Each Tuesday, MSPmentor’s Ask a Mentor service publishes a reader question and invites you to weigh in with recommendations. This week’s question comes from an MSP seeking to engage CXOs from tier-one communications service providers. Here’s the question and our reply…
Question: The reader states: “What avenues are available for marketing Managed Services to CXOs of tier 1 Communications Service Providers (CSPs)? They do not respond to emailers, nor attend webinars. They do not travel to events either. How does one generate the buzz around a high value Managed Service in that case?”
Answer: MSPmentor appreciates the question but I’ll need to respectfully disagree with a few of your points. Service provider CXOs certainly travel to events. They certainly attend webinars. And in selected cases I think they do respond to emailers. Think about the following:
- Face to Face Events: Generally speaking, I believe Service Provider CXOs attend partner conferences hosted by Cisco Systems and major network infrastructure providers. Also, Enterprise Connect (formerly VoiceCon) has a strong service provider following. Are you attending those events, too? (I suspect readers might be able to weigh in with more event names.)
- Webinars and Emailers: What type of content are you developing to engage CXOs in a conversation? What’s educational materials are you offering, what’s the call to action, and how ultimately do the CXOs benefit from reading your emailers and attending your Webinars?
- Databases: How did you develop your target list, how is it managed and nurtured? What lists are you renting? Are they suffering from list fatigue fatigue? Does someone within your company specifically manage how your lists are managed?
- Existing Relationships: What are you doing to cultivate your existing CXO relationships — the folks who can potentially introduce you to more CXOs within the service provider community?
Readers: Admittedly, I’m just a blogger. You’re the experts since you’re dealing with the service provider industry every day. Feel free to weigh in with a comment below. Or, to submit your own question, simply visit our Ask a Mentor page. We’ll post a new reader inquiry each Tuesday. And we’ll reply privately to you as well.
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As Joe has addressed the issue about the channels to communicate to the CXOs of organizations, I won’t belabor that point. The issue I would be investigating is the message. It may not be that your channels to these executives are the right ones, but that the message you are sending them is not resonating to the point of having them respond.
You need to do some research regarding the target organization. Do this by any means possible–their web site, press announcements, media coverage, for public companies their annual reports–to learn what they are doing. In particular, you should focus on their key corporate objectives. Then, you need to find a way that your product/service will help them achieve a goal that is important to them. Help them to address one of their key objectives, which will be very important to them, by utilizing your product/service.
Next, if you can determine who the appropriate individual(s) is/are to direct your communications to, this will assist greatly. Research and your business network can help with this. If you can, then try to learn which method of communications they prefer: face-to-face meetings, phone, e-mail, webinars, mail them information, etc. The right message through the right channel should help improve response rates.