{"id":51363,"date":"2021-06-22T15:41:08","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T11:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/?p=51363"},"modified":"2023-03-20T15:19:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T11:19:17","slug":"managed-services-sales-process-what-msps-need-for-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/managed-services-sales-process-what-msps-need-for-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Managed Services Sales Process: What MSPs Need for Success"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s simply no substitute for the novelty factor in order to generate an \u201cAha!\u201d moment in whatever you do. Developing a practical sales approach is no exception to this golden rule.<!--more-->The \u201cfree IT assessment\u201d line has been in use for a while in order to sell MSPs. That no longer produces an \u201cAha!\u201d moment for your potential clients. It is critical to think of something new. Here are some useful cues and tools identified through our rigorous research.<\/p>\n<h2>The Need to Design a Robust Sales Process<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s get one thing clear first: MSP owners, almost without exception, are IT experts. Sales may not be their forte. Does that mean you need to hire a sales expert in order for your business to grow? Not really.<br \/>\nThink about it from a different perspective. Human beings are born sellers, all of us. Some of us are better at it, of course, but we all have the potential to hone our sales skills.<br \/>\nWhen, as a child, you managed to get your parents to allow you those 30 minutes of extra TV time, you\u2019d sold something. Even if you cried your way to success, you\u2019d sold them your tears, so as to make a good bargain in the process.<br \/>\nWhen you wrote a personal statement that got you admission to the college of your dreams, you\u2019d sold your knowledge, articulation, and persuasion skills. If you\u2019ve ever had a job, you successfully sold your skills to the organization that hired you.<br \/>\nAll through life, we have several transactional relationships. In all those relationships, we sell something. We negotiate. We drive bargains. We emerge victorious in many of them and lose in others. That\u2019s life, and that\u2019s sales as well: win some, lose some.<br \/>\nSo, we have it in us to sell what we want to. It\u2019s just that we give different names to different kinds of sales. Sometimes we call it \u201cadvocacy\u201d, for example. When it comes to selling your MSP, these same skills need to be identified and channelized \u2013 that\u2019s all.<br \/>\nThis is where the need to design a robust sales process comes in. The skills are the same.<\/p>\n<p id=\"last\">They just need to be organized differently, as the relationship with your client is different from the other transactional relationships in your life.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slidebox\"><a class=\"close\">\u00a0<\/a><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper hs-cta-deferred\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-353c6eca-a476-4800-b73e-aa55b0c47613\" data-portal=\"5442029\" data-id=\"353c6eca-a476-4800-b73e-aa55b0c47613\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-353c6eca-a476-4800-b73e-aa55b0c47613\" id=\"hs-cta-353c6eca-a476-4800-b73e-aa55b0c47613\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/5442029\/353c6eca-a476-4800-b73e-aa55b0c47613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-353c6eca-a476-4800-b73e-aa55b0c47613\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5442029\/353c6eca-a476-4800-b73e-aa55b0c47613.png\" alt=\"CTA\"><\/a><\/span><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/div>\n<p>Here are some basics to remember:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As an MSP owner, you don\u2019t want to be a one-time vendor selling a single item. It\u2019s a change you wish to achieve for an extended period of time. You want to be a long-term problem-solving business partner for your client\u2019s IT-related issues.<\/li>\n<li>Determine your price according to the value of your services and stick to it. Don\u2019t negotiate your pricing. That will give your potential client the wrong idea.<br \/>\nIt will help to master the art of describing the full range of your services in two to three minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"further-reading \">Further reading<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/msp-pricing-frequently-asked-questions\/\">Frequently Asked Questions About MSP Pricing<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Think of your services with a problem-solving approach. Identify the specific solutions you can offer to the most commonly experienced problems.<\/li>\n<li>However, this is not enough. Identify what is unique in the solutions you offer. That is what will generate an \u201cAha!\u201d moment for your client. There\u2019s no escape from this one. You have to have a competitive edge \u2013 something that sets you apart from your competitors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"further-reading \">Further reading<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/how-to-define-the-bundle\/\">How MSPs Can Design the Bundle in a Simple Way<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Share your firm\u2019s achievements and successes. Make sure that you have some existing clients willing to act as a reference for you. Inviting your prospective client to speak to an existing one is a winner.<\/li>\n<li>Remember job interviews? The final decision always takes references into account. However, that will happen only when you have already made a good enough impression. The rule is the same.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"further-reading \">Further reading<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/msp-sales\/\">MSP Sales Guide<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"call-to-action\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action__left\" style=\"width: 60%;\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action__tag\">FREE ASSETS<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__title\">MSP's Marketing Templates for Selling Backup<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__text\">Struggling to win new clients? Use this set of white-label marketing materials to close more Backup-as-a-Service deals.