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...]
How MSPs Can Sell Cloud Phones Without Shelling out the Big Bucks
We spend a lot of time explaining and demonstrating how MSPs can upsell cloud phones and make money. We've created a trove of information MSPs can use to grasp how significant their monthly recurring revenue can be selling phones. But we also recognize a big obstacle for some MSPs: the capital expenditure required to get into the phone business. Here, we let you in on a way to jump that hurdle. Having to finance phones and equipment for customers is out of the question for many smaller MSPs. … [Read more...]
Why MSPs Shouldn’t Skip on Selling Cloud Phone and Unified Communications
The changing technology of the communications market makes for plenty of new opportunities that weren't there even just five years ago. Selling cloud phone and unified communications services is one of these great opportunities that many MSPs ignore. The reasons for this vary, and it’s not until the realization of how lucrative the opportunity is, that MSPs give more attention to the idea of selling cloud phone. Why Aren't More MSPs Selling Cloud Phone and Unified Communications … [Read more...]
The Way to Mutual Success: How to Stage Successful Customer Onboarding
Landing a new client is a great thing. Keeping that client, now, that's where the challenge is. The first few days after the sale are perhaps some of the most crucial in the entire process. These are the times when doubt is highest and when faults are spotted. How do you break through this static and keep a customer in the fold? The answer may be simpler than you think: successful customer onboarding. How Do I Make Successful VoIP Customer Onboarding Happen? Successful customer onboarding … [Read more...]
How to Get End Users Behind Cloud Phone Systems
Any new technology can be inherently wonderful and solve many issues. But the one big problem is that technology is effectively worthless if no one uses it. Astute MSPs find ways to improve end-user adoption rates by educating their customers. After all, the most successful MSPs truly care about their customers' needs, which includes how well their current solutions are working for them. And when it comes to cloud phone systems, it's no different. How MSPs Can Improve Cloud Phone Systems' End … [Read more...]
Revealing the “Gotchas” Voice Services Companies Keep From MSPs
Here at D3UC, we talk to a lot of MSPs who are struggling to win customers for voice services because they think they can’t beat competitors’ bids. Yet when we review the proposals from those competing companies, we notice their exclusion of discretionary and mandatory fees. If you include those charges in the proposals, it raises their “proposal” rate by as much as 60%. The unfortunate truth is that cable and phone companies have disguised many details about their actual rates for decades. … [Read more...]
The Right Tool for the Right Job: Picking the Right Phone System
The notion of picking a phone system is a good news / bad news combination for managed service providers (MSPs). While there are plenty of options to accommodate diverse use cases for small and medium businesses (SMBs), it can make finding the “right” system daunting. So, before you set out to determine the best phone system for your potential customers, here are some factors to keep in mind. Considerations for Picking the Right Phone System for a Customer As the lifeline of a business, … [Read more...]
The Business of Being an MSP: A Changing Environment Requires New Solutions
If there's one thing we know about technology by now, it's that it's constantly changing, whether we like it or not. Just ask the surprisingly large segment of the population who wishes Windows XP or Windows 7 was still the standard. It’s a reality that we can't keep our favorite operating systems running forever, just like we cannot ignore all the changes technology brings to every aspect of our businesses. Managed service providers (MSPs), in particular, have a challenging job with keeping up … [Read more...]