SuperPod — The no-filter MSP show

Colin Knox, founder and CEO of Gradient MSP gets candid about the MSP industry, the initial hurdles faced by MSP founders, and how they can be overcome

Highlights: The importance of identifying the needs of the market before building any product. 01:38 Shruti's thought process behind competing in an MSP vertical space. 02:48 The bottlenecking of tools and MSP space's hesitance towards adapting new tools. 06:28 Leveraging AI's data-driven insights in the SMB business. 09:01 The advantage of being an outsider in the space when it comes to problem-s...

Highlights How digital marketing has taken prominence over face-to-face marketing. 02:03 The importance of cultivating trust and building relationships in growing a brand. 02:54 The importance of storytelling in communicating the value of a business. 06:52 Things to look out for when hiring a marketer. 07:47 Pandemic trends that accelerated MSP businesses and the ones that are here to stay. 13:09...

Adoption of newer sales techniques in the MSP space-selling the commoditized way The need for MSPs to focus around cybersecurity The necessity of educating the clients on the border between general IT services and the cybersecurity realm. The need to focus on sales and marketing in the MSP space  Reaching the 1 million mark and the challenges involved The stigma associated with wealth and how a de...

Pete's MSP's acquisition journey and what you can learn- 2:30 The emotional journey— Letting go of your MSP and team 5:52 Communication dilemma during the acquisition phase and how to get past it 12:14 Pete's take on handling taxes as an MSP 15:02 Insights that can help a new MSP figure out branding 17:45 Video medium and the limitless potential it posits in the areas of branding and marketing 19:...

How Andrew's work with defence helped him with operations and processes. 01:35 The challenges with MSPs working remotely and how it has affected them. 05:15 The untapped remote work opportunities for MSPs and how to tap into them. 07-26 The distributed and remote workforce dilemma and what Andrew's team decided to do about it. 09:00 The exact framework Andrew used to ensure his team nailed WFH mak...

What you will learn A framework that will turn your website into a lead generating monster. Why (and how) to win more clients between 90-180 days of signing up. Picking a side to position your MSP and ensure you have a good brand recall. Frameworks to help you generate ideas, and marketing metrics you need to measure.

The marketing lesson all of us can learn from The Tech Tribe- 2:40 How 'The Tech Tribe' stands out amongst other popular MSP communities- 4:35 How MSPs were at the centre of technology shift in 2020 (and how it's helping MSP sales)- 9:20 Tapping into the co-managed IT opportunity for MSPs- 11:25 Nigel breaks down the right pricing strategy based on various levers- 15:20 A unique experiment Nigel r...

Topics discussed in this episode How did Mark discover the MSP niche, and how he fell in love with them? 01:37 Why MSP technicians need some assistance in sharpening their emotional quotient. 05:10 Key practices to ensure your customer experience is in place. 06:40 The business impact of providing a great customer experience. 08:00 Retaining the 'human' element in the age of bots, AI and automatio...

Topics discussed in this episodes The secret to running a good podcast in the MSP space. 02:45 The importance of collaborating/partnering with those providing complementary services. 07:00 The new way to think about MSP marketing. 13:00 The difficulties of being an MSP owner. 17:45 The three things Richard does to be mindful. 21: 56 The 'secret sauce' to your MSP business and the framework to find...

Topics discussed in this episodes How RCS Professional Services changed the marketing game post the pandemic. 03:18 How the 18-member team in RCS is structured. 04:32 Competing and standing out in a crowded MSP marketplace in New York. 05:50 The importance of tech stack in winning new businesses. 07:55 Being vendor agnostic helps RCS customize solutions to their clients needs. 10:26 Mental health...

Topics discussed in this episodes Nate's focus on customer retention, overcoming clients shutting shop, and finding 'ideal' customers. 03:30 The relevance of MSPs for smaller businesses. 05:03 Mental health and MSPs — why you should care. 06:45 Tactical advice on 'drawing the line' for your mental wellness 10:15 Why talking about mental health is important for you and your fellow MSP owners. 13:00...

Topics discussed in this episodes Why we will never go to the 'way it was before'. 03:22 What is the one key thing that will help MSPs thrive and shine. 05:09 The importance of being a 'digital citizen' in your marketing efforts 08:00 Looking out for new target markets that's emerged out of 'hybrid workforce'. 16:00 Identifying and firing 'high-cost' clients and why you need fire them. 17:47 Downs...

Topics discussed in this episode: Visibility doesn't translate to productivity. It's not necessary to be physically present in the office; it is a bit of an "artifact". 02:30 Traditional infrastructure is irrelevant in the new normal and this is an opportunity for MSPs to play the extended IT. 09:50 Collaboration will be central to how organizations and MSPs operate. 12:00 The necessity of switchi...

Topics discussed in this episode: Why being 24*7 is not an option for MSPs anymore, and how it's become a necessity with remote working becoming mainstream. 05:50 There's a real opportunity for MSPs to sound intelligent and get a seat in the IT strategy. 07:25 Why hiring tech talent might not be the most important thing for your MSP. 12:50 The constraint that holds MSP from growing. 13:44 Increasi...

Topics discussed in this episode: How can you differentiate your MSP from the MSP next door when you're on a shoe-string budget. 03:45 Tactical advice on being 'agile' and how you can leverage automation to achieve the 'everything now' phenomenon. 09:50 A step-by-step breakdown to answer 'Why should this client come to me', and break the silos between marketing efforts. 17:20 Overcoming the lack o...

Topics discussed in this episode: There are two defining terms to describe how MSPs can handle crises brought by the pandemic: survival and change. 06:43 We are seeing years of transformation such as cloud migration, distributed work, happen in a matter of months. 07:25 There's nothing like it when both the opportunity to do something right and make some money show up in the same place. 09:35 Work...

Topics discussed in this episode: The good that the MSP community has done for him and why he wants to give back to this community. 04:00 COVID gave a whole new perspective to what it means to have business continuity. 06:10 The changes that MSPs need to make from a technical, business, and financial point of view, to stay resilient. 09:13 It's necessary to continually look at your technology and...

Topics discussed in this episode: The two factors affecting how MSPs navigate the changes. 04:15 The only constant in the world of technology is change. 07:13 MSPs that didn't care well for their clients in the summer of 2019 are losing customers 08:00 Distributed workforce increased the demand for MSPs. 09:51 Adoption of new technology isn't purely an MSP's responsibility; the client must be will...