“ You don ' t differentiate based on what you do. You don ' t differentiate based on how you do it. You differentiate based on who you are.” – Rory Vaden
“ You don ' t differentiate based on what you do. You don ' t differentiate based on how you do it. You differentiate based on who you are.” – Rory Vaden
and customers. Because in a crowded market where everyone offers“ comprehensive IT solutions,” branding is so much more than logos and color schemes.
Here ' s what successful MSP leaders have learned about building brands that promote growth.
Start With Your Own Story
The most powerful MSP brands aren’ t built around services or technologies. They’ re built around personal stories.
Julio Lopez, founder and CEO of IT for Education, an MSP based in Hialeah, Florida, says his company ' s focus came from a deeply personal place. Growing up, he saw education as his only ticket to a more financially secure and stable life. That realization shaped everything.
“ I really want to be able to, in our own little way... empower educators who then empower students to have education as their way out,” Lopez says. As a result, IT for Education’ s brand is characterized by a distinctive focus on serving educators and students, whether or not they become customers.
Lopez’ s approach reflects what Rory Vaden, co-founder of Brand Builders Group and New York Times bestselling author, says is one of the most compelling sources for branding guidance:“ You’ re most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were.”
Vaden points out most entrepreneurs don’ t choose their business by accident.“ There’ s usually a connection to their personal story, right? They’ re interested in it. They’ re passionate about it.” With a real personal story at the center of your brand,“ you don ' t differentiate based on what you do,” Vaden says.“ You don ' t differentiate based on how you do it. You differentiate based on who you are.”
Brand Consistency at Every Point
Every aspect of your business should reflect and reinforce your brand.
Let’ s start with names. MSP names run the spectrum from too generic to remember to so weird it’ s impossible to know what they do. Or sometimes they’ re just misleading. Adam Spencer, CEO of 911 IT, learned this the hard way. Originally called 911 Computer Repair, the name gave the impression that computer repair was their only available service. But a rebrand to 911 IT had an immediate impact on clarifying the business offerings.
Even though somebody occasionally dislikes the name because they think it’ s meant to impersonate 911 emergency dispatch, Spencer says it works great for conveying the company’ s brand as a calm helper when things are going wrong.“ You can’ t make everybody happy,” he says, so it’ s best to prioritize a name that says who you are.
Once the name fits, that’ s when those logos and color schemes do help ensure the brand remains consistent at every touchpoint.
“ It’ s not just your logo and what your building looks like and what your website looks like. But what your techs look like, and your core processes [ are how ] companies get to know you,” Spencer says. All 911 IT technicians wear a blue shirt with the company logo, so they all look the same on-site.
But he says the real challenge is people.“ You can have a really good employee that really cares about people and is really personable. And you can have a person that is very techie— still does a great job— but they don’ t know how to interact with people or communicate.”
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