Let’s say you’re thinking about selling your MSP. You’ve put quite a few years into it, along with some blood, sweat, and tears, and now you’re thinking about getting out – ideally, with a nice paycheck in hand for all your efforts.
But should you sell your MSP now? Or, should you wait it out? Bide your time. Grow a little more…
This is a terrific question, and it couldn’t be timelier. M&A activity is once again on the rise. Actually, it has risen – and quite dramatically! MSP owners are approaching the table in droves in search of lucrative deals, driven by a large pool of interested buyers.
You’re of course tempted to get in on the action. But you’re not sure if it’s the right time. It’s such a big decision. You just don’t know –
Relax. Take a breath. And keep reading. You deserve some clarity, and while we can’t make the all-important decision for you, we can give you the information you need to make the right choice for your business and your clients.
In this first article in a two-part series, we’re examining the question of ‘now or later’ through the lens of market conditions. In part two, we will zoom in on what makes an MSP ‘sellable.’ Let’s dive right in!
Seize the Moment
Should you sell your MSP now? Assuming your MSP is ‘sellable,’ is now a good time to enter the M&A arena in search of a deal?
The short answer is unequivocal: All things being equal, now is a GREAT time to sell your MSP. The main reason comes down to basic economics and a little thing called demand…
After cooling off briefly in 2023, we are in the middle of another M&A hot streak projected to match if not surpass the buying frenzy a few years ago, which saw nearly 2000 deals closed! Right now, the market is flush with PE firms and large ‘platform MSPs‘ who are all salivating at the prospect of purchasing quality MSP businesses. MSPs make attractive acquisition targets for a number of reasons, which we go over in our free MSP acquisitions guide (get your copy).
Bottom line – Selling your MSP right now means taking advantage of near-perfect market conditions. Simply put, it can make you a pretty penny.
But what about…
You may still have some reservations. This is only natural. After all, you’re thinking about selling your MSP business, not lemonade on a street corner. Market conditions might be ideal, but what about…
What about, well, waiting? If M&A heated up in 2021 and 2022, cooled off in 2023, and once again heated up in 2024, can’t you just wait a little longer – till the next surge in M&A activity?
In theory, yes. But in practice, things aren’t so simple. For one, markets are inherently unpredictable. How many years will it be until you see an opportunity like this again? Do you have the energy to continue running your MSP for three more years? Five? Ten?
More importantly, M&A activity is so rampant, it’s literally changing the competitive landscape. As more and more MSPs get rolled up, we’re seeing larger and larger MSPs emerge – platform MSPs with never-before-seen resources and capabilities. And as these ‘super MSPs’ get bigger, so too will the MSPs they target for acquisition (in fact, this has already begun to happen). This means you will likely need to continue growing steadily to remain an attractive acquisition target further down the line.
You might be thinking, So what. I can keep growing. No problem…
While we admire your confidence, it’s important to know what you’re up against. Remember those super MSPs we mentioned a second ago? They’re your competition from here on out. That means if you want to sustain your current growth rate, you’re going to have to work twice as hard just to keep pace with these multi-state and even national enterprises.
This article does a terrific job of summarizing the challenges MSPs will face over the next ten years. Doing things on your own might have worked until this point, but times change, and making your exit now could be a timely way to avoid a very tough road ahead.
There are also your clients to think of. Is grinding things out on your own really what’s best for them? Getting acquired by a larger enterprise can mean getting access to crucial resources, better tools, more talent – all good things that can help your clients find success.
Does this mean you should sell to the first buyer that comes a-knockin’?
Absolutely not! Thoroughly vetting potential buyers is vital to securing the right deal for your MSP business. At the very least, a potential buyer should…
Demonstrate a track record of successful MSP acquisitions
Share your company’s values and vision
Offer a fair valuation and proof of financial backing
Commit to supporting your employees and maintaining operational continuity
Let’s talk feelings. Maybe you’ve determined that your MSP is worth selling. Maybe you’ve got a few interested buyers. Maybe you’ve even received an offer. But nevertheless, you’re not sure you’re ready. You don’t feel all that ready…
Look, we get it. Selling the company you built from the ground up is an emotional experience – and one of the biggest decisions of your life. You’re going to feel things. A lot of things.
But the truth is, you’re likely never going to feel completely, one-hundred-percent ready to sell, the same way most parents don’t ever feel totally ready to send their kids off to college. But when the time’s right, the time’s right.
This isn’t to say you should ignore your feelings. If you feel profound doubts about a particular potential buyer, for instance, listen to your gut! You don’t want to sell your MSP to the wrong buyer, because it could leave you with a raw deal and your clients up a creek.
But general nervousness about the prospect of selling your MSP is completely natural and to be expected. You’re only human! So let yourself feel – just don’t let your feelings stop you from seizing a golden opportunity.
A Unique Opportunity to Talk Strategy
It’s no secret that we’re involved in M&A here at The 20. In fact, at the time of this writing, we’ve completed over 30 MSP acquisitions – and we’re looking for more quality MSPs to join our growing team!
The secret to our M&A success is no secret – our approach makes things easy and brings unique benefits to MSP owners and their teams.
Want to learn more? Book a 1-hour meeting with Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20 and the visionary behind our unique consolidation strategy. Tim can walk you through what makes The 20 unique among M&A players, as well as provide you with feedback on your current exit strategy.
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Stay tuned for the second installment in this two-part series, where we’re tackling the question of what makes an MSP ‘sellable.’ Till then, browse our freshly launched MSP acquisitions page for free resources and no-nonsense guidance.
From Owner to Employee: Navigating a New Role After Selling Your MSP
You’re selling your MSP business. Maybe you already have. Now what?
For some, the answer to this question is: relax on a beach, margarita in hand – or some version of that. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Selling your MSP business can be your ticket to a leisurely – and financially secure – retirement.
But what if you’re not ready to ride off into the sunset just yet? What if your passion for managed services still burns, and you want to continue working in the IT industry?
Nothing wrong with that either! Plenty of MSP owners have entered the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) space with no intention of retiring or even leaving the IT sector.
If you’re looking to sell your MSP but not exit the industry – or if you’ve already sold your company and now find yourself in a new role – you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’re discussing how to make the most of your transition from owner to employee after the sale of your MSP business.
Our focus will be on situations where you join the team of the company acquiring yours. That said, if you’re pursuing a position elsewhere in the industry, a lot of the advice will still hold value.
Let’s jump right in!
Why Stick Around?
Let’s start with a basic question: Why do some MSP owners choose to sell their businesses without subsequently exiting the industry?
Here are some of the more common reasons…
Sweet Deal
Some MSP owners approach the table because they’ve found the ideal buyer – or an offer that’s simply too good to pass up – and not because they’re feeling burned out or ready for retirement. This isn’t uncommon, as the M&A market has once again heated up in 2024, with many interested buyers competing over high-performing MSPs.
All things being equal, it’s a great time to sell an MSP! If you play your cards right, you can make your exit with a big paycheck in hand.
Staying Alive
Some MSP owners strike deals because they’re thinking ahead and anticipating the difficulty of remaining competitive without adding new services, skills, etc.
