Forget the NFL playoffs. Let’s talk baseball. When the Boston Red Sox begin the 2012 baseball season, outspoken manager Bobby Valentine (a.k.a. “Bobby V”) will be at the helm. Back in October, I wrote an article about how the Red Sox’s historic 2011 season-end collapse, fueled in part by certain players indulging in fried chicken and beer during games, could provide cautionary lessons to MSPs serving SMB clients. Today, I’m going to offer a more optimistic set of three positive lessons MSPs can learn from the example of Bobby V.
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How MSPs Can Serve SMBs the ‘Bobby V’ Way
Posted January 5th, 2012 by Dan Berthiaume
SMB Managed IT Services Spending: Growing $1B Per Year?
Posted October 6th, 2011 by Dan Berthiaume
Techaisle predicts that managed IT services spending within U.S.-based small and midsize businesses will grow from $7 billion this year to $12 billion in 2015. We’re always skeptical when we read research reports because long-term IT spending forecasts can change from one year to the next. But generally speaking, MSPmentor is confident the managed IT services market continues to grow. We’ve got our own built-in biases — yes, we’re bet a portion of our business on this market — but we also have a pretty good feel for why managed services demand continues to climb.
SMBs Increase Their Social Media Marketing Budgets; Did You?
Posted June 15th, 2011 by Dan Berthiaume
According to AMI Partners, U.S. SMBs with fewer than 100 employees are expected to spend $36 billion on marketing in 2012, up 4 percent from 2011. Now here’s the big question: Are managed services providers (MSPs) also increasing their marketing dollars? And if so, where should MSPs focus their marketing efforts? Here are some educated guesses.
Building Sales Collateral that Builds Business: 4 Requirements
Posted June 3rd, 2011 by Nimsoft Guest Blog
Over the years, I’ve worked with a lot of MSPs to help them with their marketing efforts, and I can safely say that over all this time, I’ve never heard anyone complaining about excess marketing staff or budget. In fact, more often than not, it’s folks with management or sales titles that I work with, individuals who are taking time away from their “day jobs” to pitch in and support the business’ marketing objectives.
Managed Services Marketing: Direct Mail Still Thrives
Posted May 12th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
Managed services providers (MSPs) use everything from Google Adwords to Kutenda for their online marketing programs. But marketing experts like Robin Robins continue to promote direct mail strategies as well. Fortunately, a range of companies have designed direct mail templates to help small business owners — including MSPs — with their marketing efforts. One recent example: Postcard Services has designed a marketing campaign platform for small businesses.
Marketing Your Managed Services: Part 2 of 2
Posted March 4th, 2011 by Dan Kolansky
In my previous entry we examined four approaches to marketing (mass marketing; social marketing; direct to prospect marketing; and upselling current customers). But you’ve got limited time and budget. So how much should you invest in each of those four categories?
Marketing Your Managed Services: Part 1 of 2
Posted January 28th, 2011 by Dan Kolansky
In the classic reseller channel, sales and marketing back in the day consisted of hanging up a sign and waiting for customers to walk through your front door. That was fun while it lasted. Today, with the world becoming smaller and the marketing noise becoming louder, managed services providers like you have to fight through a whole web of marketing and sales options to make your impact. It is overwhelming, really. But don’t panic. Marketing and sales can be broken down into four major components. Here’s how to get started.
Ask a Mentor: How to Promote Managed Services to CXOs
Posted January 18th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
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…
Five Steps Solutions Providers Should Take In 2011
Posted December 22nd, 2010 by Maurice Saluan
New year, new opportunities. That is what every MSP should be thinking as 2011 approaches. By now, you should have set your business priorities for the coming year, but if you’re still working them, allow me to make some suggestions.
Kutenda Integrates MSP Marketing Platform With PSA Software
Posted December 22nd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Kutenda, which specializes in MSP marketing services, has integrated its platform with three well-known PSA (professional services automation) platforms: Autotask, ConnectWise and Tigerpaw Software. As a result, MSPs can manage workflow, contact management, lead generation and marketing from a PSA dashboard, Kutenda says.
MSPs: Got a Marketing Plan for 2011?
Posted December 13th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Consuro, a managed services provider in North Texas, has hired Tina Stovall as marketing director. That bit of news got me wondering: Are MSPs preparing marketing moves from 2011? And if so, how will the best MSPs promote themselves across social media, broadcast and print platforms? I’ve got a few educated hunches.
