What is the value of sharing your news and information online?  Ask a leading Calgary Microsoft CRM consultant what one press release did to net a new opportunity worth $100,000.

Back in 2010 when Ulistic, our MSP Marketing firm, was just starting out, we stumbled upon a great book by David Meerman Scott entitled “The New Rules of Marketing and PR”.  It was this book that truly opened our eyes to the power that blogs, press releases and, what we call, Solutions Broadcasts can bring to the average MSP.

During a recent on-site visit with one of our clients in Calgary, Alberta, we were reminded of the power of press releases.  Our client won a contract to provide Microsoft CRM Online and consulting services to a leading agricultural group in Canada.  This opportunity is worth approximately $100,000 in consulting revenue and has now spread to a sister organization.

Once thought only to be large company tools, press releases are as effective for the smallest IT service provider as they are for the largest.

They are not-so-secret weapons that we encourage every one of our clients to use.  We have proven results from things like deploying press releases about events MSPs are attending, announcing major contract wins through our solution blast services and distributing recaps of industry events.

Ulistic clients are getting a leg up on their competitors and winning new opportunities.  But it takes hard work, knowing the right sites and services to share your news on and a willingness to share what your business is doing.

If you’re looking for a trusted MSP business consultant to help you do amazing things, call Ulistic today at 416.840.9106 and speak with one of our MSP business consultants.

Our team will empower your team to reach new levels and win the right types of opportunities to help your business grow.

Learn more about Ulistic at http://www.ulistic.com.

With a combination of marketing strategies, sharing client success stories and promoting partner solutions Sydney Technology Solutions has becomae a top MSP in Australia.

How does a local MSP position itself as a leader in the local market? Sydney Technology Solutions (STS) with offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and, most recently, the Philippines knows that it takes hard work and strategic thinking to lead the pack.

STS employs the MSP business development specialists at Ulistic to help with strategic marketing and the heavy lifting required to execute a sound MSP marketing campaign that covers three major centres across Australia.

“We are seeing an average of two new leads each time we execute the online component of our marketing plan,” said President and CEO Adam Rippon. “This return drives us to constantly think of new ways to share news about the solutions we deploy in the marketplace.”

STS’ web marketing strategy consists of three MSP websites. This core website strategy keeps followers and those searching for up-to-date information about STS’Sydney IT support services, Brisbane IT consulting and Melbourne IT services.

The MSP website employed by STS is simply the cornerstone of the company’s Web marketing strategy, which has expanded to monthly newsletters, client solution broadcasts, press and media, and corporate case studies, all handled by MSP business development specialists at Ulistic.

In addition, the case studies and solution broadcasts give STS instant credibility when meeting with new prospects or executing current client marketing strategies.

Your MSP can enjoy many of the same benefits as STS. It takes hard work and commitment to make it happen. Are you willing to put in the hard work? Marketing your MSP is not something you simply set and forget.

Trust in our team at Ulistic to help and guide you throughout the process. Call today to book a no-obligation discussion about how to take your MSP higher call 416.840.9106

I wish I had an Axcient appliance on a Saturday afternoon many years ago.

About 7 years ago, I went on site to a leading trucking firm to run some cable with my good friend Terry Parsons.  Terry and I were just about to start pulling cable when the office manager came running out of her office in a bit of a panic.  Their trucking line of business application was done and of course she wondered if Terry and I had something to do with this.

Of course, we were not even in the building let alone the server room when the trucking software database became corrupt.

I never got around to running cable that day.  I was now on an emergency recovery to restore this database.  The client lost about a week of data and it cost them around $15,000 to get back to where they were.

It was a horrible experience for everyone involved.

Fast forward to today.  Man, I wish we had Axcient in those days.  It would have saved us a tonne of time and it would have saved the client about $15,000.00.

I could write about Axcient but I thought I would let you listen to the MSP Show with Chris from Axcient.  Chris joined me along with Luis Alvarez from Alvarez Technology Group and we chatted about the benefits of Axcient as the business continuity solution of choice for leading MSPs.

Tune into the MSP Show with Axcient.

Sign up to become an Axcient partner today.

Your website must be an extension of your business. This is what Phoenix, AZ MSP Phoenix Computer Specialists (PCS) determined before reaching out to Ulistic, an MSP business development consulting firm.

“We were not getting leads from our website,” stated Vice President of Sales Roger Gladhart. “For years, we never received a single lead from our website; now that our website is marketing-focused, we have three or four great opportunities.”

“There are many great MSPs that are determined to share and showcase the technical skills of their teams,” said Stuart Crawford, MSP Business Development Consultant, “however, what we found with PCS was that when we put the focus on the clients’ needs, we saw an increase in qualified traffic and new opportunities in their sales pipeline.”

