MSP University Managed Services Blog

Why Do Businesses Select Your Company?

Have you ever sat down and asked what it is about your company that makes it worth doing business with?  Have you considered setting up one of those online surveys so that you can find out? It is not a bad idea to perform this task to see if you are still on-target in providing the type and quality of service needed by your clients to sustain your business.

There needs to be some type of standard; however, by which you can compare your business against just to make sure that you are where you need to be in terms of client offerings and services.

Here are some general guidelines that can provide a set of standards:

Consolidated Services Contact

Being able to do business with a consolidated services provider keeps complexity to a minimum when it comes to products, documentation and interoperability that is necessary for a successful business. Adding value to your client relationships by continuing to include additional services over time to your available deliverables maintains your perception of a true business partner, increasing loyalty and influencing referrals.

Single Supplier

Simplification is the goal of any business and a single supplier system makes great strides in taking out much of the complexities of multiple vendors and the relationships that accompany them. As the trusted technology business advisor, it is your role to manage all technical relationships and locate and marshall all of the resources required to address your clients' needs.

Comprehensive SLAs

Imagine a Service Level Agreement that encompasses practically the entire client environment.  This one alone is worth the price of your MSP offerings.

Contracted Pricing

Knowing that a level billing and pricing structure is in place helps your clients better manage their budgets regarding their IT infrastructure.

Extensive Reporting

With active reporting models, keeping on top of problem areas is not a challenge.  Being managed proactively becomes a reality in some of your client organizations that might never have achieved that goal in the past.

Lowered TCO

Total Cost of Ownership is constantly in the cross-hairs of of bean counters.  With an MSP agreement in place, costs are lowered over time and this is welcomed by accounting departments.

24x7x365 Network and Service Monitoring

The peace of mind that accompanies a fully monitored environment is invaluable for any business.  Because the demands on today's organizations are increasingly global, monitored services should be ‘globalized’ as well.

How are you doing in the areas above?  What are your clients saying about your services?  Do you feel like you are out front and leading your clients or do you think that they are pulling you along?  Are you the change agent or are they?  An annual check-up in this area would be a good way to make sure that you are doing and providing the things necessary to keep your clients satisfied and asking for more.

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Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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Selling the Cloud as a Managed Service

Join us for MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar
 
Please join us Thursday, November 19th @ 9am PST as I host MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar.

Topic: Selling the Cloud as a Managed Service
 
Solution providers have always been pioneers in taking advantage of the latest technologies and translating their expertise into profits. Small and medium business' demand for computing services has not changed in over a decade: they need reliable, cost effective and full-featured products that help them execute their business strategy. What has changed is the solution portfolio that is now available to everyone on demand.

Gone are the days of expensive internal network design, centralized security and working with dozens of vendors to provide necessary technology for business. Small and medium business customers are spending their money on mobility through their laptops and smartphones, providing the ability to do business anywhere, anytime. The term "cloud computing" has come to encompass computing capability without intense local configuration and software deployments. 

Cloud services present MSPs with an opportunity to extend their business model of delivering predictable service levels at a predictable cost by providing services and solutions without large capital investments for themselves or their clients. Technologies such as Hosted Exchange, SharePoint, Offsite Backups, Web Filtering and more provide enterprise level reliability and features far beyond company firewalls.

Our special guest for this timely Webcast is Vlad Mazek, CEO of Own Web Now Corp www.ownwebnow.com, a global provider of hosted solutions to the IT industry, who will share his special insights into the growing cloud computing movement and how you can take advantage of it.
 
Attend this valuable Webinar and learn to sell the cloud as a Managed Service!

Click here to register! 

 

About MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar Series
 
MSP University's State of the Industry Webinar Series is meant to inform.  The more you know about your industry, the products and services available to you and your clients, and how to market and sell those products and services, the greater your opportunities to increase your value to your clients, as well as your business success. 

