MSP University Over 15,000 Readers!
IT and Managed Services Newsletter
MSP University helps MSPs succeed...period.
April 2009 |
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| Welcome to MSP University |
Boot Camps!
This special edition of our newsletter will focus on MSP University's upcoming I.T. Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing and Service Delivery Boot Camp in Baltimore, MD on May 21st-23rd, 2009. |
| FREE MSP University Membership! |
 Have you created your FREE MSP University account yet? Just browse over to www.mspu.us and sign up to receive access to IT and Managed Services webinars, tools, forms and collateral to help you transform or improve your IT practice with valuable resources in areas of business operations, HR and hiring, sales and marketing and service delivery, project management and help desk operations.
Learn how to:
- Revolutionize your existing business model
- Transition existing break-fix customers to Managed Services clients
- Market to the right prospects and close Managed Services business
- Choose the right tools and technology to maximize your efficiencies as an MSP
- Build closer relationships with vendors and fulfillment partners
- Grow your revenue month after month, year after year
How much annuity-based revenue is your IT practice currently generating?
What is your company worth?
What are your plans for improvement?
Evaluate your options as an MSP with our FREE membership offer - why wait any longer?
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Find out how to attend our next 3-Day I.T. Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing and Service Delivery Boot Camp for FREE! |
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BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER!
OVER 125 VARS ATTENDED OUR LAST BOOT CAMP!
WE HAVE INCREASED OUR CAPACITY AND ADDED AN ADDITIONAL TRACK TO OUR BALTIMORE I.T. SOLUTIONS AND MANAGED SERVICES SALES & MARKETING AND SERVICE DELIVERY BOOT CAMP!
Wouldn't it be valuable if you could shorten your existing sales cycles, improve your closing ratios, and successfully increase up-sell and cross-sell results to your prospects and clients?
And once you've closed new business, wouldn't it increase your net profitability and client satisfaction if you could improve service delivery processes, workflows and efficiencies along with resource utilization and realization?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you won't want to miss our next boot camp!
MSP University's Managed Services Boot Camp - May 21st-23rd, 2009 in Baltimore, MD
Join us on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 21st-23rd, 2009 in Baltimore, MD, for a one-of a kind IT Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing and Service Delivery Boot Camp!
Your attendance includes a FREE personalized Service Leadership Business Benchmark report on your company!
Location:
Hyatt Regency Baltimore
300 Light Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: (410) 528-1234
TRACK 1 - I.T. SOLUTIONS AND MANAGED SERVICES SALES & MARKETING
In our I.T. Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing track, you will participate in a variety of multimedia training processes and work with your instructors as you learn through direct presentation, audio and video training, and work with forms and PowerPoint presentations to perform mock Client presentations on Managed Services and other annuity-based products and services, and are judged by your instructors as well as your peers.
Based upon MSP University's successful business, technical and sales and marketing methodologies, our comprehensive I.T Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing Track provides attendees the knowledge they need to shorten sales cycles and close more business.
Give us 3 days, and we'll give you the tools and techniques to transform your IT sales process into an effective, repeatable revenue generator.
Our IT Solutions and Managed Services Sales Track:
- Walks you through each step of your first appointment-and your second, and your third
- Teaches you to conduct a client needs analysis that reveals you as the expert
- Provides you with key talking points and strategic answers to every possible objection
- Clarifies the details of the IT solutions and managed services sales process
- Covers the strategic details of Proposal, ROI Analysis, and Service Agreement - including business-winning PowerPoint presentations
- Allows you to practice your client presentations in role playing sessions with our experts and your peers
- Empowers you to close the deal
Bonus Training:
- How to sell your 3rd-Party Help Desk Services
- How to sell Hardware as a Service (HaaS)
Guest Presenters!
- Paul Dippell - Service Leadership, Inc: Key Performance Indicators for Maximizing Business Profits
Your attendance includes a FREE personalized Service Leadership Business Benchmark report on your company!
- Dave Sobel - Evolve Technologies: How to Sell and Implement Hosting and Virtualization Solutions
"After this boot camp I find myself inspired and feel that I have a support team to lean on..." - Adam S.