According to Datto’s Global State of the MSP Report, for the third consecutive year, MSPs worldwide cited competition as their primary challenge, with 35% highlighting it, up from 29% in 2022. Finding a competitive edge is more crucial than ever, and consolidation offers ambitious MSP executives a promising route to securing an advantage by ‘leveling up’ their services, teams, and market reach.
Ready for Help
Finally, there are those MSP owners who are looking to sell because they’re tired – tired of running the show and having to wear all sorts of ‘hats’ just to keep their companies afloat. Some of these executives really enjoy a particular aspect of running an MSP (e.g., sales or operations), and want to focus on doing that one thing extremely well.
Selling offers these entrepreneurs a promising route to a more manageable work schedule, as well as a more specialized role that allows them to focus on what they enjoy doing and know how to do well. Come to think of it, becoming a member of The 20 helps with those things, too!
From Owner to Employee
Bottom line, there are plenty of good reasons to sell your MSP without the intention of retiring or even leaving the industry.
So, let’s get into the meat of our discussion: making a successful transition from an MSP owner to an MSP employee.
This blog post accompanies a short video featuring former MSP owners now thriving in new roles at The 20. Check out the video to hear their firsthand accounts of the transition “from owner to employee.”
What makes for a successful transition from MSP owner to MSP employee? Let’s start with a simple but illuminating answer:
If your plan is to keep going, you need to set yourself up to do exactly that – keep going.
Think about it. You’re not retiring. You’re not even changing industries. You’ve decided to remain a managed services professional, albeit in a new role. So, it’s important, for your own wellbeing – both professional and personal – to put yourself in a position that you find energizing and fulfilling. This is especially crucial if the reason you’re selling in the first place is fatigue, or even burnout.
But how do you do that? In practical terms, what is the best way to ensure that you find fulfillment in your new role?
After completing numerous MSP acquisitions (thirty-three at the time of this writing), we’ve witnessed plenty of MSP owners make the transition from owner to employee. Seeing their journeys has taught us a lot about what a successful transition involves.
And now we’re sharing key lessons with you…
Work Your Magic
After years spent running an MSP business, you probably have a pretty good idea of what you’re good at – and not so good at. You also likely know which aspects of the job bring you the most enjoyment.
In the short video, you’ll meet Gary Blawat, who loves MSP sales. You’ll also hear from Kevin Peterson, a self-proclaimed “operator at heart.” After selling their MSPs to The 20, Gary and Kevin took on new roles within the company which allowed them to focus on sales and operations respectively.
When pursuing a new position post-sale (and negotiating its terms), we recommend that you follow in Gary and Kevin’s footsteps and find a role that allows you to work your magic. Doing so will make a huge difference when it comes to staying motivated and engaged. Just ask Kevin:
“I’m able to focus most of my time on doing what I’m really good at and what I love doing. I get up every morning and I know I’m making a difference … I love what I’m doing.”
Shared Vision
Tim Knarr sold his MSP to The 20 back in 2022 and is now doing big things as our VP of Regional Operations. In the video. Tim talks about “the dream” of The 20 – the dream of the billion-dollar MSP. It’s a dream he believes in and feels connected to.
This brings us to another important point about securing satisfaction in your post-sale role: in addition to landing the right role, you’ll also want to join the right team.
More specifically, you should strive to become part of a team with goals and a long-term growth plan that excite you. You’re committed to sticking around after selling your MSP, so it only makes sense to join a company that’s not only going places, but places you want to go.
If you’re planning on working for the company that acquires your MSP, picking the right organization means picking the right buyer, and that begins with thoroughly vetting any potential buyer (for tips on vetting buyers and much more, make sure to download our free MSP acquisitions guide, “Sell Your MSP the Right Way”).
Invest to Stay Invested
Landing a role that lets you focus on what you like doing, joining a team whose vision you share – both of these things will help you remain engaged in your new role. But you know what will really help you stay invested?
Investing!
After selling your MSP, you can take a portion of the proceeds from the sale to purchase shares or equity in the acquiring company, giving you a vested interest in the combined entity’s success.
That’s a big part of our deal structure here at The 20. In the video, you’ll hear from Caleb Brown on the value of being a shareholder, and how it gives him a robust “sense of ownership with what we’re building now” – a national MSP with premium service delivery! It also doesn’t hurt that these owners-turned-shareholders will get a ‘second bite of the apple’ further down the line if and when The 20 gets acquired.
For a closer look at The 20’s approach to acquisitions and how it compares to some other prominent M&A players’ strategies, check out this excellent article from Channelholic.
Balancing Act
Perhaps the most profound observation from our interviews with MSP-owners-turned employees came from Michael Vu, who spoke about finding a healthier work/life balance after the sale of his MSP business.
Michael, like almost all of the MSP owners who sell to The 20, chose to remain on board in a new leadership position. He’s since discovered that he has, in his new role, a lot more time to spend with his family. Making room for family – for life – can be hard
when you’re captain of the ship. As Michael points out, “when you’re running your business from top to bottom, it takes ninety-nine percent of your energy and focus.”
Word to the wise: finding a more suitable work/life balance after selling your MSP can be easier said than done. After spending years at the helm of your company, you’ve likely grown accustomed to the perpetual grind. Just know that it can be difficult to adopt a new mindset once you’ve sold your MSP. However, doing so can work wonders for your overall wellbeing.
Remember, you did something special – you built and sold a company! Take time to savor your achievement, and be wary of falling back into the same relentless pace that defined your days as an owner.
Wrapping Up
Selling your MSP is a big decision – one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. It can also mean a transition to a new role. In our experience working with MSP owners who make this jump, it’s not so much stepping back as it is stepping up.
You’re stepping up to a new challenge. You’re seizing an opportunity to focus on what you’re good at and enjoy doing. You’re getting access to a larger team with better tools and processes to help your clients thrive.
This isn’t a demotion however you slice it. It’s the next chapter of your story, and it’s brimming with potential. So embrace your new role, because there’s a good chance the best is yet to come.
Need Some M&A Guidance?
If you’re thinking about selling your MSP or entering a merger, we’re here to help.
Check out our revamped guide to MSP acquisitions, “Sell Your MSP the Right Way” for practical advice and proven tips. Get your free download today.
Looking for direct feedback on your exit strategy? Set up a 1-hour call with Tim Conkle, Founder and CEO of The 20 and leading expert on MSP acquisitions.
Happy dealmaking!
AI in the MSP Space
Part One: Helping Clients
A lot of MSPs have AI on the brain – and how could they not? The AI revolution is for real. And MSPs are uniquely positioned to ride the AI wave and to help their clients do the same.
But figuring out your MSP’s path forward is tricky. Things are unfolding in real time, and they’re unfolding at breakneck speed! If you’re looking for some guidance – some clarity amidst the chaos – you’ve come to the right place.
In this two-part blog (stay tuned for part two), we’re breaking down the state of AI in the MSP space. In this first installment, we’re looking at how MSPs can help clients harness AI effectively and responsibly. Part two will deal with the implementation of AI within your MSP business.
