensure you don’t just “pass the buck,” so that another issue develops on the network. If you do this— and especially if you do this with some solution that requires regular monthly payments— you’re going to see your clients stick around longer and even bring others to the table.
Proper Marketing Strategy
When you’re marketing with this kind of strategy in mind, you’ll be able to meet potential and existing clients (because you should definitely upsell in this way) amenably. They’ll be searching you out, since you fix problems. You’ll be seen as necessary, not optional; that’s the key.
Advancing Your MSP
An MSP business that becomes necessary to clientele through problem resolution solutions is one that has increased the likelihood of forward success. Look at your own marketing strategy and see if it needs an update.
