Even though it’s a cliché, there’s a reason so many of us nod our heads in agreement at the observation that change is hard. Whether it’s a new job or a new exercise regimen, altering our behavior can be a heavy lift – even if it yields results that make life better. Along those lines, managed service providers need to recognize the many advantages cloud-based services provide to their customers and adjust their sales pitches to accurately reflect those benefits.
Of course, what makes this tricky is that it involves altering the language MSPs use to describe the solutions they provide to customers. In the past, MSPs were largely in the business of selling equipment, like servers, that customers would keep on premises in order to meet their IT needs. Now, however, the most innovative MSPs have packed up all that bulky equipment from their customers’ offices and moved those capabilities into the cloud. What MSPs are really offering clients now are a suite of much needed and improved services. Which means that it’s time to change your mindset to emphasize how those services can improve their business.
Download a free, white-label pitch deck to sell the cloud benefits!
No lack of improvements
The good news is that there is a long laundry list of upsides that go hand-in-hand with this tweaked MSP business model. Most obvious to clients is that a cloud-based service approach eliminates the need to actually have bulky servers and other equipment cluttering their valuable office space. But it’s not just about getting a conference room or some offices back. Emphasize to customers that it also eliminates the cost of actually buying and then servicing all of that equipment
But that’s really just the beginning. MSPs should also focus on how their service-mentality and use of the cloud takes the formerly onerous task of installing and configuring network hardware from a potentially weeks-long affair to just a few hours. What actually gets set up via the cloud also offers clients lots of other goodies, like near 100 percent availability, greater compute power and speed. It’s also important to trumpet the benefit of adaptability. Unlike the old equipment-heavy model, cloud-based services can be easily altered to grow and adapt quickly to a client’s evolving needs.
Benefits to you, too
Because there are so many obvious benefits, making the mental switch to emphasize services over equipment in sales conversations should be both easier for MSPs and ultimately more effective. But also remember how a cloud-based approach is a boost to your own bottom line.
Just as customers will be happy to say goodbye to on-site equipment, MSPs that no longer have to provide set-up and maintenance will reduce the time and money spent doing both. Additionally, the flexibility of the cloud means that even small clients – whose needs could quickly become a drain on your time and resources – can now become profitable. The cloud also makes it possible for an MSP to service clients from around the world without spending more on overhead or travel. In the end, it means a more profitable and scalable business. Which is just the sort of change everyone wants.
Want to Learn How to Grow Your Business in the Cloud?