"I am digesting all of the stuff I got. This was the best experience I have had in a long time." - Alex R.
"The tools that you give us are incredible, and the way you've put this together to go out and do a presentation - it's the best I've ever seen." - Pam T.
Our I.T. Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing Track deep-dives into the sales process, and covers:
- The 7 Step Sales Process
- The Proper Way to Prospect
- Creating Effective Call Scripts
- Overcoming Appointment Setting - Objections
- The First Visit
- The Warm Up
- Qualifying
- The Second Visit
- Presentation Basics
- Presentation Slide Deck
- The Cost Savings Analysis
- Overcoming Objections
- Closing
- Follow Up
This Track is recommended for: Owners, Sales Managers and Account Managers
TRACK 2 - I.T. AND MANAGED SERVICES DELIVERY
Based upon MSP University's successful technical service delivery methodologies, our comprehensive I.T. and Managed Services Delivery Track provides attendees the knowledge they need to increase utilization, raise efficiencies, improve client satisfaction and become more profitable.
Give us 2 days, and we'll give you the tools and techniques to transform your IT and Managed Services delivery process into an effective, repeatable revenue generator.
Our IT and Managed Services Delivery Track:
- Teaches standardized, best practices-based project and problem management processes and procedures that can immediately increase your efficiencies along with customer satisfaction
- Provides an overview of Professional Services Automation, Remote Monitoring and Management and Remote Control tool requirements, functionality and interaction to maximize your resources and scale your services profitably
- Dives deep into best practices for SLA management and service request prioritization, escalation and management to increase your effectiveness and client satisfaction
- Discusses the pros and cons of utilizing 3rd-party service desks and how to manage and integrate them successfully into your service delivery offering
- Covers HR tools such as DISC Behavioral Profiles and Personal Talent Skills Inventories to hire the right technical resources the first time
- Uncovers effective techniques to properly conduct interviews, the right questions to ask and how to put together a performance-based incentive plan and offer letter for qualified technical candidates
- Explores best practices for overall Service Management improvement and success
This Track is recommended for: Owners, Technical Managers, Professional Services, NOC and Service Desk Personnel
There is simply no other I.T. Solutions and Managed Services-focused training of this type anywhere!
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| Selling Managed Services to Your Existing Clients |
 In most situations, having a relationship with a prospect makes it easier to "sell" something to them. A relationship is the key to becoming a Trusted Advisor, and is necessary when you need to gain the prospect's trust in you and your services in order to make a sale. When it comes to selling Managed Services to your existing clients; however, you may find it's actually more difficult than selling to a new client.
The ease with which you transition your current clients to the Managed Services model will rely greatly upon the perception they currently have of the service you offer. If you have primarily been a "break-fix" provider generating solutions only after something has been broken, the client will have a difficult time relating to your new proactive Managed Services offering. If you have already been establishing yourself as a Trusted Advisor offering proactive solutions; however, you will probably have an easier time with transitioning existing clients to Managed Services!
Marketing Process for Existing Client Transition
It doesn't matter how you perceive your company - it really only matters how your clients perceive your company. Here is a 3-step process for helping your clients "reset" and gain the image of your company that will lead them to the transition to Managed Services:
- Write your clients a letter, introducing your decision to transition to a proactive service delivery model
- Call your clients a few days after sending the letter to set up an appointment do discuss your new service delivery model
- Conduct a meeting with your clients and give them a short presentation extolling the benefits to them of proactively managing their infrastructure and vendors
It's important that you don't try to "sell" Managed Services by phone. During the appointment you'll deliver a presentation about the benefits of Managed Services (there is an example PowerPoint presentation available to readers of our best-selling The Guide to a Successful Managed Services Practice).
During your client meeting and presentation, your goal is to show your client that you are no longer a "break-fix" company. The new Managed Services model allows you to be a proactive IT service provider that will provide your Client better support and increased uptime, while saving on costs.