New Consulting Firms Help MSPs With Marketing, Sales and M&A
Posted September 21st, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
The managed services gold rush has created a cottage industry of consultants and organizations that are assisting MSPs with marketing, sales, mergers, acquisitions and other strategic business tasks. Three recent examples include MSPexcellence, MSPXchange and Ulistic’s MSP Marketing initiative. Here’s a closer look at each organization and its backers, plus a broader update on the coaches and pundits assisting MSPs with their business efforts.
How to Target the Right Managed Services Customers
Posted August 20th, 2010 by Paul Barnett
A vital component of building your managed services sales and marketing strategy is defining your ideal customers. Most small VARs and MSPs fail to do this and it’s a critical mistake. They try to be all things to all customers. They do break fix work, managed services, deal low-budget customers, high-budget customers, end-users, and businesses of all sizes and shapes and verticals. It’s time to simplify. Here’s how.
MSPs: Six Ways to Generate Leads Without Asking for Them
Posted July 1st, 2010 by Jason Beal
When it comes to lead generation for managed services providers (MSPs), what’s really effective and what’s just hype? It’s an age-old question that has riddled the channel for years and left many to take a shotgun approach to marketing and advertising, or even worse, to rely on their vendor and distribution partners for leads. Either way you look at it, nobody is winning.
MSPs: Time to Sponsor Your First Trade Show
Posted June 29th, 2010 by David Bellini
Don’t settle for stagnation! With the economic downturn, you’d be smart to replace any lost business and pursue growth. Here in our local IT company, we’re ready for new business; we have the manpower and capacity, and there is plenty of talent we can hire if we need more staff. So here’s how we’re filling our sales funnel: a trade show.
Cloud: Where Ingram Micro Will and Won’t Play
Posted June 7th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
During the Ingram Micro Cloud Summit in Dallas this morning, Services VP Justin Crotty described where Ingram Micro will and won’t play in the cloud. He also described how the smartest solutions providers are succeeding in the cloud. Here’s a rapid recap.
Small Business Marketing: Even Google Still Uses Direct Mail
Posted March 24th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Small business owners and managed services providers ask me all the time: How can they leverage Google Adwords to target local customer prospects? No doubt, Adwords is an effective tool for highly targeted, cost-effective marketing promotions. And those promotions can be global, regional or local in nature. But here’s a counter-intuitive thought: Maybe MSPs should spend more time on direct mail marketing. After all — even the Mighty Google is spending big dollars on direct mail campaigns. Here’s why.
Content: Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool
Posted March 3rd, 2010 by Eric Webster
Your website is the single most important marketing tool your company has. An effective website will increase your search engine hits, capture leads, and establish you as a leading managed services provider. But the key element to building great websites is one that many technology-based companies overlook—relevant, well written content.
Marketing 101: Brag About MSP Milestones
Posted February 8th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Here’s a smart move involving Architel, a managed services provider in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Architel says more than 10,000 users now depend on the company’s outsourced IT support services. Question: When was the last time you took a moment to brag (responsibly) about customer trust and company growth?
Five-Step PR Plan for Managed Service Providers
Posted January 12th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Got news? Sure you do. Here’s a simple five-step plan to help managed services providers and VARs generate some news and trigger some buzz. Follow the steps and you could increase mind share and market share within your target markets. Here’s how.
Top 10 Managed Services Blog Entries, Q3 2009
Posted December 31st, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Web Video: Nine Approaches for MSPs
Posted December 15th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Video, video, video. MSPmentor keeps telling managed service providers to experiment with video as a tool to promote your company. But what tools do you need, how much is Internet video going to cost you and what types of video should you shoot? I’ve got some thoughts, and I’ve also lifted some ideas from Cisco Systems’ channel partner blog. Take a look.
MSPs: How to Host a Lunch and Learn in 2010…
Posted December 3rd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Our blog team attended a Dec. 2 lunch-and-learn session hosted by DynTek (an $85 million solutions provider). During the gathering, DynTek educated more than 60 existing and target customers about Windows 7 and virtual desktop infrastructure. It got me wondering: How many managed service providers are planning similar lunch and learns for 2010? And if you’ve never hosted a lunch and learn how can you get started?
