MSP Business School

Today we discuss the marketplace as the pandemic rages on.  May MSP's are fighting to stay afloat as we head into what looks like it can be a long winter.  Robb starts the discussion sharing that in the peer groups he operates sales pro's are indicating that the race to the bottom is on. We then dive into the difference between building strategic relationships for the long-term vs. solution sellin...

Peter Strahan is the Managing Director for Lantech located Dublin, Ireland.  Peter shares with us a story of a disaster in the form of a fire that hit his customer's building and how in that moment Lantech's unseen value came front and center.

Robert Cioffi is COO & Co-Founder of  Progressive Computing  located in Yonkers, NY.  Launching in 1993 very early in his and his partner's careers they learned a lot through the school of hard knocks.  One of the primary drivers of his company's long-term success was engaging a coach and being part of a peer group. Robert starts the conversation is it takes a certain mindset and ego to start a co...

Carrie Simpson launched Managed Sales Pros in 2013 as a call center serving the MSP market. Starting with a contract in her native country, Canada, the operations quickly grew. A contract opportunity was presented to her and almost overnight she launched operations in the U.S.  Managed Sales Pros hit a market need that is large in the MSP community, customer acquisition through cold calling.  With...

Jeff Grande and Mike Paone launched TBNG Consulting started their company as many MSP's have, bootstrapping the business while working full-time jobs, in their caae from different states.  They accelerated the growth through grit and determination knocking on neighborhood doors and working evenings to kick off the company. One growth hack that they learned was truly engaging the channel and making...

Today we turn the tables and interview two of MSP Business Schools Co-Hosts, Robb Rogers and Tim McNeil.  Robb and Tim started OSR Manage.  Originally started as an MSP Lead Generation company OSR has morphed into a Virtual Sales Management juggernaut. The OSR Manage team focuses on helping Tech Founders build winning sales teams.  Their approach which is a mix of Executive, and Sales coaching cou...

Leigh Wood Owner and Director of  Node IT Solutions in Biggleswade, England joins us today and shares a story of persistence in the face of adversity.  We learn how when faced with a crisis that can cause a company to cease operations, Leigh and his team rose up and met the challenge head on.   Leigh starts with a conversation of his companies rise from its roots as an IT consultancy and its ultim...

Jason Schaller joins us in today's episode to discuss the importance of regular assessments and compliance reviews.  Anderson Zurmuehlen started as a traditional audit and accounting firm and ultimately added technology as a division of their business.  Leveraging their existing relationships where trust was established it only made sense to move into IT where trust of private information is also...

Today's Interview Series guest is Todd Whitley, CEO and Partner for Brightwire Networks.  Brightwire started as the traditional owner-led sales organization, and has since completed the transition to a mature sales team.  Todd sees 5-year business cycles within his business.  They key is being adaptable and focusing on growth. A key to Brightwire's success is building trust with clients and the sa...

In this episode we recap some of the highlights from our past 5 guests.  As experts in the field we have seen that each has their own approach in achieving success.  Robb, Tim, and Brian discuss hat they learned and share their opinions on whether they agree or disagree. We start with a discussion that centered around discussions with Craig Skevinington and Matthew Bookspan.  Each has experienced...

Today we speak to Tommy Wolosin, one of two partners operating NetWorks in Nashville, TN.  Tommy talks to us about creating an amazing culture to drive both client and customer relationships. We start with a conversation around how NetWorks started operations and how growth came from Tommy networking heavily in the Nashville area.  We talk about how peer groups and coaching were fundamental in bre...

Jon Rees joins us today on MSP Business School.  Jon is the Head of Technologies for Allied Communications, a Communications focused service provider with a large focus on the Casino and Gaming industry. In fact, they are the provider for 37% of the Las Vegas strip and 60% of Atlantic City. Today we discuss how to approach the enterprise space with a solutions focused approach. How once you crack...

