The key to closing more MSP sales is keeping the process simple. Unbeknownst to us, we oftentimes complicate the sales process by focusing on the bottom of the value stack, where our competitors are — competing over pricing, technical issues and other out-of-date talking points. If you’re not currently closing as much business as you should, you might need to be hit upside the head with what we call the “simple shovel.”
Simple equals success. When we make the sales process complicated, prospects don’t buy. To be frank, complexity kills deals. Based on their emotions — fear, doubt and uncertainty — prospects begin second-guessing the offering you’re offering them. To move prospects away from making decisions based on their emotions, keep the sales process as simple as possible for them. How do you go about doing this? Well, for starters, there are a few overarching concepts for you to consider: how to control complexity; how we complicate deals; and what to do to keep the sales process simple.
How to control complexity
In our business, with regard to sales, the majority of decisions are made on emotions. It’s our job to balance emotion with logic, and we do this by assessing how prospects view technology. Do your prospects consider technology as a business function or an expense item? It’s our job to educate prospects on our process and the value it will bring to their businesses. We want prospects making decisions based on results. Everything else in between complicates the process and makes selling to prospects more difficult.
How we complicate deals
Without even knowing it, we set ourselves up for failure before we walk through a prospect’s door. We build obstacles ahead of time by complicating the sales process: We focus too much on technical issues, agreements and choices. All of these challenges are tucked away at the bottom of the MSP value stack, where many MSPs still aren’t paying attention to where technology fits into a prospect’s overall business strategy.
Let’s use pricing as an example. Honestly, we often make pricing a bigger deal than it really is. Think about it this way: If you’re going to charge the prospect in front of you $1,000 more a month for your offering. That company is probably spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in payroll and overhead costs. What an MSP charges a customer is a relatively small percentage of their overall costs. $1,000 a month isn’t significant if you can show the prospect how your offering can produce better business results.
How you can keep things simple
At the end of the day, prospects are going to have to make a basic business decision: Are they better off doing business with you compared to other alternatives? It’s your job to show prospects how your results will be better than the results they’re currently receiving. In other words, do they need the results your process delivers? It’s always best to reframe the conversation at the highest level. Going granular will only make matters worse by introducing unforeseen complexities. Don’t get me wrong: You’ll end up discussing issues such as money and pain, but what you’ll want to do is always bring the conversation back to the top of the stack to discuss technology’s impact on strategy.
Keep it simple, stupid. There’s no need to complicate the sales process. Ultimately, help prospects make their decision business decision by avoiding the granular and bringing the conversation back to the top of the stack, where you can show your true value. If you feel things are becoming complex, don’t be afraid to use your handy-dandy shovel.
