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MSP University
Over 16,000 Readers!
IT and Managed Services Newsletter
MSP University helps Solution Providers succeed...period.
September 2009
 
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Welcome to MSP University
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 Labor
Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September (September 7 in 2009),and has been celebrated since the 1880's. The holiday started in Canada after some labor disputes ocurred which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized
and protected union activity.
In 1882, American labor leader Peter J. McGuire witnessed one of these labor festivals in Toronto. Inspired from Canadian events in Toronto, he returned
to New York and organized the first American "labor day" on September 5 of the same year.
During the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland designated reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict,
legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.
Traditionally, most Americans celebrate Labor Day as the symbolic end to summer with typical celebrations including picnics, BBQs and fireworks. Labor Day also marks the beginning of the NFL and College Football seasons.
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FREE MSP University Membership!
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 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.
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Revolutionize your existing business model
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Transition existing break-fix customers to Managed Services clients
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Market to the right prospects and close Managed Services business
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Choose the right tools and technology to maximize your efficiencies as an MSP
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Build closer relationships with vendors and fulfillment partners
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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?
Let our experience and expertise provide you with all of the information you will need in order to successfully transition your IT Business to a successful
Managed Services Practice!
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Registration Now Open For Our Next 3-Day Boot Camp On October 21st-23rd, 2009!
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Select Image To Hear What Our Attendees Have To Say...
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR OUR OCTOBER BOOT CAMP IN DALLAS, TX OCTOBER 21st-23rd 2009!
TRACK 1 - IT SOLUTIONS AND MANAGED SERVICES CEO OPERATIONS
TRACK 2 - IT SOLUTIONS AND MANAGED SERVICES SALES 101
TRACK 3 - IT SOLUTIONS AND MANAGED SERVICES SERVICE DELIVERY
Based upon MSP University's successful business, technical and sales and marketing methodologies, our comprehensive Boot Camps provide attendees the knowledge they need to operate profitable practices, shorten sales cycles to close more business faster and
deliver services and solutions efficiently and more profitably.
Give us 3 days, and we'll give you the tools and techniques to transform your IT practice into an effective, repeatable revenue generator.
Our IT Solutions and Managed Services CEO Operations Track:
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Reveals how to structure your organization for successful growth and efficient operations
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Covers Key Performance Indicators and Fundamental Profitability Benchmarking to allow you to measure your performance against best-in-class providers
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Trains you to use DISC, PTSI and SSI Behavioral profiles for hiring right the first time and team-building
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Identifies and blueprints critical staff roles within your organization and covers creating win-win compensation strategies to reward performance and increase your net profits
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Reviews effective hiring processes for sales and technical staff for IT solutions and Managed Services sales and delivery success
This Track is recommended for: CEOs, Business
Owners and Managers
Our IT Solutions and Managed Services Sales 101 Track:
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Walks you through each step of your first appointment-and your second, and your third
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Teaches you to conduct a client needs analysis that reveals you as the expert
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Provides you with key talking points and strategic answers to every possible objection
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Clarifies the details of the IT solutions and managed services sales process
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Covers the strategic details of Proposal, ROI Analysis, and Service Agreement - including business-winning PowerPoint presentations
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Allows you to practice your client presentations in role playing sessions with our experts and your peers
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Empowers you to close the deal
This Track is recommended for: CEOs, Owners, Sales Managers
and Account Managers
Our IT and Managed Services Service Delivery Track:
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Teaches standardized, best practices-based project and problem management processes and procedures that can immediately increase your efficiencies along with customer satisfaction
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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
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Dives deep into best practices for SLA management and service request prioritization, escalation and management to increase your effectiveness and client satisfaction
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Discusses the pros and cons of utilizing 3rd-party service desks and how to manage and integrate them successfully into your service delivery offering
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Covers HR tools such as DISC Behavioral Profiles and Personal Talent Skills Inventories to hire the right technical resources the first time
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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
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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
CLICK
HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE AGENDA (agenda subject to change)
There is simply no other IT Solutions and Managed Services-focused training of this type anywhere!
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The
Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER! reveals how to build, staff and maintain a NOC and Service Desk effectively and profitably, along with best practices and techniques to increase efficiencies and net profits for these critical business units
of your IT practice. Whether you are looking to build out your NOC and Service Desk from scratch, are interested in learning how to effectively outsource and manage specific components of these units, or simply wish to evaluate the processes you currently
employ in your own NOC and Service Desk, this reference guide will teach you how to improve processes, maximize efficiencies and increase client satisfaction -
all while improving your bottom line!
