MSP Sales Strategy Reset

Posted by managedsalespros On April 1st, 2024

MSP Sales Strategy Reset

–Carrie Richardson, Richardson & Richardson Consulting

If you’ve tried, tried and tried again to find a way to generate qualified leads for your MSP it may be time for an MSP sales strategy reset.

The Good News: An MSP Sales Strategy Reset Is Manageable

If you’re an MSP looking to improve your sales figures, the good news is that resetting your MSP sales strategy is entirely achievable. It requires commitment, execution, and accountability, but it’s not an insurmountable task.

The Reality Check: Timing Is Everything

Unfortunately, if you’re aiming to impact your 2024 numbers significantly, the best time to start was at the beginning of 2023. Sales strategies take time to develop and yield results, typically around nine to twelve months. So, if you start now, expect to see the fruits of your labor in 2025.

Where to Start: Focus on Volume

When considering which part of your sales strategy needs immediate attention, volume is almost always the biggest issue. It’s a straightforward fix that is often overlooked because it involves a lot of hard work. More calls equal more opportunities, which leads to more sales meetings and, ultimately, more closed deals. That’s where Managed Sales Pros comes in!

Cold Calling: The Most Underrated Sales Tool

Despite the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of cold calling, it remains a valuable tool, especially when other strategies are failing. Articles proclaiming the death of cold calling are often marketing ploys to encourage MSPs to buy subscriptions to group coaching, software and “guru” one-size-fits all systems that blame the buyer when they are the “exception” to the rule.

Many sales methodologies exist, and all can be considered in a sales strategy reset. Cold calling should complement, not replace, your existing sales toolkit.

Building a Habit: Consistency in Calls

One of the reasons Managed Sales Pros has been so successful at cold calling for MSPs for so long is our consistent approach to process and our 100 dial a day per agent minimum. 100 calls a day is our starting point. Every day. Because it’s all we do, we are able to generate the sales leads our MSP clients need to be successful. If you only have time to make ten outbound calls daily, we will always be able to outperform your in-house efforts.

However, if you’re committed to cold calling in-house, you can benefit from cold calling, too!

Start by making a manageable number of calls each day and gradually increase the volume. This gradual approach helps build a sustainable habit without overwhelming you or your team. Nobody goes from one call a day to a hundred. In training our agents start slow and increase their volume over weeks, not days.

But what if you just really don’t want to cold call or don’t have time?

How will this impact an MSP sales strategy reset?

We recommend outsourcing, but we don’t recommend doing it without understanding what your outsourced partner is doing or outsourcing with unrealistic expectations. This isn’t a magic button. It takes time, so trying it in house for a while will help you understand what you’re buying and will help you choose a better cold calling partner.

Understanding the Process: Hands-On Experience

Before outsourcing your sales calls, it’s crucial to understand the process yourself.

By making calls, you’ll develop a sales process tailored to your business. This hands-on experience will also help you set realistic expectations and measure the success of any outsourced efforts.

Avoid Time Wasting Activities: Stay Focused

Time spent researching, list-making, or posting on social media does not directly contribute to sales call success. If you want to be successful using cold calling in your MSP sales strategy reset, your focus should be on making calls and engaging with prospects directly.

Improving Your Sales Process: Do the Work First

While refining your sales process is very important, it’s not the first step if you’re not making enough calls. Don’t waste resources on process improvements until you have a team willing to do the groundwork of prospecting. Put differently, if you or your team have only made 10 calls a day up until now, there isn’t a lot of value in crafting a new strategy that requires making 100 calls a day unless someone is prepared to make the calls. Once you have a willing dialer who is consistently making those outbound dials, it’s time to focus on the process and strategy. Strategy is expensive – and essential – but you’ll need to be prepared to train up or out of your organization.

Most importantly, are you ready to lead by example?

Resisting the Urge to Overcomplicate: Keep It Simple

Don’t be tempted to buy more software or data subscriptions thinking they will replace the need for direct prospecting. These tools can enhance your efforts but only after you’ve established a consistent pattern of making sales calls.

Creating a MSP Sales Strategy: Set Realistic Goals

Develop a realistic plan for moving forward, which includes setting attainable sales goals and committing to a daily call schedule.

Get a copy of Carrie Richardson’s ebook on Sales Prospecting for MSPs here!

No Rush Decisions: Choose Partners Wisely

Rushing into partnerships with sales or marketing firms can have long-term negative effects. Take the time to make informed decisions that will benefit your business in the long run.

Success: It’s Not Just About Sales Growth

As you embark on this journey to improve your MSP sales strategy, remember that success is not just about numbers. Spending all of your time doing something you hate isn’t going to benefit you, your team or your clients. If the idea of cold calling just makes your skin crawl, you may need to choose a partner like Managed Sales Pros sooner, rather than later.

We spent a lot of time refining our own strategy over the last few years, including adding new calling packages that are affordable for MSPs of all sizes. If your current in-house strategy is failing you, or your current partner just never delivers on the promises they made to you, we’d love the chance to earn your business!