Zoom. Another week just zipped by. As you may have noticed, we’re posting more managed services content than ever before. But there are still some items (and rumors…) we don’t have time to address. So, here are seven managed services blog entries we didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending Nov. 20.
7. Kaseya’s Cloud, and ROI Calculator: I expect to see a demo soon. As soon as I can share some details/perspectives, I will. In the meantime, Kaseya has introduced an ROI Calculator. Sure, a lot of these online calculators raise as many questions as they answer. But I think we’re all addicted to them.
6. It’s A Deal: Tigerpaw Software (professional services automation) and Telizent Communications (remote voice communication monitoring) are now integrated.
5. Dates Please: MSPmentor is nearly done with 2009 travel. If you’re scheduling an MSP-oriented conference for 2010 please let us know now. Calendars are filling up fast. Email Joe [at] NineLivesMediaInc.com. Thanks.
4. Getting Associated: Watch for NTRglobal to hook up with another MSP- and VAR-oriented association in the next few weeks. NTR, you’ll recall, recently connected with Computer Troubleshooters Global LLC. Meanwhile, Pronto Marketing is offering its services to the SMB Technology Network.
3. Open Source Advancements?: Frankly, I haven’t heard too much about open source in the MSP industry in recent months. Back in July, Nimsoft’s Ken Vanderweel mentioned 4 key questions MSPs need to ask about open source. Fast forward to the present and I’ve finally heard some open source-related news: Opengear, which increasingly targets MSPs, has launched Opengear Monitor, a centralized monitoring system that shows network maps, status and detailed service checks for console servers and all applications, computers and devices in distributed networks.
2. Bloggers Wanted: MSPmentor seeks contributing bloggers in London, UK and Sydney, Australia. We need to keep both opportunities vendor-neutral so these opportunities are not open to vendors, analysts, etc. Instead, we’re learning toward IT journalists who are familiar with the IT channel and managed services markets. Email Joe [at] NineLivesMediaInc.com.
1. Big Wallet: A certain networking giant has been visiting RMM (remote monitoring and management) vendor offices in recent weeks, doing some “discovery” about potential acquisitions. And the visits extend outside North America, including potential targets in Europe. If anyone wants to chat more about this you know where to reach me.
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Posted In: On Premise | PSA | RMM | Software as a Service and Hardware as a Service
Tags: Computer Troubleshooters Global | Kaseya Calculator | Kaseya Cloud | Managed Services Calculator | MSP Calculator | MSP ROI Calculator | NTRglobal | Pronto Marketing and Nimsoft on MSPmentor. SMB Technology Network | SMBTN | Telizent Communications | Tigerpaw Software
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Joe,
Have you looked at the Kaseya ROI calculator? This is basically a tool to help them sell more licenses. It shows a VAR how they can make money using Kaseya? Really? They put out a press release to announce that they had a new sales tool to help them close more business?
Unfortunately it seems that they are not the only vendors with this type of ROI calculator. I have been building an ROI calculator for our partners that focuses on the CUSTOMERS ROI of managed services. To get some ideas on this I looked at what the vendors we use have and out of 3 vendors I looked at 2 of them had ROI calculators to show me how much money I could make using their product, only one had an ROI calculator that showed how customers can save money using their product (thanks for that one MX Logic).
In our current market with so many VARS starting to sell managed services our price points are getting driven down by people that do not understand the value of the solution. These VARS are selling managed services on a cost+ markup and not even marking the services up a respectable amount. I have seen several competitive proposals in the past couple months with unlimited desktop and/or server support (including onsite) for less than $30 a device?
We are at a critical time where our industry is really gaining ground. What we need is for these vendors to start teaching their resellers the VALUE and ROI that their CUSTOMERS can enjoy from managed services. NOT how much money they can make.
We need to get away from selling features and benefits and start moving to a more consultative sales model. Where we understand the customers needs and the give them a solution that meets those needs. We can no longer just send over a quote (which I see all to often), we are not selling hardware or software we are selling solutions.