What to Expect (and Not to Expect) from These Articles
If you’re looking for a step-by step, foolproof AI implementation plan, sorry. We’re not withholding such a thing; it just doesn’t exist!
If you’ve been talking to other MSPs or perusing online forums, you’ll have noticed that MSPs are approaching AI very differently – and with very different attitudes. On one end of the spectrum, you have the gung-ho early adopters, and on the other end, you’ve got the skeptics and naysayers.
Most MSPs are somewhere in the middle, trying to make sense of things and chart a course forward. So if you’re excited about AI, but not sure what steps you should be taking, you’re not alone!
And while we can’t give your MSP all the answers in regard to AI adoption and implementation, we can point you in some promising directions, clarify the current lay of the land, and help you start formulating a strategy for your MSP business.
What Makes AI Different – and Right Up MSPs’ Alley
To begin, let’s talk about what makes AI special. It’ll be illuminating to compare it to a recent technological advancement: cloud computing. There are interesting similarities between cloud computing and AI, but we’re going to focus on a key difference:
The benefits and power of AI are obvious, self-evident even. The benefits and cloud computing are not.
As someone who works in IT, you know all too well that moving data to the cloud is, all things being equal, a good idea. You understand how cloud computing offers businesses a more scalable, agile, and cost-effective data storage solution. However, getting your clients to understand this and embrace the cloud is a whole different animal (which is why we have a blog post devoted to the topic).
With AI, the challenge is almost the inverse: clients are going to be eager to adopt AI, since the power of AI is so undeniable, so obvious. A lot of us had a similar experience using ChatGPT for the first time, OpenAI’s groundbreaking Large Language Model (LLM): This thing is incredible! The idea that businesses are going to embrace AI much more quickly and easily than cloud computing isn’t just speculation either:
ChatGPT was the first tech application to acquire 100 million distinct users in just two months. And get this: in a recent survey of 1,000 small business owners, an overwhelming 91% reported increased success following the implementation of AI.
Individuals and organizations will use tools that make their lives easier. Your job, then, as an MSP, isn’t going to be convincing clients to use AI, but rather, helping them do so responsibly, effectively, and efficiently. This brings us to…
MSPs as AI Guides
As an MSP you don’t just ‘fix your clients’ computers.’ You act as a trusted advisor, delivering strategic advice to help clients align their technology investments with their business goals.
If there were ever a perfect opportunity to prove your worth as an advisor, it’s in guiding clients through the adoption of AI technologies. In particular, MSPs should prepare to offer guidance in the following areas:
LLM ‘Tuning’ and Customization
LLMs are incredibly powerful and useful tools, but they’re not one-size-fits-all. The true power of an LLM is unleashed through what is known as “fine-tuning” or simply “tuning”: refining a pre-trained LLM’s capabilities and improving its overall performance by training it on smaller, specialized datasets (i.e., data specific to a client business).
Forward-thinking MSPs are going to master the art of tuning, so that they can equip their clients with LLMs that produce accurate, tone-appropriate content at the click of a few buttons.
But do organizations really need help with this?
Big time! A recent survey from Predibase polled executives, data scientists, developers, and other key decision makers and found that only 11% had successfully fine-tuned an LLM and been satisfied with the results. A whopping 78% had not, with 44% citing “complexity” or a “lack of knowledge” as the reason why. Did someone say, “Golden opportunity for MSPs”?
Data Security
AI introduces a host of new vulnerabilities and data privacy concerns. For instance, if a client is using an LLM, they need to make sure their data is properly organized and tagged.
This is where your MSP can come to the rescue – in helping your clients prepare their data for AI intervention. This means, among other things, structuring their data such that an LLM, or some other AI system, won’t reveal sensitive information to the wrong parties.
And you’d better believe clients are looking for help with data security in AI implementation. The aforementioned Predibase survey found that 33% of respondents listed “giving up access to proprietary data” as a top challenge preventing them from using LLMs in production. This was the most commonly listed top challenge, with second place going to “customization and fine-tuning” at 30%.
So if your MSP can help clients leverage and customize LLMs and other AI tools without compromising data security, it will help you stand out and your clients gain a competitive edge. Win-win!
Microsoft Copilot
Last November, Microsoft made its own AI-powered chatbot available to enterprise customers. Copilot is designed to help businesses enhance productivity and streamline workflows within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
MSPs stand to generate some serious revenue by guiding clients through the implementation and management of Copilot. Getting the most out of Microsoft’s new AI tool takes real work: creating a robust data strategy at the outset, ensuring security through proper access controls, and implementing safeguards for long-term maintenance.
AI adoption is a tricky business. There’s no way around that. The technology is new, powerful, and bursting with untapped potential. And because no two businesses share the exact same needs in regard to AI adoption, how well your MSP fulfills its role as trusted advisor will depend largely on one thing:
How well you know your clients’ businesses – how they operate, what they value, and what they’re trying to achieve.
The full force of AI as a business tool stems from the technology’s high level of adaptability and customizability. The only way to tailor an AI strategy to fit your clients’ specific needs is to understand those needs in the first place. Translation: talk to your clients! This isn’t something AI can do for you – not yet at least. It’s a human thing, and it’s crucial to your success as a trusted source of AI wisdom.
Conquer AI through Collaboration
The AI industry is exploding in size and complexity, and MSPs trying to figure things out for themselves have an uphill battle. But imagine being able to tap into the expertise and experiences of hundreds of MSPs, a whole community of companies who share knowledge and tips as freely as old friends trading tales around a campfire…
That’s exactly what it’s like to be a member of The 20 MSP Group. We’re stronger together, and we win together. To learn more about the powerful benefits we bring our MSP members, schedule a call today.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for part two, where we’ll look at how your MSP can leverage AI to improve operations and elevate service.
Vendor Spotlight: Cytracom
Dive into the world of cutting-edge communication solutions with our latest Vendor Spotlight featuring Cytracom! Discover how Cytracom’s innovative VoIP and unified communications platform can revolutionize your business communication experience. Learn about their advanced features, seamless integration options, and unparalleled support.
What do you like most about being partnered with The 20?
Members of The 20 are uniquely focused on standardizing on their platform and helping each other grow their business leveraging vendor partnerships and the best technology available in the channel. This fits perfectly with Cytracom’s mission to provide solutions that are always on the cutting-edge, easy to use, and built for MSPs to help them increase MRR without increasing service delivery overhead.
Tell us what your company does in 2 sentences or less.
Cytracom’s ControlOne is a next generation security solution built for MSPs, that addresses network security gaps that traditional hardware centric networking devices can’t handle. Our fully managed UCaaS platform delivers cloud-based voice plus mobility, desktop integration, messaging and more – simplified for small to midsize businesses.
What’s your advice for MSPs in 2024?
Don’t undervalue your time or services! Focus more on how you can help your clients efficiently run their business vs fixating on technology for the sake of doing so. Integrate everything you can into your managed services agreement to protect and grow your brand, and leverage vendor relationship that are leaning in to help you grow
What sets your company apart in the competitive MSP vendor ecosystem?