About Erick Simpson

Vice President and CIO of MSP University, Erick is a recognized industry expert and IT and Managed Services author, speaker and trainer, and contributor to numerous industry publications and events. Author of "The Guide to a Successful Managed Services Practice - What Every SMB IT Service Provider Should Know..." the definitive book on Managed Services, and the follow-ups in MSP University's Managed Services Series "The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!", "The Best I.T. Service Delivery BOOK EVER!" and "The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER!". Erick has also co-authored the HTG Peer Groups publication "Peer Power - Powerful Ideas for Partners from Peers".
 
About Vlad Mazek
 
Vlad Mazek, MCSE, is an author, technology radio show host, Exchange MVP and CEO of Own Web Now Corp, creator of ExchangeDefender and Shockey Monkey, and which hosts thousands of SBS and Exchange Servers. Mr. Mazek is very active in the IT professional community and has over ten years of experience managing and developing secure communication networks and platforms. Through a network of thousands of partners, numerous international data centers, A popular blog site and a radio show, Mr. Mazek has a unique insight to the needs of both businesses and IT solution providers.

Join Me For HTG and ConnectWise Events This Week

This week marks the HTG All Q4 Peer Group Meeting, where all of the Heartland Technology Peer Groups will be descending in Orlando, FL to conduct group meetings, receive training and hear some major announcements  during the HTGALL lunch on Wednesday, per Arlin Sorensen, Founder and CEO of the HTG Peer Groups and Heartland Technology Solutions. I'll be speaking in the Senate Room on Wednesday, November 3rd at 1:45pm, and my session is titled 8 Areas Critical to Maximizing IT and Managed Services Practice Success. If you will be in attendance, stop by to say hello. Attendees are encouraged to Blog, Facebook and Tweet with #HTG during the event, to keep those interested that could not attend apprised vicariously of their thoughts, experiences and feedback. Click here for the Agenda.

Immediately following the HTG event, ConnectWise kicks off Partner Summit 09 and will be streaming Arnie Bellini's Keynote and all Main Stage Speaker Presentations live. Click here to watch. My session at the ConnectWise Partner Summit 09 will be delivered along with Mary McElwee from ConnectWise and Chris Chase from DTI on Thursday, November 5th at 1:45pm and is titled 4 Tips To Jumpstart Social Media For Your IT Business. We will be sharing ways that we use Social Media to improve our marketing results, brand and drive interest in our respective organizations, products and services. Click here for the Agenda. Tweet the Summit with #cwps. Stop by and say hello!

 

Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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MSP University's Final Boot Camp Of 2009 Begins Today!

We are about to kick off our 4th I.T. Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing and Service Delivery Boot Camp of 2009!

This year alone we will have trained over 500 Solution Providers in our challenging Boot Camps all across the United States. At today's Boot Camp at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Irving, TX we will host over 140 Solution Providers - our biggest live training event yet!

Helping us make this Boot Camp possible are our strategic sponsors, thank you for your generous support:

Platinum Sponsor

CompTia

Gold Sponsors

Asigra

Autotask

CharTec

eFolder

Panda Security

Silver Sponsors

MANAGEtoWIN

Own Web Now

Service Leadership

Bronze Sponsor

Synergy Global Solutions

Download our October Boot Camp Agenda here

Did you miss our 2009 Boot Camp series? See us in 2010 - we're conducting 9 International Boot Camps!

Click here for our 2010 Boot Camp dates and locations!

 

Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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The Human Touch is Still Important

For services-based businesses in general, two circumstances have caused a reduction in the amount of in-person meetings cpncucted with clients.  First, many offerings; such as Managed Services, have moved to an online or remote delivery model.  Second, the down economy has forced businesses to cut back on expenses such as travel, affecting the frequency of on-site meetings for geographically-displaced clients. This is unfortunate because human-to-human contact is still extremely important in client-provider relationships.  Even the best audio and video conferencing solutions cannot replace the impact and effect of an on-site visit.

