Don’t just present projects. Present goals.
Many MSPs that do strategic planning show up with a list of projects. Replace these switches, migrate that server, roll out this tool. What turns a list into a plan is goals. A handful of overarching objectives that give the projects a reason to exist and show the client where you’re taking them over the […]
What does a vCIO do? Here’s how we do it
Ask ten MSPs what their vCIO does all day, and you’ll get a bunch of different answers. Some have them selling. Some have them fielding escalations. Some have them doing a bit of everything, which in my opinion makes it difficult for them to be great in their role. We run it differently, and it […]
vCIO vs Account Manager: What’s the difference?
If you’re running an MSP, this is one of the most important distinctions you’ll ever make about your client-facing team. The vCIO and the Account Manager are not two versions of the same job. They’re two completely different people, with two completely different skill sets, doing two completely different things. Blend them into one role […]
The case for a technical vCIO
Walk into ten different MSPs, and you’ll find ten different ideas of what a vCIO should be. Some lean sales. Some lean account management. Some lean business consultant. And there’s a real debate in our industry about which profile is right. I believe a vCIO needs to be deeply technical. What the client actually wants […]
Who should see your operational metrics
Here’s a mistake I see MSPs make all the time. They finally get a meeting with the CEO or owner, the person who signed the contract, and they spend it walking through ticket volumes, resolution times, and SLA performance. Not much comes from a meeting like that. Except the executive probably deciding not to sit […]
Stop using the past to prove your value
Many MSPs have the same reflex when it comes time to prove they’re worth the money. They reach for what they’ve already done. Tickets closed. Uptime delivered. Problems solved. Projects completed. I get it. It feels like the safest ground we have. It’s also the weakest case you can make. Nobody bought your MSP for what […]
The one meeting that gets executives back in the room
Here’s a pattern I see at almost every MSP, including ours for years. You sign a new client. The CEO is in the room. You sold them a vision of the future: better technology, fewer problems, IT that supports where the business is going. They’re excited. They sign. And then you hardly ever see them […]
If you’re not doing strategic planning with your clients, start here
I meet MSPs all the time, and so many of them are in the exact same place. They’re not doing real strategic planning with their clients. Maybe they meet some of them somewhat regularly, but rarely all of them, and rarely with any real structure. It’s the thing they know they should be doing, but […]
Your MSP doesn’t have a sales problem. You’re thinking about growth wrong.
Most MSPs trying to grow are doing it backwards. They invest in sales. They outsource lead gen to firms that book meetings for them. They hire marketing agencies. They build out a sales team. All of that is great. But it’s almost never the first move. The first step is to reduce your churn as […]
What your co-managed clients actually want
In managed services, we sell the cake, not the ingredients. The client wants peace of mind and a business that runs. They don’t want to hear about which EDR we picked or why. Co-managed is the opposite. Your point of contact is technical. They care deeply about the ingredients. They want to know your stack. They […]