We are a channel-only company and our solutions were built for MSPs. We were founded by a former MSP, and the majority of our leadership team has extensive experience in the MSP channel. This translates to Cytracom delivering innovative solutions that are tightly aligned with the business and growth goals of MSPs.
Describe your approach to helping MSPs in 3 words.
Empower, Enable, Support
Fill in the blank: The best MSPs are usually the best at ______.
Maintaining focus on their business and avoiding distractions, while balancing an open mind and fostering innovation. The best MSPs choose vendors who align with and support their business model, providing resources that directly help with growth and profitability of the business. The best owners work on the business more than they work in the business.
What emerging technology or trend do you think will have the biggest impact on MSPs over the next 5 years?
SASE and AI. SASE will render traditional networking tactics and centralized firewalls obsolete, finally bringing networking technologies in line with the rest of the world that has moved to cloud-based, virtual architectures for nearly everything. AI will allow applications to be smarter and easier to use, and help drive efficiency in every area of businesses.
How does your company stay innovative and adapt to the evolving needs of MSPs?
We deeply value the relationships we form with our partners. Staying in tune with what’s happening requires an open mind and open ears, and we love to listen, and love to help. We also have a strong drive and ability to engineer solutions to problems, instilled in our DNA by our founder. Combining these two factors fuels Cytracom to deliver powerful solutions quickly, to move nimbly as technology changes, and to adapt to the evolving needs of our channel.
What’s one valuable lesson partnering with The 20 has taught your organization?
Never undervalue your services. Tim and the team do an amazing job pushing and encouraging its members to work hard, stay focused and take pride in the services and expertise you bring to your clients. It’s an inspiration to witness that guidance yield amazing results for the members.
What’s your company’s spirit animal?
The eagle is a perfect representation of Cytracom’s mission. It represents freedom, strength, and vision. Cytracom delivers freedom to its MSP partners – freedom from stress in an ever-changing security environment, and freedom from support to end users. Strength provided by the new standard in network connectivity and security. And vision as we continually innovate on our solutions and adapt to the changing needs of the MSP. The eagle soars above the clouds with keen eyes and sharp focus, seeing clearly to make wise decisions, rise above the rest and achieve great things.
Above and Beyond – How to Be a Surprisingly Good MSP
There are a lot of MSPs out here. No one knows the exact number, but recent estimates have put the figure at 150,000 globally and 40,000 in the U.S.
The M&A surge of recent years has led to rampant consolidation, so these numbers might have gone down, but don’t think for one second this means that competition has cooled off.
On the contrary, Datto’s Global State of the MSP Report found that, for the third year running, MSPs across all regions stated that their main challenge was competition – 35%, an increase from 29% in 2022. Finding a competitive edge is more crucial than ever. Find an edge, or get edged out.
If you’re a small to mid-sized MSP, it might feel as though you’ve got an uphill battle on your hands. With the emergence of ‘super MSPs’ – large platform MSPs formed by mergers and acquisitions – a new player has emerged, with capabilities and capacities that our industry hasn’t seen before.
But don’t worry – there’s still room for smaller MSPs to make an impact!
The same report from Datto found that revenue is up for MSPs across the board; most respondents saw a rise in revenue over the last year, with North America taking the lead in revenue expansion. Moreover, a significant portion of MSPs globally reported a revenue increase greater than 10%.
MSPs are growing, but with competition on the rise, standing out and winning new business takes (and will continue to take) innovation, adaptability, and above all else, a commitment to service excellence: to not just being a good MSP, but a surprisingly good MSP – an outstanding MSP.
That’s how we see things at least, and in this blog post, we’re sharing strategies and tips your MSP can use to stand out in a crowded field. These tips are all about being so good it will come as a pleasant surprise to any client who’s lucky enough to partner with your MSP business.
CX is King!
We’ve said this before. In fact, it’s the title of another blog post all about the importance of customer experience (CX) to your MSP’s success. And CX is important, make no mistake: Datto’s report found that “improve customer experience” was tied with “grow revenue” for the top strategic priority among MSP respondents in North America.
You’d better believe the MSP down the street is working hard to improve their customers’ experience, so let’s talk about the true key to CX mastery: your technicians.
When MSPs think about excellent CX, their minds often go to ‘the little things’ – those small, personal gestures that show your clients how much you care. While these are great – never underestimate the power of a handwritten note – a lot of MSPs go ‘above and beyond’ without first making sure things are ship-shape ‘below deck.’
Do you know what your customers want even more than a cool gift basket? Great service – fast, polite, helpful, proactive, professional, etc. And great service starts with your technicians. If you want happy clients, you need happy techs. Your processes and your personal gestures can never be so good that they’ll undo the damage done by rude or careless techs.
Building a team of techs who are ‘all-in’ on your MSP’s mission to provide out-of-this-world service delivery is an ongoing project. If you want techs who treat your clients like people – and not just sources of revenue – then it’s your job to treat your techs the exact same way. Model the behavior you want to see: check in on your techs, spend time with them on the front lines, talk to them about their lives, say THANK YOU and I APPRECIATE YOU – and mean it.
And if you have to fake it, you’ve already lost. If you don’t actually care about your techs as people, you’ve already lost. If you view your employees solely as means to your ends, you’ve already lost.
Pro Tip: Think about your vendor partners to bring clarity to your own CX efforts. Which vendors do you like working with? What do they do to secure your satisfaction and loyalty? Leverage these insights to shape your own CX approach.
Bonus Pro Tip: Think deeply about the KPIs your MSP uses to track technicians’ performance, as the right KPIs coupled with effective feedback loops can do absolute wonders for motivation. Think deeply about how your support desk is structured, too. Beyond the typical ‘three-tiered structure,’ there is an ocean of possibilities. Here at The 20, we recently revamped our entire support structure, and while we won’t spill details here, we will say it has helped us…
Forge stronger relationships with end clients and with each other
Achieve a more intimate and in-depth understanding of end clients’ IT environments
Resolve clients’ issues faster and with less stress!
Surprise, Surprise
Brace yourself for an earth-shattering revelation: If you want to be surprisingly good, be…surprising!
In all seriousness, a tried-and-true strategy for standing out as an MSP is doing things that your customers weren’t expecting, but WILL love. This can be something simple like the aforementioned gift box or handwritten note, but an even more powerful surprise is something that brings real value to their business. Because let’s be honest, your clients didn’t hire your MSP to make them feel warm and fuzzy; they hired you to help them succeed as an organization.
Here are two ways you can wow your clients:
Tailored Training Sessions
Training sessions in general are a great way to demonstrate that you’re truly invested in your clients’ success. But even better are training sessions tailored specifically to their unique needs. Create a customized training session for a client based on your knowledge of their goals, IT environment, workflows, etc. This will work wonders.
Rockin’ Roadmaps
MSPs, in theory, are supposed to fuel their clients’ long-term success with forward-looking IT strategies (in practice, results may vary!). Creating a ‘technology roadmap’ for clients is a common practice, but in our experience, very few MSPs have mastered the art of roadmapping. A common mistake we see: not responding enough to clients’ perceived pain points (i.e., making the roadmap primarily or even exclusively about the projects and problems you think are important). Yes, you’re the technology expert, but your role as an MSP is to help clients achieve their goals.
