Why CEOs Opt For Co-Managed IT :
• Fear of a single point of failure . Many CEOs feel as though their IT department holds all the keys to
a kingdom they don ’ t understand . If the IT leader or key people leave for better , higher-paying jobs ( or due to personal issues , illness , etc .), the CEO knows they ’ re in for a world of hurt — especially if the relationship is contentious . In some cases , they might have an IT leader who is arrogant and KNOWS they have power over the C-suite , smugly believing they ’ ll never get fired . Trust me when I say no CEO is going to tolerate that kind of behavior and incur that kind of risk .
• Fear of a cyberattack and lack of confidence in their current IT person or team to
handle it or adequately protect them .
The more successful the organization , the more they understand and fear risk . A small dental office consisting of the doc and his wife , who works part time as the office manager , might not care about HIPAA , security , etc . But a larger dental practice with multiple locations , multiple doctors and hygienists , and a large support staff is not going to risk everything they built to a cyberevent .
• Frustration with the IT leader or team . They might be looking to replace one or more people due to
incompetence — or they might simply want to remove some of the responsibilities of their current IT leader or team so they can focus on critical projects lagging behind . If a company is growing fast , it ’ s often quicker to outsource certain aspects of the business than find , onboard , and get new employees up to speed .
• Lower costs . As you know , it ’ s cheaper to have a fractional IT team than to staff a full IT department . That ’ s
particularly true when talking about situations where more advanced and sophisticated knowledge of cybersecurity and compliance is needed but the organization can ’ t support the salary of a chief compliance officer , CISO , etc . It ’ s simply too much for any one person to know , much less support .
• The uncertainty and difficulty of finding IT staff . Further , many CEOs don ’ t know how to interview IT staff to know if they ’ re good , bad , or something in-between . I often hear MSPs wanting to outsource the appointment-setting process in their business , mostly because they feel as though they don ’ t know what they ’ re doing — where to find the people to make the calls , how to interview them , how to compensate them , how to manage them , etc . They would MUCH rather outsource . That ’ s exactly how many CEOs feel when it comes to finding and building an IT team , which gives you an advantage in selling it . When selling to the C-suite , you should focus on the above fears and needs , making a BUSINESS case to the owner . Many MSPs make the mistake of “ geeking out ” in the sales meeting , talking far too much about the tech and not nearly enough about the business case for co-managed IT .
Ultimately , it ’ s the C-suite that needs to approve the budget , so it ’ s critical for you to have this discussion in order to successfully make the sale .
Selling To The IT Lead
Unlike the CEO , the IT lead is not necessarily motivated to make decisions based on what ’ s best for the company . They have PERSONAL motives you need to be aware of . Of course , some may be very loyal to the company and mature enough to realize when they are in over their heads and need help , but even then , their ultimate loyalty is to preserving their paycheck , reputation , and ego .
That doesn ’ t make them bad people ; it makes them human . But if you attempt to win over the IT lead by brute force and an “ I know better than you ” attitude , you ’ re going to have a tough time making the relationship work — and you DO need it to work in order to have an enjoyable and productive relationship where you can do your best work and truly serve the client .
A good IT prospect knows they need help to fill in the gaps where they are out of their depth and for things they don ’ t like to do . A bad IT prospect is not good at their job , wants to protect their turf , and therefore wants to run and control everything , making bad decisions and not allowing you to truly help them . This is an unproductive situation that should be avoided at all costs because if you somehow are able to land the contract , the IT lead will blame you for everything and attempt to throw tacks under your tires to make you look bad and win back control .
What will cause an IT lead to reach out to you ? Many of the same frustrations and motives YOU have as an MSP , so keep that in mind . You ’ re “ kindred spirits ,” and I would play on that connection . Here are a few :
• Crushed with work . Like you , many are overwhelmed with too many demands , needs , projects ,
and “ to-dos ” and not enough time to do it all . A good IT prospect is one who wants to get certain projects and tasks that they don ’ t like to do or admittedly aren ’ t good at off their plate . In many cases , they may feel some of the work is beneath them ( below their pay grade ). When selling , you can use this to your advantage ; it IS true that a higher-skilled tech shouldn ’ t be working on lower-level tasks and projects . It ’ s a waste of the company ’ s money .
• Lone dogs . Many IT leaders gain confidence from co-managed IT relationships because they no longer feel
like they are in it “ alone ” and have to bear the burden of all decisions ( and the consequences that come from making a bad one ). They like the idea of having someone who “ gets ” them to bounce ideas off of and hash out challenging situations .
• Fear of a major IT failure or cyberattack happening under their watch . All IT professionals
have this in common : They get zero “ attaboys ” from man-
12 | MSPSuccessMagazine . com • VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3