We've included everything you need in The Best I.T. Service Delivery BOOK EVER!
This resource has been highly requested by solution providers, internal IT departments and channel organizations worldwide, and fills the void for a NOC
and Service Desk-specific work for the IT industry covering design, tools, deliverables and hiring, compensating, training and managing staff; along with processes, client on-boarding and management processes, outsourcing to 3rd party fulfillment partners and service
delivery.
"The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER!" applies the most highly effective NOC and Service Desk operations and delivery techniques ever developed to increase your efficiencies, client relationships and revenue, allowing you to scale your services
effectively and economically!
Includes valuable additional downloadable forms, tools and collateral!
The only NOC and Service Desk book written by Service Providers for Service Providers covers the following:
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Service Locations
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Hardware
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Services
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Disaster Preparedness and Business Continuity
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Tools and Technology
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RMM Tools
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PSA Tools
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Remote Access Tools
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Integration
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Management
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Deliverables
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Services
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Remote Monitoring
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Remote Patching and Updating
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Remote Optimizing
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Remote Service Desk
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Remote Dispatch
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Onsite Service Delivery
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Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
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Vendor Management
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Supported Hardware
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Supported Applications
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Supported Services
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Supported Vendors
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Agreements and Addendums
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SLAs
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Processes
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Incident Management
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Problem Management
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Configuration Management
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Change Management
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Release Management
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Service Level Management
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Service Financial Management
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Capacity Management
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Service Continuity Management
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Availability Management
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Security Management
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People
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Hiring
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Writing Effective Employment Ads
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Using DISC Behavioral Profiles for Hiring Right the First Time
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The Interview Process
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The Offer Letter
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The Employment Agreement
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Compensation plans
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Training
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Clients
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Requirements
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Client Qualifications
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Environment Qualifications
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On-boarding
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Business Needs Analysis
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Technology Assessment
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Required Infrastructure Upgrades
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Provisioning
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Training
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Go-Live
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Client Satisfaction
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Ongoing Review
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Management
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Key Performance Indicators
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Getting the Right Data from your Systems
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Increasing Efficiencies
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Reducing Costs
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Maintaining Effective Communications
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Scaling Services Successfully
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Outsourcing
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Considerations
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What to Keep
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What can be Outsourced
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Integrating outsourced resources with your internal systems and staff
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Dispatch and resource allocation
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Communication, alerting and status reporting
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SLA maintenance
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Change management
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Escalation management
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Risk management
Includes valuable additional downloadable forms, tools and collateral!
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Why Is It So Hard To Sell On Value?
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 I
was recently invited to speak at a channel conference where one of my sessions was centered around selling Managed Services on value. Utilizing the techniques and process we developed as an MSP, I demonstrated MSP University's Managed Services Pricing/ROI
Calculator, and how to use it to evaluate a prospect's true cost of maintaining their infrastructure the way they currently do it today - managing their own vendors and performing internal "light-weight" IT maintenance themselves to try to address issues without
calling in their existing IT provider, who will bill them for the service call.
I illustrated a typical scenario utilizing our Managed Services Pricing/ROI Calculator where I was able to monetize these internal costs, as well as the true cost of downtime for the prospect - both in lost productivity and in lost opportunity, and was able
to show the attendees how they can price their services on the value of the cost savings the prospect may realize from retaining their services; rather than from a per-device, per-user or tiered pricing model, allowing them the ability to quote the prospect
much higher than they would normally. In this scenario, we were able to achieve a savings of 50% to the prospect while increasing the flat monthly fee by nearly $1,500 over the attendee's average quote for a like environment.
This is the exact technique that allowed us to become so successful as an MSP before launching MSP University. Some of you might remember the original
spreadsheet we utilized back then, which is included as a download in "The Guide to a Successful Managed Services Practice". We've taken that and created a lightweight Flash-based calculator from it, which is visually appealing and allows easy modification
to the input data to achieve the results that will compel a prospect to engage with you for services.