Pro Tip: Use roadmaps to showcase your MSP’s intimate understanding of your client’s industry. A client likely won’t be wowed by the mere fact that you created a roadmap for them, but they will be wowed if that roadmap shows evidence that you’ve taken a deep dive into their industry, and thought deeply and strategically about their future success.
I Just Called to Say…
Your MSP should conduct QBRs and other scheduled check-ins with clients. However, every so often, surprise them with a spontaneous phone call to check in or follow up about an issue that your MSP resolved. If feasible, the occasional in-person visit can do wonders for maintaining strong personal connections. And don’t hesitate to sweeten the deal by bringing some coffee and donuts.
Good MSPs always check in and communicate with their clients when they have to (when it’s urgent, scheduled, etc.). Great MSPs check in when they have to, and every so often, ‘just because.’
That said, all of this advice should be filtered through nuanced judgment based on your personal relationships with clients. If your gut is telling you a client won’t appreciate something, take that intuition seriously. Your client relationships are exactly that – relationships – and while standardization is integral to success as a managed service provider, there will never be a one-size-fits-all template for keeping clients happy.
The 20 Helps MSPs Be Surprisingly Good
The 20 MSP Group consists of 150+ small and medium-sized independently owned MSPs who share knowledge and resources – including a 24/7 Help Desk/SOC and a battle-tested business model – to grow and scale faster and more easily than they ever could working alone. Running an MSP is a lot easier – and more fun – with The 20 at your side. Just ask Tom, Rocky, Scott, Seann, Bryan, or any of the other MSP owners who’ve joined our group.
Your MSP has the tech expertise. We understand the business side of things. Together, we can go far.
Schedule a call to find out if becoming a member of The 20 MSP Group makes sense for your MSP.
The importance of regulatory compliance for managed service providers (MSPs) has skyrocketed in recent years. In the early days of the managed IT services industry, an MSP’s primary role was that of technical caretaker; we keep your systems running smoothly with an eye to boosting your operational efficiency. Simple enough.
But the rise of cyberattacks – and their subsequent evolution into a pervasive existential threat for businesses of all sizes – led to an explosion of new standards and increasing regulatory complexity. First came the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2022, and following quickly on its heels were PCI DSS (2004) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (2005). More recently, SOC 2, GDPR, and CCPA have emerged as crucial compliance frameworks.
To put this in perspective, if the U.S. regulatory industry were a country, it would be the world’s eighth-largest economy!
One consequence of the ‘regulation revolution’ was the rapid expansion of the role of MSPs to encompass compliance management, a responsibility that requires a thorough understanding of the security landscape, industry-specific regulatory requirements, and risk management more broadly.
This has been nothing short of a paradigm shift; some MSPs have been left behind, while others have adapted with gusto.
Here at The 20, we’re proud to say that we firmly belong to the latter category. We are ‘all in’ on compliance and it’s for one very simple reason:
Compliance and security go hand-in-hand (learn more).
Security requires compliance and compliance requires security, which is why we’ve kept our nose to the grindstone on the regulatory front, achieving significant compliance milestones for The 20, while helping our MSP members and their end clients in their efforts to remain compliant and secure.
Let’s take a look at where The 20 is in its compliance journey – as well as what’s ahead on the regulatory front.
The 20 is SOC 2 Compliant!
To begin, we want to share a major milestone our organization recently reached – The 20 is now SOC 2 Type II compliant!
After completing a stringent 3rd-party audit, we received a resoundingly positive report and unqualified opinion. Translation: we now have robust 3rd-party validation that our security processes and controls all meet or surpass standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
This is a big deal, as very few MSPs are SOC 2 Type II compliant (< 5% according to several sources). More importantly, this attestation reinforces our pledge to clients (and prospective clients):
Your data isn’t just a priority; it’s a sacred trust.
MSPs that become members of The 20 MSP Group – our growth platform for MSPs looking for help conquering the ‘business side’ of things – get access to a variety of tools and processes that unlock new growth. Among these business-boosting assets is comprehensive compliance management.
In fact, at the time of this writing, The 20 is engaged in helping 11 different MSPs achieve compliance with 4 different regulatory frameworks, including HIPAA, CMMC 2.0, and GLBA Safeguards. What gives us this kind of bandwidth?
In a word, we’re able to do more than the average MSP because we (a) make compliance a priority, and (b) enlist a cutting-edge cybersecurity and compliance management platform to make compliance projects easier, less stressful, and more reliable for both the MSPs we serve and their end clients. Forget about cumbersome spreadsheets and say hello to the future of compliance management:
AI-driven recommendations
Framework crosswalking (mapping one set of standards, regulations, or frameworks to another to reduce redundancies and identify commonalities and gaps between different sets of requirements)
Tasking automation
True multi-tenancy and persona-specific reporting
But let’s cut through the jargon and talk about the real benefits of our sophisticated approach to compliance management.
Simply put, the main impediment to successful compliance programs is communication – or miscommunication rather. Achieving a particular compliance standard is a huge undertaking, requiring myriad information exchanges between separate parties. Hunting down relevant information, reporting the successful completion of tasks, and ensuring that everyone is on the same page can get overwhelming – fast!
In fact, among corporate risk and compliance professionals, nearly two-thirds (65%) said leveraging technology to streamline and automate manual processes would help reduce the complexity and cost of risk and compliance management. And yet, 60% of GRC users (individuals responsible for overseeing compliance and risk management within an organization) continue to manage compliance manually with spreadsheets! There’s a lag—and it’s costing organizations precious time and resources.
Our approach to compliance management provides MSPs and their clients with a comprehensive framework for all of their compliance needs. You don’t have to waste time manually organizing data, requesting tasks, and documenting updates. You don’t have to perform complex calculations to determine how much progress you’ve made on a specific standard. With The 20’s help, you can automate huge portions of any given compliance program, keep everything organized and accessible (by authorized parties), and report your compliance posture with ease.
And we’d be remiss not to mention how much these capabilities impress potential clients, especially organizations in the defense, healthcare, legal, and other industries where compliance is fundamental. If you’re an MSP and you’re making a bid to a government contractor who works directly with the DoD, you’d better believe they’ll want to see evidence that you’re capable of navigating complex compliance challenges like a true pro.
Why Compliance Matters
Compliance has a lot of ‘strategic value.’ It demonstrates operational maturity and can provide a competitive edge. We mentioned how a robust compliance posture can help an MSP win clients in industries where data protection is paramount. Simply put, regulatory prowess is a powerful differentiator. But these considerations are secondary to the one undeniable reason why compliance matters:
Compliance matters because security matters. It’s really that simple.
But can’t organizations secure their systems without jumping through regulatory hoops?
In theory, yes. But in practice? Let’s just say there’s a reason even the most experienced airline pilots must meticulously go through checklists before taking off. Could most pilots perform the necessary tasks without the checklist, relying on memory alone? Sure. But the operative word here is probably. When the stakes are as high as the safety of several hundred passengers, ‘probably’ just doesn’t cut it.
