At my managed service provider (MSP) marketing agency, Tech Pro Marketing, the word PRO is in our name, but in recent years, it’s also become somewhat of a mantra.
To me, it’s all about results and relationships. Results are everything as a service provider, but the relationship aspect plays a monumental role in turning prospects into clients – and you need to be a PRO on both sides.
On the relationship side, being a pro starts at the very first interaction and flows through every subsequent interaction. I work with some IT companies that have had the same clients for 30+ years –for a good reason. Everything about their services screams PRO from day one.
In this post, I want to dive into some key factors that will help your MSP do the same so you can close more clients. Let’s get right into it.
The moment a prospect lands on a website
As much as I like to avoid the cheesy marketing lines… your website is your MSP’s digital handshake.
Look at SmarterMSP.com. When you first land on their website, the overall vibe epitomizes professionalism. Readers know they will get high-quality content the second they enter the homepage. Your MSP website should be no different.
But how does an MSP website achieve this?
There are a few factors that play into this instant sense of professionalism on MSP websites – before the user does any scrolling. The most important ones include:
- A high-quality, well-optimized hero image is on the homepage (not a stock photo).
- Concise, clear content that spells out what the MSP does, where it is located, why they are an expert, and a call-to-action to get in touch.
- A live chat feature for any questions.
These three components are the tip of the iceberg, but if you can nail these on the MSP website, you’ll be setting yourself up for success at first glance.
The first interaction with a human being
When a prospective client first moves to speak with a representative from your MSP, the interaction needs to be lightning-fast—especially during working hours.
Everyone knows how frustrating it is to call a business only to be greeted with elevator music and robots.
This should not be the reality of doing business with your MSP. If it takes forever for a prospect to get to a human being, they will have no problem going to a competitor (who doesn’t make them wait).
Phone calls: Do your best to answer calls in one to two rings maximum – directly to a salesperson.
Chats: Respond to all pings from the live chat feature in under 30 seconds (especially during working hours).
Being fast with communication out of the gate says a lot about your MSP’s professionalism. As you know, problems are inevitable in the IT world from time to time. Clients need to know you’ll jump into action at the drop of a hat if things go sideways.
Being ultra-fast with communication before the consultation shows them this.
Leading up to the meeting
When a prospect books a consultation, they shouldn’t feel like they’ve been left in the dark in the days – or weeks – leading up to it. Both your time and the prospect’s time are precious.
If the prospect comes into the consultation not knowing what will happen or feeling unprepared, the first 10-20 minutes will likely be wasted.
When we have our initial consultation with an MSP at Tech Pro Marketing, I like to limit the calls to an hour. As there is a lot of ground to cover, the prospect needs to know exactly what to expect and how to prepare for the meeting. Your consultations with business owners should be no different.
We recommend having a 3-sequence email prior to the call.
First email
Thank them for reaching out to your MSP for IT services. Provide an overview of what they can expect on the call. This includes:
- Confirming the day/time for the consultation.
- Who they will be speaking with from your MSP (add headshots in the email with their names).
- The agenda.
- Who to contact with any questions.
Second email
The next email should delve deeper into how the prospect should prepare for the call. This may include:
- Again, confirming the day/time for the consultation.
- Information to prepare:
- Company’s strengths/challenges.
- Business goals.
- Business systems they currently use.
- Expectations when working with you.
- Who to contact with any questions.
This list is not exhaustive and may vary based on your MSP’s business model. The goal here is to provide an exhaustive list of everything the client should prepare for before the consultation.
Third email
The last email should be sent 24 hours before the consultation. It’s essentially a final reminder about the agenda, what to prepare, and how to make sure they will get the most value out of the consultation. This typically includes:
- A reminder of the day/time for the consultation.
- Rehashing the agenda.
- Everything they need to have prepared.
- Who they will be speaking with.
In my opinion (and I believe most people would agree), one of the most defining traits of a PRO is they don’t waste time on meetings. Taking the time to ensure your prospects are adequately prepared shows you value their time – and you know how to make every minute of the consultation valuable.
The next step
Being a PRO goes beyond great results. The relationship aspect of IT is all about making it perfectly clear that your clients are working with a professional every step of the way. Once you accomplish this—without a shred of doubt—most clients will be comfortable giving you the keys to their IT kingdom and putting their business in your hands.
Are these points integrated within your MSP’s sales process?
If not, schedule a one-on-one strategy call at https://www.techpromarketing.com.
Photo: Midnight29th / Shutterstock
