The MSPmentor Job Board has begun 2012 in style with several new positions for professional engineers, technicians and sales representatives in the managed services market. The Holiday lull in the workplace is coming to an end and MSPs are on the hunt for talented employees who can help them flourish in 2012. That may mean you…
add a comment
Help Wanted: MSP Engineers, Business Development Reps
Posted January 3rd, 2012 by Nicholas Mukhar
Help Wanted: IT Engineers, Managed Services Sales Reps
Posted December 20th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
The MSPmentor Job Board has several new opportunities listed — even as managed service providers and solution providers prep their operations for the Holiday hiatus. Also, many of the job opportunities that became available last week and weeks prior still stand, so check out what the Job Board has to offer before you shutdown your smartphone, tablet, desktop and laptop for some Holiday festivities.
Help Wanted: Sales Reps, Engineers for Managed Service Providers
Posted November 23rd, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
New opportunities surface on the MSPmentor Job Board ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. So before our U.S. readers shut off their smartphones and desktops for the long weekend, prepare for your feast by sampling the new sales and technical opportunities up for grabs. Then mull over your next career move during your turkey- induced coma.
LabTech Business Transformation Division: Helping MSPs Drive Revenues?
Posted September 30th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
LabTech Software claims to be doubling down on the IT service provider industry. Specifically, the managed services software provider has created the LabTech Business Transformation Division. LabTech has hired Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and Administrator Kevin Gibson to lead it.
Managed Services Growth Ahead, but Education Still Needed
Posted September 13th, 2011 by Maurice Saluan
All the talk about the cloud over the past couple of years has obscured managed services to some extent. However, the managed services market remains in high-growth mode, and MSPs looking to increase revenues should be working hard to recruit new customers. But you’re going to need to do some education along the way.
Managed Services Sales: Top 10 Questions Customers Ask
Posted September 2nd, 2011 by Nimsoft Guest Blog
Compared to a lot of businesses, Nimsoft (my employer) is in a unique position in that we sell to two core markets, with hundreds of enterprise customers and hundreds of MSP customers. Over the course of my eight years with the company, I’ve worked quite a bit with executives in both markets, and that vantage point has helped me gain some insights into what makes a successful MSP/client relationship.
The SMB Managed Services Disconnect: Real or Imagined?
Posted August 26th, 2011 by Dan Berthiaume
According to a recent study by CIT Group Inc., 62% of value-added resellers say SMBs don’t fully understand the benefits of managed services. But here’s the twist: Do the best MSPs actually promote “managed services” to their SMB customers?
Selling Managed Services: Getting Inside Your Customer’s Mind
Posted August 16th, 2011 by Paul Barnett
Successful selling requires an understanding of the buyer’s mind, and most MSPs fail to develop a clear understanding of their customer’s true needs. Specifically, many MSPs don’t understand why buyers do — or don’t — buy from them. Great businesses take the time to understand their buyer’s psyche. Let’s delve a little deeper.
How to Acquire New Customers: Five Sales Tips for MSPs
Posted August 11th, 2011 by ManageEngine Guest Blog
Selling isn’t easy. However, if you adopt a systematic approach, support new technologies, and offer best-of-the-class services, you can really accelerate your sales. The following five points provide insights into such things and help you win new customers.
If I Was Launching an MSP Today: 10 Steps to Consider
Posted July 7th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Generally speaking, I think most MSPmentor readers have been building their managed services businesses for five to 10 years. But what if you were building that business from scratch right now? Here are 10 steps to consider for startup MSPs — though the steps certainly apply to established MSPs that are looking to rethink their strategies for the second half of 2011.
mindSHIFT CEO Paul Chisholm’s Top Four Business Priorities
Posted June 17th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
During an interview at mindSHIFT‘s Long Island offices yesterday, CEO Paul Chisholm revealed his top priorities for the rest of 2011. More managed services acquisitions? More cloud marketing? Instead of guessing simply read on for a recap of my conversation with Chisholm.
