Comments on: Managed Services: The Best Are Getting Better

By: Chris Martin

Chris Martin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:13:14 +0000

Can, i just say that i heartily agree, i ran a fast growing IT ompany here in scotland. When we started, we believed that being good at the technology was the only way forward. When i sold, i believed that how the marketing for the business and it was sold was the difference between us and our competitors.

By: Jeannine Edwards

Jeannine Edwards — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:10:10 +0000

I love the idea of the gap analysis between Best In Class and average, that short list of “success factors” is a great way to focus internally on actionable ways to drive profitability in your MSP model without trying to boil the ocean. Love it. Also – in my experience with last year’s data, and the IPED data in general, marketing surprisingly always makes that short list of KPI’s…those SP’s that invest in marketing effectively definitely have a leg up. j.

By: Jim Hamilton

Jim Hamilton — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:54:35 +0000

Good question Joe. Our research clearly indicates that investment in, and execution of marketing programs is one of seven key performance indicators for top MSPs. At the same time, our research also shows that most MSPs don’t have a clearly defined marketing plan – or even a simple compelling message about why a customer should buy their services. The conclusion – effective marketing is a clear differentiator between best in class and the rest.

There are two courses at http://www.msppartners.com that cover MSP marketing Best Practices in significant detail:
1) Front Office Best Practices
2) The Critical Role of Marketing for a Managed Services Provider

By: Jim Hamilton

Jim Hamilton — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:53:19 +0000

There are two courses at http://www.msppartners.com that cover MSP marketing best practices in significant detail:
1) Front Office Best Practices
2) The Critical Role of Marketing for a Managed Services Provider

By: Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:01:06 +0000

Jim: Great data points. Quick question: Has MSP Partners or IPED researched how MSPs are marketing their businesses?

Conventional wisdom says IT consulting firms and solutions providers often don’t understand marketing. But I sense that top MSPs have effective marketing, branding and PR programs in place.

If MSP Partners or IPED ever gathers that data, I’d love to see it.

Best,
-jp