What Makes A Super Successful MSP?
Insights From a Leader in The Industry
Key Points From The Article:
- When it comes to MSP success, there are many pro tips on what you should and shouldn't do.
- LI Tech approached things a bit differently with their MSP.
- The founder and the CEO of LI Tech Advisors share the approaches that have made them wildly successful.
There's plenty of advice on how to make an MSP business super successful — lessons on marketing, profitable pricing strategies, and maintaining client relations, for example. While the lessons are all important, a few critical pieces are missing in those conversations.
LI Tech Advisors share insights they used to build a wildly successful MSP over three decades.
Who Are LI Tech Advisors?
LI Tech Advisor is an MSP that has been around for almost 30 years before the acronym MSP was coined. The IT company offers three unique services, i.e.:
- Remote and on-site managed IT solutions
- Custom software development to create applications for a specific working environment
- ADA compliance services to ensure people with disabilities can access client websites
The company has worked with attorneys, accountants, schools, and businesses in nearly all industries. If your website is not ADA compliant, you're exposed to lawsuits whose costs can be hefty.
LI Tech Advisors' services are unique because they offer ADA compliance services and custom software development.
LI Tech Advisors Offers Onsite Staffing on IT Services
Besides regular MSP services, LI Tech Advisors provide IT staffing solutions for businesses. The organization observed that most businesses have a problem hiring IT talent because it's impossible for one individual to possess as much in-depth knowledge as an MSP. As such, if a business hires a technician for themselves, they'll be limited to that person's knowledge and training.
On the flip side, if the business outsources IT staff from an MSP, the technician can reach a wide connection to solve any tech problems that the business may face quickly.
Use of Slack for Instant Communication
For connectivity, LI Tech Advisor uses Slack to communicate. All their clients use Slack, which enables them to utilize the premium chat features.
When staff members post something on the platform, the entire tech team can access the content in real-time, allowing them to handle tasks properly and promptly. The most important part is that the organization integrates the connect-wise ticketing systems and utilizes automation, giving them stronger manpower.
The Wisdom LI Tech Advisors Learned Over 30 Years of Service
LI Tech Advisors have provided tech solutions for over three decades and have developed philosophies that keep them successful. The three philosophies include:
Don't Give a Moose a Muffin
When you give a moose a muffin, it'll want to drink. The company uses this philosophy to guide them on what they tell their clients.
Anthony, The CEO of LI Tech Advisors says that it's normal and sometimes necessary for an MSP to want to push past its comfort zone and offer their clients more than is stated in their contract. However, the problem is that the client might get used to it and come back with tasks that aren't in your area of expertise.
Your MSP needs to know where to draw the lines and when to offer more.
Stay in Good Contact with Clients
Keeping in touch with clients appears to be a key to making your MSP wildly successful. Anthony says his company calls their clients regularly to check on them and not sell anything.
More importantly, the company has a quarterly client meeting — where all their clients meet and discuss any matters they have at hand. Contrary to popular beliefs, clients love engaging with their fellow clients, so having them all together in one conversation is essential.
Some MSPs think it's counterproductive to have different clients in a meeting, discouraging the idea of clients talking to each other. This assumes that clients may share secrets or discuss what they pay and get. However, that isn't always the case. LI Tech Advisors have client meetings, which significantly contribute to their success.
Don't Cheap Out Your Client
Most MSPs will cheapen their clients, but you shouldn't. Every client is different as far as pricing is concerned. Clients will discuss pricing all they want, regardless of their business's different needs and size. However, if an MSP charges them differently, you should explain, depending on the size of the business and the nature of the services you offer them.
Important Life Lessons the Founder of LI Tech Advisor Has Learned
According to Anthony, the most difficult part of running a company is employing the right people. Your main task as an MSP is hiring and retaining the right employees.
He insists that hiring is the most difficult, so MSPs shouldn't hire fast. Take your time to evaluate the value of an employee and know their true cost and the value they provide to their client.
Initially, the company used to go for a minimum wage guy on-site. With time, they started to consider all the employees working tools and then pay them a competitive salary, followed by the cost of everything else.
They establish the right amount to charge their client from the valuation to ensure they aren't losing money. After valuation, if your client can't afford what you offer, you can throttle them by offering fewer services.
Understand What Makes the Company Work
To make your MSP wildly successful, you need to understand what makes the company work, the effort you must put in, and what the clients need.
You'll need to review your agreements with clients and identify those that need to be renegotiated. Since time is the ultimate currency, setting time-based agreements is better.
Where Will LI Tech Advisors be in 5 Years?
LI Tech Advisors say that they've pivoted their business several times. In Anthony's words, the company allocates time to brainstorm the upcoming changes and the steps for the business.
The organization takes time to identify trends and what they should be pivoting toward. More importantly, they think about where they should steer their clients.
Ulistic LP Can Help Your MSP's Marketing Department Achieve Success
Your MSP needs to attract more customers for it to be super successful. You may struggle to remain profitable without a steady flow of new business.
Ulistic can guide your marketing approach in the right direction and help you make more sales. For over a decade, we've helped MSPs with SEO, digital marketing, and PPC management — nearly all marketing strategies a business can implement, and yours is no different. Contact us today to discuss marketing approaches that will fuel your business growth.
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