Your presentation needs to stress the following 6 benefits of your new service delivery model to the client:
- Increased operational efficiencies
- Reduction and control of operating costs
- Cost-effective access to enterprise-level support
- Minimized downtime
- Regain focus of running their business, not their IT or vendors
- Peace of mind that comes with 24x7x365 monitoring
Schedule Another Meeting Right AwayOnce you've gone over the initial presentation and explained the client's benefits of a Managed Services model, set up a second appointment to do perform a Managed Services Cost Analysis - in order to show the client what they save, or what additional services they'll receive for the same amount of money. (There is a worksheet available on www.mspu.us to perform this analysis). Don't leave without scheduling the appointment to avoid losing momentum.
It is during the second appointment that you will reveal the true cost benefits to the client, overcome any oobjections and close your Managed Services opportunity.
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| MSP University FREE Webinar Course Highlight |
Why Are Some MSPs Growing While Others Aren't?
To a great degree It is their people. Each employee you more fully engage in sales, services delivery or support enables your business to grow faster than before. MSPs that understand this principle, invest in their staff and put processes and procedures in place to help them achieve increased success in their work roles are naturally more successful than those that don't.
Our special guest for this valuable Webcast is our good friend David Russell, ManageToWin CEO and MSP University Boot Camp Sponsor, who will share how his FREE "talent management system in a box" will help your business become stronger than ever before.
There are also lucrative ongoing commissions to be earned from recommending MANAGEtoWIN to your clients.
During our most recent Boot Camp, MSP University encouraged attendees to use MANAGEtoWIN as a door opener with new prospects. The very next week one attendee was meeting with a client when asked, "What type of systems do you have in place for HR?" It immediately opened up a new sale and deepened his relationship with the client.
Your role as your clients' Trusted Advisor extends to all systems and solutions that can increase their efficiencies and profitability and mitigate business pain and risk - this role naturally extends to HR processes and solutions.
To grow beyond a Trusted Advisor and become a true Business Partner to your clients, you must leverage not only your Technical, but also your Business Acumen. This Webcast will show you how to reinforce your role as a Business Partner to your clients by helping them ease the management and increase the business value of their most challenging and costly operational burden - their staff.
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We Can Build Your Website In Only 7 Days Flat! |
 Does your website really drive revenue, or is it simply a company brochure?
Is your website client-facing and designed to attract your specific target audience?
Does your website clearly identify your prospects' pain and explain how you can solve their problems?
Does your website accurately reflect all of your services and solutions?
There is simply no other organization with MSP University's experience and expertise that can design and deliver a Website solution to you in only 7 days that:
- Is incredibly affordable
- Drives revenue and repeat business
- Is client-facing and attracts your target audience as part of your marketing process
- Identifies your prospects' pain and positions your organization as the solution to that pain
- Showcases every single one of your products and services
- Integrates your PSA solution's existing client login functionality
- Integrates your existing email marketing solution/newsletter registration functionality
- Contains meaningful, relevant content developed by experts in your industry covering over 20 of the most commonly requested services and solutions by end-customers, including Managed Services!
MSP University's 7-Day Website Solution is the answer!
There is simply no other organization with MSP University's experience and expertise that can design and deliver your Website solution in only 7 days that:
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Helps you drive revenue and repeat business
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Is client-facing and attracts your target audience as part of your marketing process
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Identifies your prospects' pain and positions your organization as the solution to that pain
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Showcases every single one of your products and services
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Integrates your PSA solution's existing client login functionality
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Integrates your existing email marketing solution/newsletter registration functionality
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And contains meaningful, relevant content developed by experts in your industry!
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MSP University Industry News |
Here are just a few of the accomplishments MSP University achieved in the month of March:
- MSP University tours Synergy Global Solutions tour for partners in Buffalo, NY
- MSP University consults with CompTIA, MSP Partners and IPED on new MSP accreditation exam in Chicago, IL
- MSP University delivers two managed services training sessions at Autotask Community Live! event in Nashville, TN
- MSP University conducts 1-day onsite consulting engagement for partner in Nashville, TN
Keep up with our latest news at www.mspu.us/news | |
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If you know anyone that might benefit from reading our newsletter, please forward it to them!
Sincerely,
Erick Simpson
MSP University
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