Know When to Go

How do you know when to venture out to client sites, and how often?  Part of the answer lies in knowing your client.  You should be able to tell which clients require more contact and which do not.  Suffice it to say that even if a client appears ‘fine’ during infrequent conferene calls, video conferences or in email communication, they might be considering other options for services that you provide, because they may incorrectly perceive that you do not value them as a client.  An annual visit is probably too infrequent and a monthly one might be too often.  Something in between is probably about right. For new Managed Services clients, a monthly visit during the first 90 days, bi-monthly visits for the next 90 days and quarterly visits thereafter is a good strategy. Remember to keep these visits at the strategic level and discuss not only what your team has accomplished since the last visit, but the benefits you are providing the client towards helping them reach their business goals through technology roadmapping.

Know What to Present

Gone are the days of proving value in your client relationships by of taking them all out to dinner and a few drinks.  That is acceptable from time to time, but your strategic sessions with your clients need to continue to reflect your value as you present solutions that increase your clients' efficiencies, reduce their overall costs, eliminate business pain and mitigate their risk - all which improve their profitability. And if your solutions can help them increase their sales as well, that is icing on the cake.

During these meetings steer discussion on expanding on your services and explain what you do and how you operate to make your clients' businesses benefit from it.  Provide some backroom stories about ways that you have helped clients in dire need and how they are doing at the present.  Then, if you do have new product and solution offerings, present those as well.  The goal is to maximize on the human touch during your strategic meetings while generating excitement.

Build Loyalty, Strengthen Relationships

Meeting with clients regularly builds loyalty to your company and services.  Everyone is quick to respond something breaks and needs to be fixed.  And that is important in salvaging a relationship that might be damaged.  But strategic on-site visits strengthen relationships that help weather those kinds of storms.

Go With Something in Hand

Take something with you that clients can physically hold when you leave.  These are always good reminders of your relationship.  Choose items that your clients will not perceive as corny or cheap - you should not shy away from investing in your clients for these leave-behinds - after all, they are investing in you, aren't they? One way to make these take on even more significance is to have a story to go with them, even if it is humorous and has no connection to doing business with them.  The impact comes when they look at the items and remember the story and your relationship.  Try it, it works.

Sure, on-site visits cost money, but they can mean the difference between keeping a client and watching them move over to a competitor and losing that revenue completely.  Which would you rather go experience?

 Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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Virtualization: Defined

Virtualization…

Utility Computing…

Cloud Computing…

These are the buzzwords of the new age. It seems almost incredible that only a few short decades ago the world witnessed the birth of the personal computer, and now industry experts and pundits alike argue over its imminent demise in terms of how we have used it in the past. As the promise of cheap, reliable bandwidth gave rise to the explosive growth and popularity of the Internet, the reality of virtualization gives rise to cheap, reliable hosting, storage and application services with the promise of perhaps unlimited computing power, powering terms such as “Utility Computing” and “Cloud Computing”.

 

Luckily for us, we have an industry expert on Virtualization to lead us by the hand and help us navigate what, for most of us are uncharted waters. I have known Dave Sobel for many years now, and he has become not only a member of my close inner circle, but also my personal Virtualization Advisor. Have you ever heard the expression “you know what you know”? Well, Dave’s experience in designing, delivering and supporting numerous Virtualization scenarios, and in working with the top Virtualization vendors and their solutions means that Dave knows. Not only does Dave know what he knows, but he knows more than anyone else I know about the topic of Virtualization – so much so that these very same vendors also look to Dave for his feedback and assistance with their products and solutions.

 

The words above are an excerpt from my foreword for Dave's book Virtualization: Defined - A Primer for the SMB Consultant. Dave Sobel is CEO of Evolve Technologies, an IT consulting firm in Washington, DC. 

 

I'd like to invite you to Dave's Microsoft 5w25 Webinar on Virtualization on Wednesday, November 18th at 9am PDT, where the focus will be on how to build your Virtualization Consulting Practice, learn about server consolidation assessments, Virtual Desktop Infrastructures, and how to deliver high value solutions to your clients.

 

Click here to register

 

Follow  Dave's Virtualization Blog here

 

 

 

Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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The CompTIA MSP Partners Acquisition

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The ink is already drying on the acquisition of MSP Partners by CompTIA, so some of this information might not be new to some, but additional comment and clarification is warranted given the significance of this event.

