3 Problems With the Whole MSP Idea and How to Avoid Them

3 Problems With the Whole MSP Idea and How to Avoid Them

MSP’s (Managed Service Providers) have exploded in number and variety in the last decade. There have been many variants, and they all claim some unique twist. They wish you to believe and trust that they are “the special one”. Upon careful evaluation many share critical similarities.

  1. Many MSP’s are selling managed devices,software, and maintenance plans for items. Servers, Phones, and Applications that are hosted and branded as “Cloud Services” are a few common ones. They are not actually selling service but services –  device and software maintenance under the guise of outcomes.
  2. A large percentage of MSP’s focus on some variant of “Trusted Partner” in marketing – but they generally do not have representatives with real world executive level experience handling the consultations. Too often a technical sales level representative is handed the reigns after a few months to maintain the account.
  3. MSP’s focus on what your existing service provider “missed” via “free” prepackaged audits of security or systems. This is meant to instill doubt in your existing provider or employees. These reports do not take into account the “why” and “how” of things. Selling fear and doubt are poor ways to start a relationship. As they say, those who live by the sword….

Do these common principles dictate a poor result? Certainly not – many companies are thriving that fully adopt all three ideas. The question to consider is this: is a commodity mindset in your provider really serving your best interests?

A carefully designed relationship, with clear outcomes and measurable metrics will provide a greater value to any organization.

A high value relationship means that dues have to be paid, time has to be put in, and resources have to be dedicated that often do not have an immediate return on investment or margin for the company providing the service.

Corporations seeking long term success and shareholder value benefit from a more thoughtful and considered approach, married to the ability to pivot quickly to market demand.

This latter form of service is the heart and soul of MNS Group.