Inbox Zero is a business concept that recently emerged, encouraging its adherents to maintain a “clean inbox” with no unread emails. It sounds simple enough, but many quickly found it fell apart. With such concepts as this out there, using email marketing may sound like a quick way to see a lot of marketing efforts trashed. For managed service providers (MSPs), however, email marketing can be a powerhouse. Why MSPs Need Email Marketing Many believe that email marketing is an easily deleted … [Read more...]
Create a Unique Selling Proposition to Capture Your Market’s Attention
There's a term in radio circles called the “signal to noise ratio.” Essentially, it's the ratio of the strength of a signal—what the sender wants people to hear—to the interference that's surrounding the signal. If the ratio is ever one or less, there's more noise than signal and it's not getting through. That's the kind of environment that managed service providers (MSPs) are operating in today: trying to catch customers' attention through the noise of every other MSP trying to do the same … [Read more...]
Top-Down Eye-Catching: What Every MSP Website Must Have
A web presence these days is almost par for the course. Some reports note that 30% of consumers will not do business with a company that doesn't have a website as it's considered less professional than those that do. And depending on the industry you're in, your website should include a variety of key items. Managed service providers (MSPs) are no exception here, and MSP websites need several critical features in order to get their best chance at drawing customers. What Every MSP … [Read more...]
Understanding the SMB Buyer’s Journey and How MSPs Should Market to It
The current MSP sales model has evolved from the demise of the capital expenditure model and is dependent on generating recurring revenue. Initial sales are essential for building a customer base, but customer retention is arguably much more difficult and vital for success. So, what do MSPs need to do to build long lasting relationships with SMBs? To answer this question, MSPs need to understand the entire buyer’s journey—which doesn’t end after making the sale. This customer-centric inquiry … [Read more...]
Attracting and Capturing the SMB Buyer
As an MSP, you are doubtlessly invested in the many benefits of your services. When trying to reach potential customers, you likely highlight many aspects of your managed services that increase efficiency. While communicating these features and benefits is a crucial component of sales and marketing, the MSP focus has shifted from describing services to illustrating end user results. That shift is critical to attracting and capturing an SMB buyer. Relevant and affordable technology solutions … [Read more...]
Drive MSP Sales by Marketing With Defined Buyer Personas
It’s common knowledge that buyers who are researching a solution, whatever it may be, are seeking a personalized experience. If they fail to be impressed by what you have to offer because they don’t see how their needs could be properly addressed, you’ve lost the opportunity to make that sale. This is why it’s important for MSPs to know their buyer personas. MSPs who take the time to map out buyer personas by accurately identifying the profile of their target customers will be better able to … [Read more...]
Smart MSP Branding Boosts Marketing Efforts and Drives Sales
There are a lot of pieces in the MSP marketing and sales puzzle. When you think of a marketing strategy, a few basics often come to mind: lead generation, lead nurturing, thoughtful content. However, a key component of any successful marketing and sales strategy is branding. Developing a unique brand for your MSP gives your efforts a more personal touch, makes you more memorable, and ultimately drives sales. Your brand helps differentiate your business from your competitors and – if crafted … [Read more...]
The “S” in SMB: A Very Large Market Opportunity for MSPs
This is a topic we’ve discussed before. If you’re a managed services provider looking for a greater opportunity to sell, look no further than the small and midsized business (SMB) market — and concentrate on the “small.” The definition of a small business varies by industry, but our MSPs typically focus on companies with fewer than 20 employees — that’s a market of 5.2 million businesses. While it’s easy to be blinded by the potential profits that come along with signing a big organization, … [Read more...]
Break Through the Myths of Security and Cloud Communications
Most new technologies are subject to intense scrutiny. After the early adopters give the “thumbs up” is when half-understood reports, new terms and jargon, and a normalcy bias start to contribute to certain misunderstandings. Once that happens, a concerted effort must be undertaken to dispel these myths. Let's blow away the fog in cloud communications so you can clearly approach your customers with the true benefits. What Myths Infect the Fields of Security and Cloud Communications? Some … [Read more...]
Why MSPs Should Target SMBs
According to the U.S. Small Business Association, there are roughly 5.8 million companies in this country and 99% of them employ fewer than 500 people. Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) with fewer than 100 employees and make up 98% of all US companies, totaling 5.7 million in the U.S. alone. Let’s break those numbers down a little bit further: Among the 5.7 million small businesses, 5.2 million of them have fewer than 20 people on staff. And these are the companies that rely on MSPs for … [Read more...]