And you’d better believe the stakes are sky-high when it comes to protecting data and preventing it from falling into the wrong hands. Cyberattacks are extremely costly, and data shows that they’re only getting costlier; last year the average cost of a data breach ($4.45M) reached an all-time high. Moreover, we’re not talking about individual pilots here, but entire organizations. Compliance frameworks help leadership ensure that best practices and robust controls are being used across the board.
Bottom line – unless there is a dramatic shift in the threat landscape, regulatory requirements are only getting more complex and demanding. The time for your MSP to start proactively developing a sophisticated compliance program was yesterday.
Cool Links
Are you a business looking to partner with an MSP with compliance expertise?
2023 was a big year for The 20 – a year filled with acquisitions, innovations, new partnerships, and tremendous growth. It went by just like that, so we figure we’d better take a moment to slow down and reflect on all that’s happened. Sure, we want to reach new heights in 2024, but not without first pausing to enjoy the view and see how far we’ve come.
So join us, as we recount the milestones and moments that defined our company’s journey in 2023…
The Year in Numbers
Stronger together. More than a team motto, these two words are a perfect encapsulation of what makes our company work. We don’t just work hard; we work together. And together, in 2023, we got a lot done:
Our Support Desk crushed it, closing over 109,000 tickets. We rebuilt our service delivery model from the ground up back in 2021, and now, two years later, we’re reaping the full benefits of these structural changes and experiencing newfound operational efficiencies that make both our technicians’ and our end clients’ lives immeasurably easier.
And speaking of end clients, we’re serving more than ever before. Last year we acquired 13 MSPs as part of our ongoing mission to build a true national MSP with unmatched scale, adding end clients in 46 different states and entering 26 new markets in the process.
To keep up with all this growth, we welcomed 110 new employees to The 20 team. We’re getting bigger, but more importantly, we’re getting better – adding talent and resources so we can aggressively scale our offerings without sacrificing an ounce of quality on the service side.
Our dramatic growth and unique M&A strategy have garnered significant industry attention; in 2023, The 20 was featured in 27 articles and publications, and received multiple industry awards.
We believe an important part of being an industry leader is playing a proactive role in education and thought leadership, and in 2023, we were delighted to host 30 webinars and 25 events, produce 61 videos, and publish 38 blogs. Another bright spot was our world-class marketing team, who produced hundreds of pieces of marketing collateral for MSPs in The 20 MSP Group, helping them stand out in our crowded industry.
Of course our favorite event of the year was our own annual VISION conference, which took place in August and attracted 300+ attendees. The theme for VISION ’23 was taking an MSP from good to great, and we were determined to go above and beyond to give MSPs an unforgettable experience. Even with that lofty goal, we were blown away by how everything came together at this year’s conference. A huge shout-out to everyone who played a part – attendees, speakers, sponsors, and of course, all you MSPs striving for greatness. We hope to see you again at VISION ’24, taking place this August in Dallas, TX.
2023 was also a year of new partnerships and offerings. The 20 teamed up with several industry-leading vendors, including Pax8, CloudRadial, and Zapier, and we launched EasyIT4U a unique month-to-month IT services membership designed specifically for small business owners and solopreneurs.
Finally, in 2023, The 20 achieved a significant milestone by securing its very first US patent, receiving Patent No. 11695779 for “User Management System for Computing Support,” our novel approach to user authentication and the key innovation behind our ID 20/20 software. In the age of cyberattacks, we’re proud to break new ground and offer organizations and individuals a powerful method for repelling social engineering attacks, which continue to wreak havoc in both the public and private sectors.
Lessons Learned
What did 2023 teach us?
Well, it taught us that planning is great, but adaptation is crucial. Plans are pretty, but life’s messy, and success will always require a certain amount (usually a whole lot) of thinking-on-your-feet.
2023 also taught us – or reminded us, rather – that even when competition is stiff, an MSP can always stand out by delivering an unforgettable customer experience.
This brings us to the biggest and most important lesson of 2023, a perennial lesson that we’re always happy to share. Ready?
People matter. If you want true success in this MSP game, put your people front and center. End clients, employees, partners – remember the real people behind the contracts. Because they are where excellence comes from. Not your processes. Not your tools. It’s your people who will make your MSP great.
On that note, we want to close by saying thank you to all of the people who made The 20 great in 2023.
Thank you, end clients, for trusting us with your businesses. You put your livelihoods in our hands and give us a chance to do what we’re passionate about.
Thank you, vendors. This industry is big and complex and impossible to conquer without help. Your expertise and unique offerings make life easier, and your innovations are a constant source of inspiration.
Finally, a Texas-sized THANK YOU to the 170+ MSPs who belong to The 20 MSP Group. When we started The 20, we had a vision for a community of likeminded business owners who push each other to be better. Y’all have become so much more than that, and it’s an honor to know you and grow with you.
He says it ten times. Four words, four syllables: It’s not your fault.
The line was delivered by the late great Robin Williams in the 1997 film, Good Will Hunting. In the unforgettable scene, Williams’ character, a therapist named Dr. Sean Maguire, helps his patient, Will (played by Matt Damon), achieve a breakthrough by telling him what he needs to hear most. It’s not your fault.
If you want to cut through the noise as an MSP business – if you want to leverage marketing to attract new clients and grow – take a page from Sean’s book and learn to harness…
The Power of One
As an MSP, you face a crowded industry, which means it’s important to take marketing seriously, as it’s what allows you to stand out from the crowd (sales can also be a powerful differentiator). Attention is what you’re after, and marketing’s how you get it.
Now, there might be a lot of things that set your MSP apart, but it’s important to resist the temptation to make your sales and marketing about everything that makes you great, and instead, figure out the one thing you want prospective clients to hear. The one thing you need them to hear. This is your core message. This is your one thing.
Once you’ve settled upon your one thing, the next task is to deliver that message incessantly, clearly, and without a stutter. Don’t dilute your one thing by constantly listing it alongside a bunch of other things. Sean didn’t tell Will “It’s not your fault” plus five other reasons he should allow himself to be happy. He told him the important thing, over and over and over again.
Get Specific
Want “excellent service” to be your MSP’s one thing? That’s a good starting point for a managed service provider – the word “service” is right there in the name! But don’t just say that your MSP has great service. Be specific. How about fast service?
A great way to test the specificity of your one thing is to sloganize it. Would “Fast Service” be a compelling slogan? Eh. How about lightning-fast service? Now we’re getting somewhere.
Let’s say you want your one thing to be “friendly service.” Like “fast service,” this one thing doesn’t really hold up on its own. So jazz it up. You could humanize the message further by telling prospects that your MSP offers “Unmatched Support with a Smile”. Or, if you really want to swing for the fences, say you’re the “Friendliest MSP in the Midwest”! These work as slogans, and in turn, indicate that you’re homing in on an adequately specific core value/benefit.