The tone from those who weigh in on this is generally positive and I’d like to add my support. I commented on the acquisition which was posted in an online article published on the MSPMentor website by Joe Panettieri. You can read his article here.

Here is my comment as posted on MSPMentor in full:

“This acquisition makes complete sense to me, and highlights CompTIA’s new vision and approach to achieving their business goals. As you note, CompTIA and MSP University continue to work together to provide value to our respective members and the channel at large in the spirit of healthy coopetition. Coopetition only works if the coopetitive parties work together to identify areas of overlap as well as opportunities, and partner to discover the best ways to leverage these opportunities while mitigating potential conflicts. CompTIA, MSP Partners and MSP University are examples of organizations that actively seek out these types of relationships. Congratulations to CompTIA and MSP Partners.”

There are good things that will come from this acquisition.

First is a spirit of ‘coopetition’ as mentioned. Sure, there might be some overlap in focus between MSPAlliance and CompTIA, but for the greater part, they complement one another and benefit by a close, constructive relationship where their goals are aligned. With this acquisition CompTIA adds yet another compelling reason for non-members to join its organization, and provides an excellent Managed Services resource for its existing membership to benefit from.

Next, MSP Partners gains a valuable ally and partner in a much needed area: MSP marketing and assistance therein. The synergy of the merging should not be lost in the shuffle here. Both bring value, experience and core competencies with them which will only strengthen the MSP market segment.

Finally, the hard work has just begun. Now CompTIA can set about to channel efforts towards end user awareness and the benefits of MSP partnering. Members will be encouraged to deepen their roots in the market by providing not just valuable tools for existing client relations, but in creating new opportunities as well.

In a day and age that is filled with organization failures, distrust and rampant fear, we see this event as one that will help, not hurt our industry and those who depend upon the resources that help them become everything that they were created for in the first place.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll note that both CompTIA and MSP Partners are MSP University sponsors, and we work closely with them from a sponsorship, consulting and fulfillment relationship, as well as MSP Partners' founding organizations Cisco, Ingram Micro, Intel, Level Platforms and Microsoft.

Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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The Cloud Needs a Manager or Two

By using cloud computing and virtualization technologies, corporate enterprises have gained advantages that they have never before realized:  consolidated computing environments, reduced hardware and software management, and cost containment. As a result of continually decreasing costs and increased benefit, these solutions are now becoming widely utilized in Mid and Small business markets as well.

But for MSPs, new challenges have arisen by throwing multiple deliverables together into a constantly growing value-added smorgasbord for their clients.  That is why you need to have a good management system in place to streamline your service delivery processes and increase your efficiencies.  Here is what to look for in management systems:

Total Integration

For maximum efficiency you need a solution for managing networks, systems, services and applications as well.  But that is just the beginning.  To best serve your clients, your solution requires other management capabilities as well, such as CRM functionality, robust reporting, invoicing, asset management, integration with your accounting system, inventory control and more.

Cross Computing Environments

The ability to use these solutions in cross-platform environments is a key component made increasingly more necessary as market share is gained by operating systems other than Microsoft Windows - hence the need for not only Windows support, but Linux/Unix, Mac compatibility and more.

NOC and Service Desk Tools

The ability to auto-generate trouble-tickets based on alert conditions and remediate simple incidents through scripted responses makes maintenance and service much more proactive, efficient and effective. Popular RMM tools such as Kaseya and Level Platforms offer these capabilities, along with a host of other features to offload many of the labor-intensive chores of a NOC such as patching and updating devices, operating systems and applications. Maintaining a robust knowledgebase is a key to speeding identification and remediation of previously resolved issues, and this component is included in most PSA solutons on the market today, such as ConnectWise, Autotask and Tigerpaw.

The next question in this discussion:  do you allow your clients some level of management and customization in your toolset?  The answer to that will depend on the client and the reasons for providing some of that control. Again, most popular RMM and PSA solutions offer some level of access and rights management for additional users, so you may decide to share these benefits, or even market them to your clients when it makes sense. Does doing so invite the possibility for conflicts and configuration problems to occur?  Certainly, but the bigger issue is one of meeting client needs and flexibility.

