We interviewed Natan Bradbury CEO of VITECH. Like Ulistic, he provides services to MSPs. Not in marketing, but from an IT Security and HIPAA Compliance perspective. We’re providing information from our interview with Natan so you can decide if VITECH would be a good resource for your MSP business.
Natan tells us that at least a dozen hospitals in the U.S. got hit with ransomware in 2016. This could have been avoided very easily with simple things like encryption, secure backups, and patch management. There’s a big education gap where cybersecurity and compliance are concerned, and this is a major issue for healthcare and other organizations.
He explains: “IT security and regulatory compliance go hand in hand. The challenge most organizations face is a lack of education, training, and awareness. They don’t put value in these things. They want to be compliant but aren’t investing in these basics. Ultimately what happens is that they don’t meet HIPAA regulatory compliance, or they’re hit with a data breach. Either way, they suffer needlessly.”
VITECH has had tremendous success. How? They don’t do managed services. They focus on IT auditing, advisement and consulting from an IT security and compliance perspective. That’s it. No managed services. Their sales process is simple. They have face-to-face, no-pressure meetings with their prospects and offer two simple things:
- An IT Assessment to determine what they need to be totally secure.
- Security Awareness Training for their employees.
All of VITECH’s professionals have cybersecurity and HIPAA-compliance expertise. Many MSPs don’t. They’re too busy managing IT infrastructures. The good news is that if you’re one of these MSPs, you can partner with VITECH for these services.
There’s no need for you to work at being a specialist in HIPAA compliance or cybersecurity. With VITECH as a partner, you can focus on what you do best—providing Managed Services.
VITECH can go in under your brand or on their own. You’ll have a choice of three services:
- Comprehensive white-labeled service (under the umbrella of your MSP)
- Direct consulting and advice for your client.
- Auditing services where afterward they turn everything over to you.
Q & A
Natan, how do you convince practices that they need your IT services? “We show them how vulnerable they are by doing pen testing, ethical hacking and security assessments. But, at the end of the day, as they say, ‘you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.’ Unless they’re well educated in terms of what the risk is for non-compliance, or what can happen to their organization if their data is breached, they aren’t going to sign up for our services.”
What sized practice is most approachable when it comes to compliance and security? “Typically, as long as they take security and compliance seriously, those clinics with at least 3 to 5 doctors. But once you get into small hospitals, you have very many layers of people to go through. The sales process then takes much longer.”
Who should we be talking to about compliance and security? “It depends on the size of the clinic. However, there are usually two categories of people we talk to. The decision makers and the influencers. You should talk to both. The decision maker is likely the owner of the practice. It shortens the sales cycle if you can reach them. The influencer will be a VP or practice manager. You also want to have conversations with them. They may not have the power to say yes, but they do have the power to say no. Plus, they have a vested interest in what you have to offer.”
What marketing vehicles worked best for you? “What doesn’t work is direct mail and canvassing. The days of these methods having an impact are long gone. What we found valuable is to network:
- Join your local Chamber of Commerce—Even if meeting attendees aren’t in your ‘wheelhouse.’ Go to meetup.com, MGMA events and more. Just get out there and network. Don’t go to sell. Go to meet people and influencers. And, be sure to follow up with those you meet. If you’re shy, bring a friend. Be sure to go around and talk to new people.
- Start your own meet-up group. Bring in companies that are complementary to what you do (not competitors)—the ones going to the same market you are. You can refer one another to clients as appropriate. It’s a great way get new clients and form partnerships.
- Go to where your market is. Find out where the lawyers go for drinks on Friday if you focus on providing IT to law firms, etc.
Just get out and meet people. Develop relationships. People like doing business with those they know. “
Remember: VITECH focuses on the education aspect of IT Security and Compliance. They are a compliment to your MSP business. You can do the implementation after VITECH convinces leads that they need you. Call Natan. He can explain how a relationship with VITECH can help you grow your MSP business. (800) 536-2156, ext. 800
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