MARKETING FEATURE CONT .
the last dozen rants . What are the common themes you see ? That is all done with extreme intention to attract MSPs who have the right psychographic profile and REPEL those who don ’ t . If you are producing content , you want to do it strategically , selling the “ advocated positions ” you want your ideal clients to embrace so that you ATTRACT HVCs .
In fact , our motto —“ Keep It R . E . A . L .”— says it all : You want a R . E . A . L . business that is Rewarding , Easy , Attractive , and Lucrative vs . a T . E . C . H . business that is Tedious , Exhausting , Chaotic , and Hard . We are constantly promoting success stories of our clients who have made the transformation from a TECH with helpers to a REAL entrepreneur , embracing their responsibility of being a sales-driven CEO . That ’ s ALL intentional . Those MSPs who want an easy button or who despise the entire process of sales and selling do not find us an attractive option .
Second , where you find the client is extremely important . In my business , an MSP acquired at an event like IT Connect is a far more valuable and profitable client for us than those acquired through social media marketing . That ’ s because the very fact that they ’ re at an event like IT Connect means : 1 ) they are willing to travel to events ( which is important since part of our deliverable involves traveling to events ); 2 ) they are willing to invest in their learning ; 3 ) they have ambition to grow ; and 4 ) they tend to be larger in size ( smaller MSPs tend to avoid events because they “ can ’ t afford ” to go ).
MSPs will find that clients secured through a strategic partnership with an insurance professional that sells cyber liability as well as crime and ransomware protections are FAR more lucrative than the average client they ’ re getting through other marketing , including referrals . ALL of this requires a more sophisticated approach to marketing and a strategic approach to sales and business development , but once you get it , your business will be exponentially more valuable and profitable .
Emotional Baggage Over Raising Prices And Insisting On High Standards For Clients
This can show up as fear that you can ’ t replace the money they represent , or a fear of simply confronting their bad behavior . Or guilt for making demands . Or insecurities about your authority to “ make demands ” and set standards .
A theory I ’ ve long believed to be true but cannot statistically prove is this : The LEAST desirable customers are the easiest and cheapest to get but are difficult to retain and monetize . Conversely , the MOST desirable customers are the most expensive and difficult to get initially but are VERY easy to retain and monetize . to be an expensive , difficult path to walk , requiring investment , solid strategy , consistent execution , careful thought , and playing the long game . Given that most MSPs are extremely lazy about marketing and simply won ’ t give up their addiction to easy buttons , they are going to suffer with trying to support a growing scrap heap of low-money , pain-in-the-a $$ customers .
How To Start Finding And Developing More HVCs
My advice is this : First , make sure you define what an HVC is for you . Yes , they should be financially lucrative , but they should also have a need that is right within your wheelhouse to solve . They should represent long-term value and stability . And last but not least , they should be enjoyable to work with .
If you ’ re unsure who that is , do a deep dive into your BEST customers to find commonalities of source , demographics , and psychographics . Invest time into defining what a great customer is and figuring out the size of market ( haystack ) you ’ ll have to start sorting through to find the select few golden needles . It will also require a much more targeted marketing message and media approach to ensure you ’ re not aiming too broadly , which may require marketing media such as direct mail , telemarketing , and sponsored trade shows and events ( not cheap ) as well as strategic partnerships and referral partners , which can be relatively difficult to establish .
Few are ever willing to make this shift in mindset and approach , much less do the work involved . Most choose to run faster and harder , eyes shut . The key word here is CHOOSE . You do choose your customers , whether strategically or sloppily , thoughtfully or thoughtlessly . Choose wisely .
Robin Robins is the IT industry ’ s most in-demand marketing consultant , sales trainer , and direct response marketing consultant who specializes in developing strategic marketing , sales and lead generation systems for MSPs , VARs and IT services companies .
This means , of course , getting the RIGHT customers is going
Robin Robins is the CEO and Founder of TMT . TMT is the parent company of MSP Success .
12 | MSPSUCCESS . COM