With stringent guidelines in place and carefully monitored access, certain parts of your MSP tools can be client managed.  This will allow a client to feel less like a customer and more like a partner - especially if you service the Mid and Enterprise markets, where the potential for your supporting an internal IT resource or team is more likely, and sharing your toolset can build a stronger relationship. On the other hand, this can also uncover inadequacies in the internal IT resource or team, so tread lightly here, and work to help these resources improve their efficiencies and effectiveness, garnering their trust and support. This way you are perceived as the Trusted Advisor from both the decision maker and their IT resource(s). And isn’t that what you want?

With the above systems fully implemented, you will be able to provide effective management for your clients' environments as well as for your own internal operations.  

Resource management in a cloud computing environment is challenging to say the least. RMM and PSA solutions are being revved to support these solutions.  That is why it is important for you to select and configure your solutions now, as the more your client base grows and your solutions diversify, the more you will need these systems.  And once they have been implemented, you will be better able to meet the needs of your clients, and keep your own cost structure under control as well.

Pre-Order MSPU's New Book The Best NOC and Service Desk Operations BOOK EVER today!

 

 
Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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The ‘One Stop’ MSP Shop

The old saying “jack of all trades and master of none” is passé.  In the world of MSP offerings, you have to be able to offer what your clients need to add the most value to your business relationship.  Here are a few tips that can help you accomplish this task.

Expand Your Knowledge

Be an avid reader of trends and happenings in the MSP field.  Join discussions on the issues and offer your opinion.  Soak up as much as you can on topics that you do not know about or understand.  Take courses and attend conferences.  Write an article on a subject that you need to learn more about which will force you to do some research.

One professional stated recently, “I was not as knowledgeable about VoIP systems as I should be until I was asked to be on a panel of service providers to help customers learn about and make wise choices for their businesses.  It made me take a look at that area of our business and make changes so that we can now offer it in our suite of services.”

Focus on Your Strengths

Most MSPs have an area in which they are highly proficient and add great value.  Look for ways to tie in other areas to that strength so that you are able to provide a sense of a ‘well-rounded’ set of offerings for your customer.

For example, if you are good at networking monitoring and management, add asset management to your service offering line card by leveraging your network discovery and reporting capabilities.

Create Strategic Business Alliances

The ability to subcontract for things that you do not do helps provide your clients a full range of services.  You can also use this method while you ramp up your business to be able to offer these services yourself in the future if it makes sense.  Another benefit of this is that you look larger in the eyes of your clients and prospects.  Ask which comment you would rather have said of your business:  “They seem pretty small, I’m not sure they could handle this.” Or “I like what I see in their offerings and think they would do a good job.”

Make sure that any business agreements are clearly spelled out in a document that is acknowledged and signed by both parties before proceeding with this type of a plan.

It’s time to be the best MSP that you can be through your ability to service your cleints to address any need that they have.  It is good for you and them, and it will help you grow your business at the same time.

Learn more about MSP University's philosophies on partnering to broaden your solution stack to become the trusted advisor that is perceived by your clients as their business partner with the ability to marshal the resources necessary to meet all of their current and future business needs in MSP University's The Guide to a Successful Managed Services Practice - What Every SMB IT Service Provider Should Know...

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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5 Tips To Prevent Insider Security Threats

As a Trusted Advisor and Business it is your responsibility to be aware of new security threats to ensure your clients remain protected at all times. And I'm not talking about electronic security threats - this is about human beings. One bad employee can ruin your company's good reputation.  There are simply some things a computer cannot do, including judging an individual based on the information provided.  Here are five tips to help you avoid insider security threats.

1. Background checks and employee pre-screening - The first and most obvious way to avoid hiring a person whose ethics may be questionable is by investing the time, energy and money in full background checks as well as other forms of employee pre-screening. Each potential employee should be vetted according to the position they are applying for within the company. Positions which carry larger responsibilities as well as exposure to sensitive information should require a more in-depth background check. Employees should understand that they have to pass a background check in order to be awarded the position - and keep it in the future. Background checks should include, but not limited to financial and criminal history.