<\/div>\n<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper hs-cta-deferred\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-07a33996-9cd3-4ec3-892f-54583fd83c9a\" data-portal=\"5442029\" data-id=\"07a33996-9cd3-4ec3-892f-54583fd83c9a\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-07a33996-9cd3-4ec3-892f-54583fd83c9a\" id=\"hs-cta-07a33996-9cd3-4ec3-892f-54583fd83c9a\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/5442029\/07a33996-9cd3-4ec3-892f-54583fd83c9a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-07a33996-9cd3-4ec3-892f-54583fd83c9a\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5442029\/07a33996-9cd3-4ec3-892f-54583fd83c9a.png\" alt=\"CTA\"><\/a><\/span><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__right\" style=\"width: 40%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/CTA.png\" alt=\"WP icon\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The Sales Funnel and Its Stages<\/h2>\n<p>So, we are saying that you have the skills you need to sell your MSP. However, how do you do it? What was that one stroke that clinched your argument as a teenager for the right to return home at a later time?<br \/>\nThe problem is, we don\u2019t remember. So, we rack our brains over and over again: how do you generate that \u201cAha!\u201d moment for your potential client? We\u2019ll take you from sales to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/msp-marketing\/\">marketing<\/a> here.<br \/>\nDo remember the fundamental difference between marketing and sales at this point. Also, focus on the essential connection between the two.<br \/>\nMarketing is more about understanding your customers\u2019 needs and developing products accordingly. Selling is about convincing the clients that your products meet their needs.<br \/>\nSo, marketing has to precede sales. This is where the funnel approach comes in. Just think of the shape of a funnel. The funnel approach to marketing and sales is all about starting broad and narrowing it down in order to get the job done efficiently, without wastage.<br \/>\nThe top of the funnel, its broadest end, is about marketing. This is the awareness stage. It can happen in two ways. One possibility is that you become aware of prospective clients and their needs. It could also be that potential clients become aware of your MSP and the services you provide.<br \/>\nThe next stage in the sales funnel is the interest stage, which involves a smaller number of potential clients. That also can happen in two ways. From your side, it means the clients you identify as more likely to be interested in your services. From the clients\u2019 perspective, it implies those most likely to contact you for more information.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"further-reading \">Further reading<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/msp-marketing-strategy-for-growing-service-provider\/\">Marketing Strategies for Growing MSPs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>One important point to remember is that the awareness stage for potential customers can happen through your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/msp-website-that-works\/\">website<\/a>, too, if you have one. Whether visitors will convert to the next stage of being interested clients who contact you depends on the strength of your website.<br \/>\nThe third stage in the funnel is the most critical one: the decision stage. From your perspective, it is choosing which clients to focus on from among those interested. From the clients\u2019 perspective, it is which of the interested ones choose to proceed further and negotiate with you.<br \/>\nThis is the stage where you must generate that \u201cAha!\u201d moment for the clients, in order to take them to the final stage of action. This is where marketing converges with sales, and your persuasion skills get tested the most.<br \/>\nThe final stage of the funnel is the action stage. This is where the client\u2019s company acts on hiring your MSP for its IT needs. However, your task as an MSP owner is not over. Remember, in your business, it is not about a one-time sale. It is about long-term relationship building.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"further-reading \">Further reading<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/msp-sales-funnel-and-operations\/\">MSP Sales Funnel Guide<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>The Sales Pipeline and Its Role in an MSP\u2019s Continued Success<\/h2>\n<p>The sales pipeline is another useful concept to grasp for successful MSP sales. A sales pipeline is an aggregate representation of all the individual sales funnels of potential customers. The sales pipeline gives an overall picture of the total number of deals in the process, and the stages they are at.<br \/>\nThe sales pipeline also reflects the financial volume of each of those deals. Additionally, it shows you the average percentage of leads that reach a successful deal closure and the average time taken from lead generation to deal closure.<br \/>\nTherefore, the sales pipeline is a useful visual tool for strategic planning in sales.<\/p>\n<h2>The Role of CRM<\/h2>\n<p>Moving your clients along the sales funnel is easier said than done, of course. Your customers are human beings, with minds, knowledge, and will of their own, not some inert liquid that you can pour through your funnel.<br \/>\nSome clients might drop out of the leakages between the stages in your funnel. Worse still, some might clog your funnel by moving back and forth between stages or staying at the same stage for a long time.<br \/>\nThat is where digitally designed customer relationship management (CRM) plays a critical role. Remember that a smart CRM system is also your opportunity to impress your potential clients with your uniqueness.<br \/>\nAs an IT expert, you can think of your CRM system as a tool to generate that \u201cAha!\u201d moment for your potential clients. Chatbots, for example, have emerged as an effective means of addressing leakages in the sales funnel. You could design your own unique CRM chatbots.<br \/>\nApart from that, an efficient CRM system can reduce the time taken from lead generation to closure. It helps salespeople reach their targets faster by automating certain actions, and keeping up-to-date data readily accessible.<\/p>\n<h2>The Role of Sales Staff Training<\/h2>\n<p>However, the virtual world has still not overtaken the value of live human contact. People often prove far more effective than platforms, no matter how efficient your CRM system is. This makes the training of your sales team members critical.<br \/>\nApart from learning about the services you provide in depth and detail, your sales team must have practical communication skills. Training is the only way to ensure that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s simply no substitute for the novelty factor in order to generate an \u201cAha!\u201d moment in whatever you do. Developing a practical sales approach is no exception to this golden rule.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":51365,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[877,884],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-articles","category-msp-business-articles"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/82"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51363"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55525,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51363\/revisions\/55525"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}