{"id":43108,"date":"2020-08-06T15:46:02","date_gmt":"2020-08-06T11:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/?p=43108"},"modified":"2021-04-20T14:14:06","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T10:14:06","slug":"how-msps-can-target-prospects-with-internal-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/how-msps-can-target-prospects-with-internal-it\/","title":{"rendered":"MSP\u2019s Guide to Targeting Prospects with Internal IT"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quite often when you reach out to a new prospect, you might hear: \u201cYou know, that sounds great, but we already have an IT department in place.\u201d Whether this \u201cIT department\u201d is a real department or a one-man army, the answer comes across clearly as \u201cnot interested\u201d. Or does it? Not really. Companies with internal IT are indeed harder nuts to crack, but there are several possibilities for landing them. In this article, we will overview four such possibilities.<\/p>\n

Free Security Audit<\/h2>\n

Internal IT, especially when we are considering small departments with one or two system administrators, don't always have enough skill or time to perform a good security audit<\/a>. That's where you can stand out, and this is what companies are interested in, due to the increased number of security breaches.
\nAs a managed IT service provider, you know the typical security loopholes in the corporate infrastructure and network. Find these loopholes and show them to C-level management. Couple the presentation with the facts about recent ransomware attacks<\/a> and the average cost of downtime and, most likely, you will be heard and your services budgeted.
\nHowever, don't be harsh on the company\u2019s internal IT. They are doing their jobs and the chances are that they are doing them well. You should offer the company help, rather than a substitute for their team.<\/p>\n

Further reading<\/span> 17 MSP Statistics to Show the Value of Managed Services<\/a><\/p>\n

Complement Their IT personnel<\/h2>\n

When you are focusing on a small company with only one \u201cIT guy\u201d, you can offer to help with his daily routines and during his vacations. For sure, it won't be your biggest contract and your biggest MRR, but it shouldn't be much of a hassle either. A lot of companies are looking for a spare sysadmin, but don't want to pay a full salary.
\nOn the other hand, local IT can be a complement to your services. There are lots of line-of-business applications that companies use which tend to be cumbersome and buggy, and take a lot of time to get up and running. Local staff might be proficient in supporting these LOB applications, thus removing a lot of hassle from your support.<\/p>\n

Focus on Advanced Tech and Projects<\/h2>\n

If your prospect is growing, offer them complex projects that will support and boost their growth, such as more elaborate and thought-through network infrastructure, better file sharing solutions, or virtual servers to enhance their efficiency at a lower capex cost. Also, if a company is growing to new locations, you can offer your own on-site support person. Even if your client won't buy in lower-cost labor, you still have the expertise to find and hire the right person and monitor his or her work.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/a>\"CTA\"<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

If your prospect is already a medium or large company, you can offer them advanced solutions which oftentimes internal IT cannot build, due to lack of skills. Offer your prospect a disaster recovery solution, integration with cloud services or, again, virtualization.<\/p>\n

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How to Transform Your MSP Operations for Bigger Customers<\/div>\n
Learn how to enhance MSP operations, including standardizing operations and service stack, systematizing documentation, and more.<\/div>\n\"CTA\"<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n
\"whitepaper<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Offer a Strategic Vision<\/h2>\n

Virtual chief information officer is a service that many big companies are interested in. They might have an internal IT department, but not have anyone knowledgeable enough to push through a strategic view on IT with the board of directors. Hiring a CIO is expensive, and growing a CIO from the local talent takes time, so the C-level might not be interested in that. That\u2019s a great time to offer your MSP\u2019s knowledge and expertise in the form of a vCIO.
\nNote that the vCIO should be both a skilled IT engineer and a skilled manager. He should understand the business\u2019s pain points and its potential, in order to develop a strategy that will boost growth over time.
\nSome MSPs use the vCIO service simply to upsell their customers with more services that they might not actually need. That\u2019s not considered to be best business practice. At some point, your customer may become aware of such a strategy, and the chances are you will be fired. Hence, while developing a vCIO proposition, you should focus your customer\u2019s needs, rather than your MRR.<\/p>\n

Further reading<\/span> The vCIO Process: What MSPs Should Know<\/a><\/p>\n

Prepare Your Pitch<\/h2>\n

You already know the possible entry points to prospects with internal IT staff. Now you need to prepare for the interaction with the client. Your typical sales pitch and sales message might not work in such cases, so here are some best practices:<\/p>\n