Top 7 Tips to Get, Manage and Retain MSP Clients

5 min

Success as a Managed Services Provider (MSP) goes beyond merely offering technical solutions. It requires a deep understanding of your clients, skilful management of their expectations, and the ability to foster lasting relationships. The competitive landscape of IT services can seem daunting but don’t worry. We’ve put together seven tips to help you attract, manage, and retain MSP clients.

What is an MSP?

An MSP is a company that remotely manages a client’s IT infrastructure and end-user systems. In other words, being an MSP means providing a range of services designed to improve business operations and reduce costs. Learn more about what a Managed Service Provider is from our blog post.

What are the top tips to get MSP clients?

Whether you are a well-established MSP, an integrator or a start-up business, securing new clients can be an increasingly formidable task in the MSP industry. With an influx of providers and heightened client expectations, you can face numerous hurdles in establishing and expanding your customer base. 

If you are unsure where to start, check out these seven tips on how to find MSP clients:

1. Create stellar services
2. Build a strong professional network
3. Get high-quality referrals
4. Develop a successful marketing strategy
5. Offer outstanding support
6. Establish long-term partnerships
7. Prepare an MSP client onboarding checklist

#1 Create stellar services

First things first. Before you elaborate a strategy for getting MSP customers, you must clearly understand who you are. To clarify, this means you must understand your audience. Take the time to identify your core competencies, your strengths and what sets you apart from your competitors. Based on that, you can build your unique selling point (USP) tailored to your ideal customer’s needs. Knowing your USP enables you to communicate your strengths and differentiate yourself in the market effectively. 

Additionally, understanding your audience’s needs, pain points, and preferences allows you to tailor your services and messaging to resonate with potential clients. This targeted approach enhances your chances of attracting the right clients and fosters better client satisfaction, leading to long-term relationships and business growth.

So here we are – let’s understand how to reach the MSP clients that can benefit from your stellar services. 

#2 Build a strong professional network

It’s often said that networking is the most powerful way of doing business. This sentiment rings especially true in the MSP business. 

Networking, in its essence, is about building meaningful relationships within your industry. This might involve various actions. 

For example, it might be very important to regularly attend industry events, trade shows, and conferences. If you attend such events, you can interact with potential clients and like-minded peers to exchange knowledge and promote your business. Check out the must-attend events for MSPs and IT Professionals.

On the other hand, it’s also very important to join online forums and participate in local business networks. This can also provide several opportunities to share ideas, gain insights, and expose your business to a wider audience. Some examples to mention are Reddit, Linkedin, and Facebook. 

#3 Get high-quality referrals

Word of mouth is powerful in growing your MSP business. A satisfied client can become a strong advocate for your brand, spreading the word about your services and referring you to their network. 

So, how do you encourage referrals? 

Firstly, foster healthy relationships with your clients. This means understanding their needs, delivering quality services, and providing exceptional customer support. 

Secondly, don’t shy away. Ask for referrals. Often, happy clients are willing to recommend your services to others. However, they may only think to do so if you prompt them.

Last but not least, simplify the process of referring by providing referral templates that make the process straightforward.

 #4 Develop a successful marketing strategy

In the highly competitive managed services market, MSP marketing can be essential. Effective marketing helps attract new MSP clients and establishes your brand in the MSP market. Some marketing channels include:

• Content marketing: Build an engaging website to impress your clients. Add informative blog posts suggesting solutions to common IT problems so that you can position your brand as an industry expert. 
• SEO: Optimize your content for search engines to enhance your online visibility and attract organic traffic to your website.
• Social media: Engaging social media content can spark conversations and keep your brand in mind for potential clients.
• Email marketing: Consider setting up email marketing campaigns to reach your most important customers. Check out this detailed guide to learn more about MSP email marketing.

Leverage the power of these channels to reach your target audience and showcase your expertise. 

#5 Offer outstanding support

Your services and support can make or break your MSP business. The quality of your services should align with your client’s expectations. In other words, effective support ensures you’re there for your clients when they need it most. 

Your goal should be to understand your client’s pain points thoroughly. Provide tailored IT solutions, and offer prompt, reliable support whenever they face difficulties. 

Consistently delivering on your promises and standing by your clients in times of need will earn their and foster long-term loyalty.

#6 Establish long-term partnerships

Collaborating with other businesses can extend your market reach exponentially. Seek partnerships with non-competing businesses serving a similar target market. Often, these collaborations offer mutual benefits and can help both parties access a broader customer base. When selecting partners, ensure that their values align with yours and that their products or services complement your offer. A partnership based on mutual growth, trust, and customer satisfaction can significantly strengthen your market position.

#7 Prepare an MSP client onboarding checklist

The initial stages of any client relationship are pivotal in determining its long-term success. One key element of this is the onboarding process. As an MSP, having a well-planned client onboarding checklist ensures you don’t miss any crucial steps when integrating a new client into your services. 

You’ll find valuable information about this argument in our blog post about MSP client onboarding checklist. This checklist is a helpful tool that can be adapted to fit the needs of each client, ensuring a smooth onboarding experience every time.

Mastering the art of retaining MSP clients

Securing a new client is just the beginning. The real challenge lies in retaining them. Adaptability is crucial in this regard. Adopt a flexible work approach to cater to your client’s evolving needs. A strong company culture forms the backbone of your services. It encourages your team to deliver their best and fosters a work environment cantered around client satisfaction. Regularly highlight the benefits you bring to the table – be it timely services, cost efficiencies, or expert support. It reminds your clients why they chose you in the first place and why they should continue to do so.

Harnessing MSP clients’ software

As an MSP, you’re likely managing multiple clients simultaneously. Here, robust software tools can be your best allies. They help you track tasks, streamline communication, and swiftly resolve issues – all crucial aspects of managing client expectations. 

Do thorough research to identify the software that best fits your needs. An ideal tool should enhance your operational efficiency and ease your service delivery. Another key point is that the tool you choose should integrate with the tools you already use. Of course, our network monitoring software will cover this for you. We offer advanced network monitoring features and more than 1000+ Domotz integrations. You can start your free trial now and try it.

Conclusion

Success in the MSP business requires a strategic blend of networking, referrals, marketing, top-tier services, and effective partnerships. But remember, while attracting clients is essential, retaining them is equally important. Regularly reassess your strategies to stay relevant and continue delivering value to your clients. As you navigate this exciting journey, remember these tips and your MSP business will be on its way to remarkable success.

Further reading:

• IT company culture
• MSP Onboarding Checklist
• MSP Marketing