Flat Employment Gives Rise to MSP Prospects
Posted June 13th, 2011 by Dan Berthiaume
The Bureau of Labor Statistics last week released the May unemployment figures, and they were pretty mediocre. Nonfarm payroll employment changed little (a net total of 54,000 jobs added) in May, and the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 9.1%. Private sector employment continued to trend up (83,000 net jobs added), although by a much smaller amount than the monthly 244,000-job average for the prior three months. The computer systems design and related services subsector added 8,000 net jobs for the month. For most people, these statistics are not especially heartening. However, for MSPs, especially those serving the SMB market, they should offer some comfort. Here’s why.
How to Simplify the Managed Services Sales Process
Posted June 10th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Three top managed services executives are discussing sales strategies during a TruMethods SchnizzFest conference panel here in Philadelphia. The experts: Moderator Gary Pica interviewing masterIT CEO Michael Drake, Spade Technology CEO Myles Keough and ActiveCo President James Ford (pictured, left to right). So, what are their sales-driven recommendations? Here’s the update.
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.
PacketTrap Business Acceleration Program: MSP Profit Boost?
Posted April 27th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
How much should MSP’s charge for their services? How should you market and sell your offerings? How are you supposed to map out your SLA’s to best support their client base? For the past 18 months or so, Quest Software’s PacketTrap has been helping MSP’s answer those questions through their Business Acceleration Program. Here’s the update, including perspectives from PacketTrap Director of MSP’s Mike Byrne (pictured).
Webcast: Can MSPs Really (Truly) Partner With One Another?
Posted April 5th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
Our next MSPmentor Live webcast is Wednesday, April 13. The topic: Maximizing Partnerships to Build a Better Business. We’ll explore how MSPs are working with one another, peer groups and associations to unlock new revenue opportunities. We’ll answer attendee questions throughout the webcast. Here’s a look at our guest speakers and some more background on the event…
Do You Need Account Managers — Or Salespeople?
Posted April 1st, 2011 by David Bellini
As a local VAR and MSP, we’ve always had account managers at our business to drive new business and maximize the engagement with our current client base. In considering if my business should have account managers or salespeople, I’ve come to realize that it all hinges on WHAT you’re selling the most of: Products or Services?
Your Managed Services Sales Team: Stoked Or Stalled?
Posted March 2nd, 2011 by Nimsoft Guest Blog
Gritty CEOs who take the transformational journey from VAR to MSP must creatively destroy the tried and true, the old and reliable, to rebuild around the unsure (sometimes overhyped) new thing. Done right, every aspect of the business undergoes some level of re-engineering. The entire back office operation is put in play – new legal agreements, SLAs and billing mechanisms need to be acquired or built from scratch. At the front of the house, products must be developed, service catalog and SOPs created, monitoring and ticketing tools bought, compensation plans rejiggered.
TruMethods Prepares to Rally MSPs in Philadelphia
Posted February 7th, 2011 by Nicholas Mukhar
CEO Gary Pica and the TruMethods team never seem to stand still. Indeed, TruMethods, which focuses on managed services sales training, is preparing to host a Winner’s Circle event later this month in February. Here’s the update.
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: What is the Sales Commission Structure for MSPs?
Posted January 25th, 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 a Florida-based seeking some information on sales compensation strategies. Here’s the question and our reply…
The Art of Managed Services Sales – From The Olive Garden?
Posted January 19th, 2011 by Joe Panettieri
I had dinner last night with a few MSP industry insiders. One of them is a business intelligence expert. She spends her days focused on Google Analytics, lead generation and sales pipelines. Somehow, we started discussing early career moves. She mentioned her early experiences at the Olive Garden restaurant chain. To my surprise, she described how the Olive Garden measures employee performance (i.e., sales) and other daily business metrics. It made me think: If restaurant chains with college employees have mastered the art of the upsell, why haven’t MSPs?
MSPs: How to Increase Revenues Without Increasing Costs
Posted January 18th, 2011 by Dev Anand
Increasing revenue without spending more is a tall challenge within your managed services business. But there are three potential ways to make that dream a reality. Here’s a quick guide to get your started.
