It’s the same answer for all these questions I recently received at our Q3 Producers Club meeting from the various 200+ MSPs in attendance: How do you deal with a client who refuses to upgrade their service plan? What’s the best topic for a webinar? Should I hire an SDR or an outside sales rep first? How do I raise my prices? How do I compete with the “ Super MSPs” coming into my market who have resources and staff that I don’t have?
The answer to all of these is one that nobody wants: It depends.
My favorite way to deliver advice is in a Q&A format…a discussion. That’s because really important questions need investigation, context, clarification of the outcome and thinking through options, pros and cons. During the Producers Club event, I had a very productive conversation with a member who started with us talking about a podcast and ended up in a discussion about how to build a strategic partner network that would feed her MSP business like gangbusters. It was such a great strategy, I begged her to implement it so I could see it work. What made it even better is that the people in the room provided input and ideas, giving it even more meat on the bones, sharpening the strategy.
The MSPs in the Producers Club are a delight to have such conversations with because they understand “It depends.” That’s why they’re asking – to think through the process. They aren’t unhappy with a nuanced answer where I lay out what many would consider a complex plan of action. That’s why they’re growing at over 18% a year when most MSPs are growing at only 7% or less a year. They embrace chaos. (How Embracing Chaos Took Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec to over $200M+ In Annual Revenue.) Most people just want simple solutions to their complex problems.
They want the referral incentive that will trigger clients to suddenly start referring. They want the series of Facebook posts that will drive hot, highly-motivated-to-buy prospects into their office. The “inexpensive” postcard series they can just send out on a drip and never think about other than picking up the checks from all the new business flooding in. Doesn’t happen that way… ever.
ALL growth in an MSP business is complicated, and there’s more than one way to grow and succeed.
All of it depends. It depends on the situation, the list, the ultimate goal. Also, it depends on your abilities and resources. Even who you know, and what your relationship is with the people involved. And ultimately, it depends on how badly you want to get the goal or outcome you’re hoping to achieve.
Most people aren’t resource-limited – they are ambition-limited.
There’s only so much time and attention they want to put into a goal. After that, they’re “too busy” or “can’t.” In reality, this is why most people aren’t rich. They want simple and easy answers to complicated questions and problems. They’re repulsed by chaos and the risk that comes with growing a business, instead of getting started when they’re not fully ready and don’t have all the answers. They aren’t willing to muddle through the “darkness” with a dim flashlight in hand, trying to navigate through thick brush, mosquitos, rivers and valleys, extreme temperatures and a lot of uncertainty, having to often backtrack and try a different road over and over again. They prefer to sit on a rock and mope. Wait for the sun to shine and someone to mow the path for them.
Know this: ALL answers to ALL questions about how to achieve a goal, solve a problem, overcome a challenge or capitalize on an opportunity depend, ultimately, on what YOU want to accomplish. The biggest fish swim in the deepest, most dangerous waters. Are you fishing for whales or minnows? Big tuna or guppies? Everything you do and all decisions should be directed by YOUR goals, not by what you have or don’t have today.
Aren’t you tired of spinning your wheels looking for shortcuts? Wouldn’t you rather see REAL results from your efforts?
Announcing A NEW Program That Gives Small MSPs A Business Development Blueprint To Help Scale Quickly AND Profitably: MSP Launch Academy
