Agree with all stated points. Customers just want things to work..efficiently. Although they don’t necessarily want (or need) to know which brand of tools are in your belt, MSPs should play up the use of vendor agnostic tools and solutions. We know UC is all about integration of various vendor solutions. Using tools that are vendor agnostic can be a great differentiator.

Katherine

Great point – you’ve just reiterated my message. Notice how your thoughts really speak to defining value for specific customers vs. focusing on tools and technologies. Nice to see!

Justin

1. You’ve gone viral
2. You’ve provided a clear launching place for your viral videos
3. You’ve got a catchy brand with “Pain Free IT”

Nice job.
-jp

Many of our customers have expressed the same questions you have posed. Great article..

An example: As we scaled our own business (Nine Lives Media Inc.) we experienced a couple of site slowdowns/outtages. When we spoke with our service provider we described our business goals and anticipated growth rates. The subject of price or service fees never came up till the end of the conversation. We were in pain and we needed a solution to address the pain. Price was an afterthought while we were experiencing the pain.

We ultimately received a great managed/hosted service plan that delivered great value/bang for the buck. But the service provider didn’t lead the conversation with price. We spoke about our pain and business growth goals first.

It’s true that customers buy on what creates value for them–not what you find most valuable about your goods and services. Nevertheless, just like beauty, value is in the eye of the beholder. Some car buyers, perhaps those that purchase expensive race cars, probably do know what kind of transmissions are in their cars. As you note, whether it’s a car or IT services, the rest of us buy for different reasons–but even our reasons are not homogenous. While many IT buyers may want a third party to handle it, you may need further differentiation. That differentiation may be cost, responsiveness, your unique technology, or confidence that you won’t go out of business tomorrow. To develop a compelling value proposition, it helps to narrow your focus to those who most need your services, find out what matters most to them, and then create a very specific value proposition that speaks to their very specific needs. If they want it handled, maybe you can differentiate your company by finding out more about what handled means. For example, do they want you to check with them first to approve large expenditures–or charge you a flat all-inclusive fee so that they can just go ahead. It’s really understanding the value that helps successful brands succeed.