Here ’ s a crazy idea : instead of resolving to start something new , why not make a resolution to focus on fundamentals and actually follow through on something old ?
Last month , I delivered a back-to-basics MSP marketing event we call our Rapid Implementation Workshop where we go over the building blocks of a marketing and new-client acquisition plan .
One of the attendees , a long-term top-level peer group member of mine , said to me at the end of the two days , “ This was far better than our quarterly Producers Club meeting . While it was a lot of things I already ‘ know ,’ it was delivered in such a way that I feel I have a much better grasp on the fundamentals .”
He did not say , “ Geez , Robin , I come all the way to Tennessee to hear you talk about the same stuff you ’ ve already covered with me six years ago !” Let me point out that this MSP is very successful , growing , and profitable . He does not “ need ” to hear me talk about the fundamentals of picking a target market , developing a unique selling proposition , building a list , doing QBRs , or prospecting . But he wants to go back to basics because he understands that successful MSP businesses are built entirely on execution of fundamentals , not fads and shiny objects . He ’ s not jumping from guru to guru , idea to idea , trying this , trying that . He is not growing his business on tricks and gimmicks but on implementation and continual improvement of the fundamentals .
To my point , all successful marketing and sales systems in the MSP industry are built on tried-and-true fundamentals . So , the question is , what are some fundamentals that may be lacking in your MSP business today ? Well , let me count . . .
Fundamental # 1 : PROSPECTING .
As Zig Ziglar oft said , “ Nothing happens in business until somebody sells something .” Yet how many days / weeks / months go by in most businesses where zero prospecting or selling is done , where often sales prevention is happening with more regularity ?
Doing the technical work is comfortable and preferred — but pointless unless you can find a person willing to give you sufficient money to do it . If you want a New Year ’ s resolution , how about forcing a quota on yourself for prospecting every day , every week , every month ? Even a one-man band can easily prospect a minimum of 25 new companies a week , and that paltry effort would produce a list of 1,300 by year-end , not to mention the addition of more sales , more clients , more profits . ( For the record , a sales rep can prospect 25 people by phone and email in about an hour . I ’ ve timed it . So that
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