My final thought on this. If you are a VAR that is getting into managed services, do not rely on your vendor for your education. There are many organizations that can help you with this to name a few; CompTIA, MSP Partners, MSP Alliance, Service Leadership, Transformation Strategies, Virtual Administrator, MSPSN, MSP University, and of course this site.
Lane Smith
Do IT Smarter
http://www.doitsmarter.com
Lane: You provide some great insights and I respect your real-world knowledge based on building Do IT Smarter. But I have to disagree with your final thought.
Some of the best education comes from the vendors themselves. Yes, vendors sponsor this site so I may have a bias.
But let’s be honest: All associations, media brands, etc., are influenced by vendor content. Most association conferences have “pay for play” sessions hosted by vendors. MSPmentor’s own webcasts are sponsored by vendors. And MSPs themselves are voting with their wallets by attending vendor-led educational events.
Not all of the vendor-generated content is good. Buyer beware. But to state “do not rely on your vendor for education” is a disservice to the industry. Some of the best educators in the market are working for the vendors…
-jp
Fair enough Joe. Perhaps I should have phrased it “don’t rely on your vendor for ALL of your education”..
Hi Joe and Lane;
Thanks for your thoughts on ROI calculators, Lane, and your mention of MSP University. As our members and readers of our publications know, we have been developing and training the channel to use value-based pricing tools since 2005, and make available both an MSP and client-facing ROI calculator on MSP University’s tools page.
Our tools are unique in the fact that they take into account the lost productivity and opportunity a business owner experiences due to downtime and having their internal staff manage their infrastructure vendors and do “light-weight” IT work to “keep things running” (normally making things worse rather than better, before contacting their existing provider), and are built to reinforce the value of the MSP’s services; as well as cost savings over time, instead of being based on a per-device pricing model.
These are the methodologies we used to great success as one of the first “pure-play” MSPs in Southern California, and this success and the feedback from users of our tools validate this approach – when used properly. I qualify this statement, as an ROI calculator demonstration is only a very small component in an effective 7-step sales process, and not meant to be the primary focus of this process.
In order to close Managed Services business successfully, the sales professional must effectively execute each step of the 7-step sales process in sequence:
- Preparation
- Warm-up
- Qualifying
- Presentation
- Overcoming objections
- Closing
- Follow-up
If effective techniques for successful execution in any of these steps are not conducted properly, it will be much more difficult to close an opportunity with a prospect. The ROI calculator demonstration falls under the “Presentation” phase of the 7-step process outlined above, and understanding this reveals that it is really less than 1/7th of the total activity that must be conducted in a successful sales process (this step is also where the value of all of the services offered by the MSP are explained to the prospect as well), and the sales professional must become adept at conducting each and every one of these 7 steps effectively in order to maximize sales success.
Another item to note is that it will take several visits to conduct each and every one of these steps (we standardized on 3 appointments as an MSP), and the first three steps are repeated during each of these visits in the proper sequence. Remember – we are building relationships beginning with the very first sales appointment, and must reinforce and strengthen this relationship during every engagement – and the way we conduct ourselves during the sales process sets the proper expectation with the prospect in terms of how we will engage with them after the opportunity has been closed.
Thanks for the opportunity to put these thoughts into perspective.
Erick Simpson
MSP University
http://www.mspu.us
hey nice post it’s very informative blog for the people like me who don’t have any knowledge about Kaseya cloud’s and ROI Calculator. i really appreciate your thoughts.
. Small Business owners are largely forgotten. Thats why I only focus on them. I have experience several members of my family file bankruptcy due to small business failures. I also I suffered through 2 destroyed businesses due to failure however, in my failings I have learned some of the secrets to success. (Who can say they know it all?)
What I like about small business owners is that they are not afraid to take huge risks and lay it all on the line. But, I agree they do need a lot of help with their marketing. I think having them go the social media and email route is not only the least expensive but its also the most effective. Thanks for the stats!
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