Whether you’re just beginning to explore artificial intelligence (AI) or looking for ways to leverage tools like ChatGPT to elevate your sales and marketing strategy, you’re not alone. Many managed service providers (MSPs) are asking the same questions.
In this edition of the Ask an MSP Expert, we asked Kendra Lee, founder and president of KLA Group to share actionable strategies on lead scoring, social media analytics, and real-world AI applications designed specifically for MSPs.
What is lead scoring, and why does it matter?
Lead scoring is a way for marketing and sales teams to rank prospects based on how likely they are to become customers. Each lead gets a score based on engagement, fit, and behavior. That might include things like website visits, email opens, company size, job title, or actions like downloading content or attending events. The higher the score, the more qualified the lead. This helps teams prioritize follow-ups and focus on the most promising opportunities.
What is a good lead score threshold for MQLs?
There is no universal number. Your ideal threshold depends on your pipeline health and how busy your sales team is. If your pipeline is thin, you might lower the threshold to pass cooler leads for prospecting. If your team is swamped, raising the threshold ensures only the most qualified leads move forward. The goal is to balance lead volume with quality and align scoring with your team’s ability to follow up effectively.
How do you use AI prompts to write sales emails or reports?
Specificity is key. A strong AI prompt should mention your company type or industry, the kind of output you are looking for, and any known details about your audience or goal. You can start broad and refine as needed, but the more context you give, the better the results.
What are some of the top AI use cases for MSPs and where to start?
Most MSPs begin with sales email generation. It is easy to implement and delivers quick wins. AI can help draft personalized outreach emails, suggest subject lines, adjust tone for different audiences, and automate follow-ups. Since sales emails are high volume and time-consuming, this use case offers immediate value.
Next comes reporting. AI can summarize performance data, generate client-facing reports, and highlight trends. Once MSPs see success with email generation, they often expand AI usage to reporting for both internal and external stakeholders.
Lead scoring is usually adopted last. AI can analyze behavior and fit, assign scores based on conversion likelihood, and refine models over time. It is a strategic move that requires clean data and strong alignment between marketing and sales.
AI can offer a powerful toolkit for smarter lead management and sales enablement. Start with quick wins, then build toward more strategic applications like lead scoring. And remember, your approach should always reflect your pipeline, team capacity, and business goals.
There’s a lot to consider when integrating AI into your MSP’s sales and marketing strategy, from lead scoring to email automation and beyond. Curious on how to get started or refine your approach? Watch this on-demand webinar now.
Photo: adam121 / Shutterstock