Specificity ≠ Uniqueness
You want your MSP’s one thing to be specific, but that doesn’t mean it has to be something that’s entirely unique to your business, which is why we’re going with “one thing” over the more familiar marketing concept of a “unique selling proposition” (also, your core message or ‘one thing’ is a slightly broader concept that a USP).
M&Ms aren’t the only candy that melt in the appropriate place. Arby’s isn’t the only fast-food establishment in possession of ‘the meats.’ And yet, these messages are etched into our collective consciousness, and help give these brands a distinct voice in their respective markets.
Furthermore, you don’t, in your marketing materials, need to focus on your one thing exclusively. Just make sure it’s the focal point of your marketing efforts, the recurring message that comes to mind whenever potential clients (as well as current clients) think of you.
Why This Matters Now More than Ever
With the AI revolution in full swing, it’s easier than ever before to generate content quickly and cheaply. But if you have experience working with large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, you know that these artificially intelligent assistants tend to … overshare. They’re trained on vast amounts of data, and it shows.
For example, go ask ChatGPT: What core benefit does an MSP offer?
In mere seconds, it will have typed up a whole list of possibilities (when we tried this experiment ourselves, we got back 10 answers, including “24/7 support,” “cost efficiency,” and “cybersecurity.”
In this age of information abundance, the risk is not in the scarcity of content but in the overwhelming excess. When AI can help you say everything, your job becomes figuring out how to say the right thing. And the right thing is often one thing: a single message to which you are wholly and unapologetically committed.
A Thought Experiment
Here’s a useful ‘thought experiment’ to help you craft and refine your core marketing message:
Imagine your prospect. The key here is to imagine a real person – a living breathing individual with hopes, dreams, fears, etc. Picture them, sitting across from you.
Now, let’s say you have 30 seconds to tell them about your MSP. What do you say?
You could try to rattle off your MSP’s manifold virtues – but good luck fitting all that into 30 seconds without sounding like an auctioneer hopped up on caffeine.
Alternatively, you could embrace the elegance of simplicity and choose the one thing you think will have the greatest impact.
We can’t tell you what that one thing is without knowing more about your MSP. But chances are, it’s less about how great your MSP is, and more about what your MSP can do for the prospect. Make it about them. Paint a vivid picture of what life will be like with your MSP at their side. Speak to them. Speak about them. And then, when you’re done, listen.
Struggling with the ‘business side’ of running an MSP?
Many MSPs find themselves wrestling with the challenges of sales and marketing, crucial elements for sustained growth. That’s where we come in.
When you join 170+ MSPs and become a member of The 20, your MSP gains access to our world-class marketing department. While you excel in IT services, we’ve got your back on the business front. Just ask Bill.
We work with small and medium-sized MSPs committed to excellence and hungry for growth. If that sounds like you, let’s chat!
Customer experience matters. In fact, it matters a lot. In fact, it might be the single most important aspect of your managed IT services.
We’re big fans of what the renowned business leader Kate Zabriskie said about the importance of customer experience:
“The customer’s perception is your reality.”
Think about that. In most situations, perception and reality are contrasted. Reality is truth, perception opinion. Reality is real, perception is not. But this gets turned on its head in the context of business – especially business founded on service.
Your MSP provides a service, and the core of service is making clients feel a certain way – namely: valued, taken care of, and yes, even loved. Maya Angelou’s timeless wisdom is relevant here:
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
None of this is to say that you shouldn’t strive to provide objectively good service and support – the sort of service and support that accords with best practices and meets, if not exceeds, industry standards. Just keep in mind, none of that matters if your clients hate you; if they believe you’re not doing a good job or perceive your work to be subpar, they will, eventually, leave you for another IT provider.
So let’s talk about Customer Experience (CX), because it doesn’t matter if the “customer is always right” (they’re not) when it’s the customer who decides your fate as an MSP.
Preaching to the MSP Choir
We’re not going to spill a lot of ink trying to convince your MSP that CX is vitally important for success in the managed services space. If you don’t believe this already, there’s not much we can do for you. Fortunately, if you’re an MSP executive or key decision-maker, there’s a good chance you do believe this:
Kaseya’s latest comprehensive study of MSP trends – Global State of the MSP Report: Trends and Forecasts for 2024 – surveyed MSPs in North America and found that 44% identify “improving customer experience” as the top strategic priority, sharing the top spot with “growing revenue” as the highest priorities recognized by MSPs.
This is hardly surprising, as MSP respondents identified, for the third consecutive year, heightened competition as their biggest challenge. When competition is stiff, the need to stand out becomes imperative, and how does a company in any industry distinguish itself? Well, a lot of ways, but providing a top-tier customer experience is undeniably one of the most – if not the most – effective ways to stand out from the crowd.
So instead of preaching to the choir and lecturing you on the crucial role that CX will play in your future success, we’re going to zoom in on what CX mastery involves – the nuts and bolts of keeping your clients not only safe, secure, and technologically thriving, but happy.
Without further ado, here are some key CX strategies your MSP can leverage to reach new heights.
Make it About Them
There’s an old marketing proverb – “People don’t buy drills; they buy holes.” In slightly less ‘proverby’ terms, people don’t care about products, services, and features; they care about what those products, services, and features can do for them. In short, they care about benefits.
Along similar lines, clients don’t want to hear you go on and on about how great you are – especially if that means hearing you expound on all the technical details of your services and offerings. So what do they want to hear about?
How great you can help them be! This one is obvious, but often forgotten in the course of sales, onboarding, and so forth. So, make a commitment to keeping the focus on your clients from the get-go.
And don’t make the all-too-common mistake of talking more than listening. To be blunt, learn to shut up so your clients can tell you what they want and need, what their biggest pain points are, etc. As important as solutions are, you can’t develop satisfying solutions without first giving clients the time and space to let you know what it is that needs solving.
Optimize Your Onboarding Process
First impressions are just as important in business as they are in life. Start out your relationship with a new client on the wrong foot and prepare for an uphill battle to get back on the right track.
For this reason, it’s crucial that your MSP become master onboarders. Great MSPs are obsessed with perfecting their onboarding process. That doesn’t mean creating an unadaptable process and expecting that ‘one size’ to fit all your clients and their unique needs. Prioritize personalization to show that you care, and for the sake of all that is good, do not forget to check in after onboarding is officially complete. This brings us to our next key strategy…
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
It’s so important we had to say it three times. Communication is the name of the game in the managed services realm. If you’re not a great communicator, work on your skills – or hire people who excel in this area. When hiring a pet sitter, you don’t just want someone to take good care of your fur babies; you want someone who will let you know how your animals are doing. For the most part, your clients share this wish. That said, no two clients are the exact same, so strive to tailor your communication to their preferences. Some clients want you to fill them in on every detail, while others prefer a more hands-off approach. That’s why the next strategy is so fundamental to CX…
Get to Know Your Clients – And Not Just as Businesses!
A lot of MSPs agree that it’s good to get to know your clients on a human level, but when it comes to putting this idea into practice, very few MSPs truly nail it. That means if your MSP can forge that strong personal connection, you will be a breath of fresh air in the IT provider landscape.