In today's episode we speak with Eric Kiehn, the owner of C&W Technologies.  His service provider business has lasted 36 years and has seen good times and bad.  Eric tells us about those experiences and the downturns often led to new revenue opportunities. Eric speaks about how as he went into the last great recession in '08 it opened up a new market in cloud services for his break-fix shop.  Thro...

Today we start our Interview Series with our first guest Matthew Bookspan talks to us about the launch of Blacktip IT.  He did this at a time where most of us would be avoiding risk. Holding a six-figure job and with a baby on the way, Matthew and his wife made the decision to start and IT company and he has never looked back. Matthew starts by telling us the story of his launch and his decision p...

Today we start our Interview Series with our first guest Craig Skevington, the founder of Steadfast IT.  Steadfast started as a traditional break-fix house, moved to managed services and then took the bold step in focusing on multi-location companies with remote workforce. Craig shares with us the steps his company took to drive success.  This included building a portfolio and driving customer acq...

On this episode we do another virtual case study on using sales metrics as a source of sales rep motivation. Brian kicks off the conversation talking about a rep he took on through an acquisition.  This rep was a textbook salesperson with a mission.  We go into how this mission will drive success From a metrics perspective this rep was consistent, and his sales metrics reflected that consistency. ...

As MSP's work with their clients' it is easy to get complacent and work exclusively through your primary point of contact.  What happens when then contact is not the sole decision maker and has an equal partner who has equal say in your renewal decision.  Can you be at risk? Robb and Tim share a real-life case study of a client who ran into the exact issue described above.  The client had been a l...

Today's conversation focuses on client engagement, especially when things are slow in the relationship and things are working and we have moved to cruise control. Brian kicks this one off with a discussion around relationship building and how it is critical to not neglect the relationship or take it for granted.   So, how can we start this conversation when we don't have much to say?  It's all abo...

Today's we break down the prospecting process, how to get organized, focused, and targeted in your plan. Robb kicks off the conversation with the concept of the Dream 250, a process OSR Manage and their sales teams live by.  This process helps you get laser focused and find those valued relationships each sales rep requires. Tim discusses tactics to get to those target prospects.  We dive into a m...

With more an more staff working from home and many businesses looking at making that move permanent for their staff, we look at the impact on manage those teams and steps to take to keep everyone productive. Sponsored by vCIOToolbox and OSRManage Today's episode focuses on a trend that been growing steadily over the last decade, the remote office workforce.  The work from home model has had steady...

Going Vertical! Sounds like we may be talking with skater or snowboarders, but the vertical we will be speaking about today is singular focus on one industry.  Many MSP's have adopted the vertical approach, and quite a few with huge success as we can see in the ChannelE2E's Annual Top 100 Vertical MSP report. But the big question is can a vertical focus be right for my MSP, and is the risk associa...

In this episode we dig deep into the role of the MSP Inside Sales Representative.  Robb starts the discussion with some of the key responsibilities of the farmer rep and discusses their involvement in deal registration and renewals, proposal generation and customer service. Brian discusses how MSP clients can be the 'gift that keeps on giving" and how it is crucial to keep close to your client and...

In this episode we MSP Sales models that can be leveraged beyond the owner led sales model.  We discuss how to get started and the steps you need to take to set yourself up for long-term customer acquisition success. Tim starts the discussion in outlining owner led sales.  This is the most common way most MSP's get started.  Robb expands on the owner-led sales model generally starts with the 'frie...

In this episode we have a special guest filling in for Robb and Tim.  Jason Moss, Director of Marketing at Allied Communications , shares with us the tips and tactics he has employed to grow the Allied following by nearly 600% in seven months on the job. We begin with a discussion on strategy and the approach model Jason leverages when creating content for the team and when he is posting directly....

In this episode we discuss the role of the MSP Account Manager.   A great account manager can maximize the lifetime value of the relationship and ensure that the relationship sticks long-term Brian outlines the strategic account management process he employed while running his MSP.  Key points are understanding the key initiatives and obstacles that a client is facing and making recommendations to...