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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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 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...]
Making a Business Case for Unified Communications
A day in the life of a small business owner with a staff of less than 20 differs significantly than the owner of a larger company. With fewer resources, small business owners often find themselves wearing many hats including handling many of the day-to-day administrative tasks. Regardless, they still need to find ways to communicate with their customers and employees no matter where they are – work, home, or on the road. This is where the sharp managed service provider (MSP) can step in and … [Read more...]