2. Initial and periodic drug screening - You certainly don't want to hire an employee that fails a drug test - and periodic screening of all staff can identify potential issues before they become problems.

3. DISC and PIAV behavioral profiling - I remember clearly how hit-and-miss our success at hiring the right staff used to be before we discovered the value of utilizing DISC behavioral profiling in our hiring process. Based upon the groundbreaking work of William Moulton Marston Ph.D. (1893 - 1947) in the (then) emerging field of psychology, DISC measures four dimensions of normal human behavior:

1. Dominance - relating to control, power and assertiveness (how we respond to problems or challenges)
2. Influence - relating to social situations and communication (how we influence others to our point of view)
3. Steadiness (submission in Marston's time) - relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness (how we respond to the pace of our environment)
4. Conscientiousness (or caution, compliance in Marston's time) - relating to structure and organization (how we respond to rules and procedures set by others)

We have not only been able to significantly improve our success rate at hiring the right staff since implementing DISC behavioral profiling, but we have used DISC profiles to help in team-building efforts.
The Personal Interests, Attitudes and Values Profile (PIAV) shows why a person works. It describes the traits that drive a person to work; that motivate action or create resistance.

The PIAV Profile ranks a person’s attitudes based on the following six core motivators, which reflect a person’s primary interests:

1. Theoretical--Truth, knowledge, objectivity.
2. Utilitarian--What is useful, what will work, what will make money.
3. Aesthetic--Expression, experience, harmony, beauty.
4. Social--People, relationships, nurturing.
5. Individualistic--Advancement, getting to the top, assertion of self.
6. Traditional--Finding the highest values in life, living according to an unquestioned set of rules.

A person’s attitudes play a major role in motivation. The PIAV profile describes the major categories of motivation in terms of interests, attitudes and values. The insights gained through the PIAV profile show us why people are moved to work hard, or not, on the job. Understanding these motivators helps managers handle employees in a more productive manner in order to get the best possible work out of them.
~Integrating DISC and PIAV behavioral profiles into your hiring process will provide you a with insightful information to insure you not only get the right people on the bus, but also in the right seats on the bus - to borrow a phrase from Jim Collins. Visit MSP University to find out how to get a complimentary DISC behavioral profile for yourself.

4. 2-Factor Authentication Tokens - Implement a 2-Factor Authentication solution for all staff requiring access to sensitive internal, as well as client network and data access. Assigning tokens to your staff that support this functionality allows you to avoid providing them the administrator passwords of any devices and services supporting this ability (most newer devices and operating systems do). See our friends at Scorpion Software for more information.

5. Make these actions a part of the company policy -  Running background checks, drug screens, behavioral profiling and requiring secure authentication for potential new hires and existing staff is not the beginning and end of your responsibility as an employer.  It is imperative that your company have a detailed policy which explains the rights and responsibilities of your organization as well as those of each employee. There should be no grey area as to what information is off limits or highly sensitive.  The policy should also list what the repercussions are of crossing these boundaries.  Security must be a part of the culture of the company.

Train managers to spot risky behavior-  Managers must be in tune with the staff in order to spot changes in behavior that might indicate a security risk.  While it is important for managers and employees to have an open and hopefully friendly relationship, close personal relationships should be avoided.  Small companies have the advantage of fewer employees, yet any size company must make it a point to pay attention to changes in the behavior of their workers. Recognizing personal, financial and emotional problems in employees may be the best way to address and eliminate a security risk before it becomes a major problem.

Technology improves each day and in many cases makes our lives much easier; however at the end of the day, the human factor remains the one thing that technology cannot control.  Therefore it is up to the owners and management team to create an atmosphere which stresses the need for security and the consequences should employees fail to meet that requirement.  It is also important to remember not to treat your employees in such a negatively security-conscious manner that it creates disgruntled and unsatisfied employees who then become the very thing you are trying to avoid - an insider security threat.

A happy workplace with specifically documented policies messaged consistently will create happy employees and happy employees are less likely to risk their job and their freedom with risky behavior.

Attend MSP University's next Boot Camp for FREE!

Erick Simpson 
MSP University
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