PCS’ website focuses on three key areas. The first is geography. When you first visit pcslink.com, there is no doubt that the company is based in Phoenix. The site incorporates a mixture of images and descriptions that resonate with business owners in the Phoenix area.

The second focus area is target markets. PCS focuses on a number of key vertical markets, and the website openly states the company’s focus on healthcare, food services, manufacturing, legal and financial IT solutions and support.

The last key area is specialized technology. PCS is like many other MSPs, but its team has skills and expertise in a number of technologies such as cloud computing and hardware as a service. It is important for MSPs to let prospective clients know what kinds of services to expect as well as the skill levels of the teams that will deliver those services.

“When prospects visit your MSP website, it must be clear how they can get in touch with you,” Crawford adds. “There are many MSP websites where it is very difficult to get the basic contact information, and we wonder why some MSPs continue to struggle with attracting great opportunities through their Web marketing.”

If you’re scratching your head, wondering why your MSP website isn’t attracting more customers, then maybe you’re not marketing it as effectively as you could.

Ulistic specializes in helping MSPs and IT Service organizations grow through business development best practices. Our core offerings are focused on marketing, sales and business consulting. You can reach Ulistic at 416.840.9106 or by visitinghttp://www.ulistic.com.

In today’s world of heightened security, full body scanners at airports and CCTV watching every move, it is remarkable how passwords are still kept in the minds of our engineers, in Excel spreadsheets or in our PSAs. What are you doing to secure your clients’ passwords?

For the past few months I have been working with the team at PASSPORTAL, introducing IT service providers to the benefits of making sure their clients’ passwords are properly protected. They can also assure their clients that the right checks and measures are in place.

Besides the technical advantages of having a solution such as PASSPORTAL in place, there is an important marketing advantage and sales angle that we can use to separate an MSP who is using PASSPORTAL from those who are not.

One of the concepts I love to use when working with sales professionals is the “wedge selling” concept.  A process designed to create separation between the prospect and his existing IT firm.  PASSPORTAL is a great advantage for any MSP or IT Service Provider who wants to get at a leg up over her competitors.

Now, as a business owner, the main advantage is that I know who has access to my office and my passwords, and my service provider can prove it.  Can you see the opportunity that exists out there?

Corporations and business owners want to know that their information and data are protected.    Business continuity solutions, firewalls and a solution such as PASSPORTAL ensure that your clients’ and your future clients’ information is as secure as possible.  MSPs and IT VARs who can prove to their clients that their information is secure immediately have an advantage over those who cannot.

Go ahead and create that wedge.  Sign up with PASSPORTAL today, and start using it to protect your clients’ passwords. Use it in your marketing and sales to set yourself apart in the marketplace.

For only $29.95, the cost of a basic membership in PASSPORTAL, you can immediately gain a competitive advantage over other MSPs out there who are not completely protecting their clients.

Sign up with PASSPORTAL today at http://www.passportal.it.

Finally. Those who have been waiting with bated breath for the date when Microsoft would make the consumer preview of Windows 8 available can breathe a sigh of relief. On Feb. 29, 2012, Microsoft will debut the Windows 8 consumer preview in Barcelona, Spain at the Mobile World Congress from 9 am to 11 am EST.

The consumer preview will be available for any and all to use, but be advised, if you don’t have advanced computer skills or have close ties with someone who does, you would be wise to wait for the completed version. Preview versions usually aren’t complete, which means they can be glitchy and even corrupt your system.

Those who have been closely following Windows 8 developments will recall that Microsoft released a developer preview in September 2011, which was more incomplete than the one being offered to consumers.

Hoping to capitalize on the popularity of apps and tablet PCs, Windows 8 has – obviously — apps, a regular touch keyboard, a thumb keyboard and other tablet-friendly features that should appeal to tablet users and mobile users alike.

The release date for the completed product has yet to be announced. Some are predicting, probably correctly, that Microsoft will release the final version of Windows 8 to coincide with Christmas.

If you want to learn more about what Windows 8 has to offer, the upcoming MVP Nation, at Microsoft’s Conference Center Mar. 2-3, 2012, could be worth a visit.

Some people like being among the first to have the latest and greatest that the tech world has to offer. Others like to wait and see how things develop before committing to something new. For those who like being at the head of the pack, the wait is almost over. Windows 8 is on the way!

I have to give a little shout out to Harley.  Harley is our graphic designer at Ulistic and he is the best in the industry when it comes to creating awesome marketing material for Managed IT Service providers.

Check out the great work Harley did for one of our New Jersey based clients.

If your MSP is looking for some great marketing that works, call Stuart directly at 416.827.5339.