What’s the single best way for managed services providers (MSPs) to find new sales leads? Before I answer the question let me start with a news hook: This morning, MSP Leads, a new company, launched lead generation services for U.S.-based managed services providers. Another company, called MSP Telemarketing, has been offering lead generation services to MSPs for quite some time. So what makes MSP Leads different? And where, ultimately, can MSPs find qualified leads?
Let’s start with the news. According to a press release, MSP Leads isn’t a traditional telemarketing firm:
“In addition to setting appointments, with the goal of converting these appointments into new customers for our clients, MSP Leads’ Communications Specialists are experienced in the area of marketing and business development. They will be tasked to help SMB MSPs and VARs in tailoring a sales and marketing plan that best meets their needs, sales goals and overall vision of where they want to take their customer base in both the short and long terms.”
MSP Leads’ services include campaign kick-off calls; call script development; weekly report summaries; and real-time appointment emails. The company, launched by MSP veteran Chris Wiser, apparently has partnerships with NCS Virtual Helpdesk, Pronto Marketing, Robin Robins and Zenith Infotech.
Solving the Oldest Challenge of All?
No doubt, companies like MSP Leads and MSP Telemarketing are trying to solve the oldest MSP challenge of all: Sales and business development. The challenge pre-dates the MSP industry, since the traditional channel — resellers and VARs — has also struggled with sales development for more than three decades.
In addition to the companies above, organizations like Kutenda, MSP University, TruMethods and Ulistic also help MSPs with marketing, social media and search engine optimization efforts.
I don’t have first-hand experience with any of the companies above. But generally speaking, the crowd of MSP veterans assisting MSPs with sales and marketing seems to be growing.
Generally speaking, I don’t think MSPs spend enough time and money on sales development, lead generation and marketing. But I also think MSPs overlook some of the most basic steps of all. During the Intermedia Partner Summit in New York yesterday, Senior VP Bob Leibholz mentioned that Intemedia’s best MSP-centric partners share some key qualities. For starters, they employ dedicated sales professionals. Next, the MSPs are great at securing new business leads from existing customers.
It sounds so simple. But when it comes to VAR and MSPs, sales has never been a simple discussion.
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Posted In: Marketing | North America | Sales
Tags: Bob Leibholz | Chris Wiser | Intermedia | Kutenda | managed services sales leads | MSP Leads | MSP sales leads | MSP Telemarketing | MSP University | NCS Virtual Helpdesk | Pronto Marketing | Robin Robins | TruMethods | Ulistic | Zenith Infotech
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Hi JP…They are going to be at Spring Training today. Will see what they are all about.
Stuart Crawford
Managed Services Marketing Professional
403.260.9021
Stuart: Thanks for the heads up. Keep me (and readers…) posted.
Readers: Crawford represents Ulistic. And Spring Training for Business is an annual conference hosted by Stuart Selbst.
-jp
I know we all hate it, but, like it or not, cold calling still works.
Scott, you’re right on point with the cold calling comment. We all hate it but it works.
The challenge of having an outsourced cold calling company is that we lose the opportunity to set the relationship tone from the beginning. The successful cold call from the actual person who will be attending the appointment is a key component to a long term relationship with that prospect. I like to compare it to dating; you didn’t have someone else walk up to girls you wanted to meet and have someone else go out on the date with them before you stepped in to make the marriage proposal did you? Have the sales person own the process from beginning to end. As Scott says, it works.
I sincerely hope MSP Leads is successful and I wish them the best. Unfortunately having worked directly with 100′s of MSP’s I haven’t found one yet that would say that they would use a telemarketing company a second time. After their first go around they never want to go there again. Cheers to MSP Leads if they have found a better way!
Josh, Scott: My dad has been in real estate for 55 years (<– amazing). He spent most of his early career cold calling and walking Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhoods to shake hands with the residents. The man knows how to strike up a conversation with anyone. These days, most of his leads are inbound because he earned the life-long trust from many clients.
In stark contrast, I think most of us in the high-tech industry spend far too much time using electronic communications rather than building relationships with the phone, face to face engagements, etc. And most of all: We spend too much time talking and too little time listening.
-jp
JP, My Father also was a successful Real Estate agent and I know
at his business they all till cold call and door knock.
There is a lot to be learned from these guy’s, its not always about
a quick sale now its about building a relationship so when the
time comes to sale or buy your at the top of their mind..
Taking this apply it to an IT company will work in the long run..
MK
Matt: Sounds like your dad taught you well. Thanks for reading MSPmentor and for taking the time to post the comment.
-jp
Have to agree with Scott – cold calling does still work (at least in the UK it still does). Will have a look at the MSP site – sounds interesting.