After my presentation, I received an email from one of the attendees appreciating the session and especially my impersonation of a traditional IT provider
and how they price services "let's see, you've got 20 pc's and one server, I can maintain your network for $3,000", and how that creates the perception that they are only concerned with their own bottom line. With the cost-savings analysis approach, it's immediately
evident that we are concerned with the prospect's bottom line - which makes this sales approach so effective, as we are speaking to one of the 3 ways we can help our clients increase profits:
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Reduce costs
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Increase sales
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Raise prices or rates
In his email, the attendee went on to identify that they utilize the first approach, and had heard of our methodology for cost savings and selling on
value before,but had been skeptical of this technique, as they did not believe it would "work" on them.
Why is it so hard for IT providers to sell on value? Here's what I think, and I'd like to hear your feedback:
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Lack of dedicated sales training to understand the 7-step sales process - Preparation, Warm-Up, Qualification, Presentation, Overcoming Objections, Closing, Follow-Up
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Lack of Unique Selling Proposition for every product and service sold
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Lack of established Sales Process for every product and service sold
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Lack of effective, supporting marketing tools - website, email templates, newsletters, postcards, white papers, case studies, win-wires, telemarketing scripts
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Lack of effective marketing processes delivered through specific campaigns with multiple touches delivered via various vehicles
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Lack of belief in the value of their own knowledge, experience, services and staff
The good news is that the attendee asked if MSP University had any resources that could help his organization in this specific area.
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MSP University FREE Webinar Course Highlight
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 Selling
Hardware as a Service with Alex Rogers!
If you aren't up to speed with HaaS, then you are missing out on one of the most powerful deliverables you can offer prospects and clients during periods
of economic uncertainty...
This Webinar training focuses on defining the HaaS product offering, various ways to adopt this offering into your solution stack, sales and marketing
tips and tricks, and how to identify prospects for this solution. Our special guest on this Webinar is Alex Rogers, Founder and CEO of ARRC Technology.
ARRC Technology successfully developed a revolutionary way to market, sell, implement and manage HaaS deliverables, and now offers complete HaaS fulfillment services to VARs nationwide.
After completing this Webinar, you will understand the HaaS deliverable, and how to effectively market, price and sell on value to increase your Managed Services profits with the techniques shared.
Every MSP needs to identify new, attractive products and services to grow their business during periods of economic uncertainty - HaaS is an ideal way
to show value to your clients and make it easy for them to say YES to the sale...
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You're Only 10 Days Away From Your New Website With Animation!
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We've taken our websites to the next level - and you can have yours in only 10 days flat complete with an animated home page!
Would you like your website to really drive revenue, instead of being simply a company brochure?
Would focused, compelling content strengthened by meaningful imagery in your website help attract and interest your specific target audience?
Would clearly identifying your prospects' pain and explaining how you can solve their problems in your website help your marketing efforts?
Would accurately reflecting each and every one of your services and solutions in your website help you attract new prospects and inform and interest
your existing clients?
MSP University's 10-Day Website Solution is the answer!
Click
here to watch a short video on our 10 Day Animated Website Solution!
Click
here to get started immediately and have your site up in only 10 days
Our 10 Day Website Solution includes an animated home page that contains customized messaging for:
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3 Vertical-specific messages such as healthcare, financial or non-profit
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3 Solution-specific messages such as security, disaster recovery or managed services
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3 Client testimonials
We create all of the content for you - simply
choose from over 20 solutions and services and select your vertical markets, then provide us your client testimonials along with your color and image choices and other company-specific information, and
10 days later you'll be ready to go live with your new website!
There is simply no other organization with MSP University's experience and expertise that can design and deliver your Website solution in
only 10 days that:
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Drives 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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Contains meaningful, relevant content developed by experts in your industry
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Is designed and written to maximize indexing by search engines to provide you a competitive advantage in your market
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Includes tasteful, compelling animated messaging on your home page to differentiate you from your competitors
Why wait any longer when you can have the website that represents your organization and its services
effectively and professionally and
drives revenue!
Click
here to get started immediately and have your site up in only 10 days, or simply pick up the phone and dial (888) 248-9964, extension 241.
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MSP University Industry News
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Here are just a few of the accomplishments MSP University achieved in the month of August:
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MSP University conducts IT Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing and Service Delivery
Boot Camp in Santa Ana, CA
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MSP University conducts onsite business transformation SWOT analysis for partner in New York, NY
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MSP University conducts onsite business transformation SWOT analysis for partner in Peoria, IL
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!
Erick Simpson
MSP University
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