So how do you get to know your clients? By talking to them, yes, but more importantly, by listening to them. This harks back to the first strategy we shared, and indeed, the ability to listen is a thread that runs through all of these CX-enhancing strategies, as listening skills are fundamental to successful social interactions, and in turn, the cornerstone of a healthy client-MSP relationship.
Think Outside the Corporate Box
Some MSPs tick all the boxes traditionally associated with white-glove service but fall short in going the extra mile with personal gestures that truly convey genuine care. While communicating with clients through official business channels, such as automated email sequences during escalations, is undoubtedly beneficial, what elevates your service from good to great is the personal touch. Consider going above and beyond by surprising clients with thoughtful gestures, like a handwritten note. These small, unexpected touches leave a lasting impression and demonstrate a level of commitment that goes beyond the standard corporate approach.
CX is subjective – it’s about feelings – and thus, it cannot be measured in any kind of objective way…right?
Wrong! While it’s important to listen to your clients and gather their feedback informally (i.e., by simply conversing with them), it’s essential to complement this with measurable metrics. Objective data, such as response times, CSAT scores, and issue resolution rates, provides a quantitative foundation for evaluating and enhancing the customer experience. Striking a balance between the emotional and the measurable is key to delivering a comprehensive CX strategy.
The 20 Helps MSPs Become CX Pros
The 20 helps MSPs become CX pros, as well as marketing pros, sales pros, scalability & standardization pros, vendor management pros, cybersecurity pros – the list goes on! We offer a comprehensive success platform with everything you need to thrive as an MSP, all in one place. There’s a reason we have 170+ MSP members across the nation – our system works!
If you’re struggling to grow your MSP and want some help conquering the ‘business side’ of things, schedule a call with The 20 today. We can help you, just like we helped Bryan, Scott, and Seann.
Now get out there and make your clients happy campers!
Keeping IT Current
How to Nail Software Updates as an MSP
As an MSP, your job is highly multi-faceted, and that’s a large part of your appeal – organizations hire you to take on all (or at least a large chunk) of their IT duties, so they can focus on, well, not IT.
This do-it-all-so-they-don’t-have-to is perhaps best exemplified by software updates, one of the peskier IT tasks organizations struggle with – or worse yet, ignore altogether. Your updating expertise and patching prowess are superpowers, not to mention strong selling points, so make sure you…
(a) Develop and document a robust software update program: a set of processes that collectively encompass all aspects of software updates, from planning to deployment to testing.
(b) Communicate and demonstrate the value of your software update program to clients and prospects.
Some MSPs take care of (a) but neglect (b), an all-too-familiar pattern in the managed services space: we work our tail off taking care of clients, but don’t receive recognition for our efforts because we don’t effectively convey everything that we’re doing, much of it behind the scenes.
Another common mistake we encounter is MSPs developing a program for keeping systems updated, but failing to enshrine it in documentation. This is particularly common among smaller MSPs, who don’t always feel a pressing need to document their core processes, preferring to keep them ‘stored in the head.’ But this can hamper growth in major ways by limiting scalability.
Also, as well-documented processes become more and more the norm, you’d better believe prospective clients will notice the absence of robust documentation, and count it as a strike against your MSP.
Now that we’ve discussed some general objectives related to software updates, let’s delve into the nitty-gritty and talk best practices.
Put Security First
The threat landscape is a veritable minefield – and has been for quite some time. And while it would be nice to write that we are, slowly but surely, winning the war against cybercrime, it’s just not true. Things are getting worse.
Every MSP should be adopting a ‘security-first’ mindset, and such a mindset should definitely inform your approach to software updates. So, create a program that prioritizes security updates. For example, if there’s a security patch available to fix a known, actively exploited vulnerability, you should prioritize and apply that patch first, even if it means temporarily delaying less critical updates.
Harness Automation
As your MSP grows, managing updates for multiple clients can start to become a big time drain. That’s why you want to utilize automation tools and scripts to streamline the process. However, keep in mind that while a good MSP automates effectively, a great one will strike the perfect balance between automation and manual intervention. This is where knowing your clients’ businesses can work wonders.
For instance, understanding that a client in e-commerce experiences a surge in traffic during the holiday season may lead you to temporarily adjust the update schedule to avoid potential disruptions. Bottom line – talk to your clients so you can get to know their businesses and their unique needs.
Stick to a Schedule
This is one of those things that almost every MSP will fully endorse in theory. But in practice? Let’s just say that we’ve encountered a lot of smaller MSPs that plan to stick to a strict updating schedule, but let things slide when they get busy.
When creating your timetable for updates, you’ll want it to reflect the security-first mindset we discussed earlier. For some concrete advice on how to schedule in light of security prioritization, check out UC Berkeley’s Patching and Updates Guidelines.
You should also strive to create client-specific schedules. A one-size-fits-all approach is limited, especially if your client base is diverse and spans multiple industries, each one with its own compliance landscape to navigate. We understand that customization is time-consuming, but the investment in client-specific schedules pays off in terms of improved security, client satisfaction, and trust. It shows that you’re attuned to your clients’ unique needs, a hallmark of excellent MSP service.
Test to Be the Best
Software updates can be a double-edged sword for organizations. While they promise enhanced features and security, the lack of rigorous testing can lead to unexpected disruptions or vulnerabilities. This is where your MSP can shine.
Testing software updates meticulously is a specialized skill, and most organizations’ in-house IT staff can’t carry out testing nearly as effectively as an MSP dedicated to the task. Make sure your clients not only understand that you’re committed to testing updates before deployment, but also, the value of testing – i.e., avoiding of severe disruptions to everyday operations and protecting essential software applications and data systems.
If you have the bandwidth, consider setting up a lab environment in which to test patches for functionality and compatibility with your client’s existing applications and systems.
Be in the Know
As an MSP, you want your clients to view you as the ultimate authority on all things IT. Needless to say, it would look pretty bad if one of your clients caught wind of a crucial patch from a vendor before hearing about it from you. So stay informed about the latest software vulnerabilities and corresponding updates. Also, make sure to maintain an accurate and up-to-date inventory of each of your client’s IT assets, as doing so will help you provide timely and targeted support, as well as strengthen one of the most valuable aspects of your managed services business: client trust!
Final Thought
You want your clients to take software updates seriously – to not roll their eyes and ignore the latest notification. But keep in mind, threat actors are quick to use your clients’ desire to
remain updated against them, and a common phishing attack involves masquerading as legitimate software updates or security alerts. It is in this complex security landscape that your role as an MSP becomes even more critical. Your job isn’t simply ensuring efficient and secure software updates; it’s also training your clients to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent update requests.
As with so many things in the IT realm, the name of the game here is communication. Talk to your clients. Engage them in ongoing discussions about the importance of keeping their systems updated and secure.
And if you need help, get in touch! The 20 is a business development group for small and medium-sized MSPs looking to get to that next level, whether that’s $500k, $1M, or even $5M in annual recurring revenue. We give you the tools, processes, and expertise to become a major player in this fiercely competitive industry. Just ask any one of our 170+ MSP members – growing a large and profitable MSP business is a lot easier with The 20 at your back!
