Misaligning Priorities with Aspirations

One of the main reasons MSPs don’t grow is that they mistake aspirations for priorities.

Most MSP leaders want to grow their businesses, and they aspire to have new MRR at the right price. However, many do not achieve this. In our TruMethods Peer groups, we see MSP leaders who have been in business for many years and have gone entire quarters without a new customer. This is a symptom of something bigger.

If this scenario sounds familiar, then sales and marketing are not a priority to you. You aspire to have more MRR, but your priorities probably lie elsewhere. Think of it this way: if you’ve been in business for five, seven, or ten years and you’re stuck at a certain revenue level, it means that the things you prioritize are not getting you unstuck. Your days are filled with tasks that, in your mind, make the business better, but the months and years go by without fulfilling your potential.

Your priorities do not match your goals and aspirations!

Growing a business is like anything else. You have to put the right priorities in place and have enough accountability to execute them. Get a better understanding of your sales plan and track your activities for a few weeks to shine a light on what your priorities really are.

I know this is not easy. Habits are hard to break. The first step is to be honest with yourself: Are sales and marketing a priority or just an aspiration?

The Difference Between Skill and Logic

I want to discuss the power of logic. I was recently working on a big project. It was complex and involved a team of people, and it reminded me of many of the complex IT projects we faced when I operated my MSPs.

Many times, people would simply dive in and get to work. These were smart, well-intended people with extensive domain knowledge, but they missed planning and logic. This would slow down what we were doing and cause unwanted client problems.

I’d see this with problem-solving as well. For instance, I remember working with our technical team when I owned my MSPs. When working on technical issues, sometimes, the team would get stuck. I’m not a technical person, but I would ask questions, apply logic, and end up with a troubleshooting plan that achieved the right results. Many times, logic is more important than technical knowledge.

It’s crucial to ask yourself: Am I teaching my leaders and team members to prioritize logic, planning, and then action? Don’t assume that people understand this. It’s not instinctive; it’s a skill you teach.

Rather than providing solutions outright, teach them the logic so that they can develop that skill.

Thanks, Zig

If you have yet to hear of Zig Ziglar, he was a motivational and sales speaker and success coach. If you Google “Zig Ziglar quotes,” you’ll find over 100 amazing pieces of insight. He helped improve millions of people’s lives, including yours truly.

As a young salesperson, I listened to Zig all the time. He was the king of quotes, and one that has stuck with me over the years is: “You can get whatever you want out of life if you just help enough other people get what they want.” I love this quote, and I have found it to be so true throughout my career.

At Schnizzfest, I spoke about “linchpins” — people you meet who are the right people at the right time. Linchpins make all the difference in our lives and careers. The problem is that you rarely know whether someone will become a linchpin, so you must treat every person as a linchpin. I think this is what Zig was getting at — seek first to help those around you get wherever they want to go and ask nothing in return.

As employers, we are responsible for helping each team member grow in value, even if that means eventually leaving. We are responsible for creating opportunities to keep good people, but we must prioritize their needs.

It’s Never Just One Thing

MSPs often tell me, “We’re good — we just need to (fill in the blank).”

“We just need more sales.”
“We just need more leads.”
“We just need more project work from our base.”
“We just need to improve our support efficiency.”

It’s almost never just one thing in the MSP business. That’s why fixing “the one thing” almost never moves the business forward meaningfully.

If you have a sales problem, it starts with your delivery and packaging. If your net recurring revenue (NRR) is low, your ticket noise is also usually high, and your seat price is probably low. The lack of NRR is a symptom of a less than strategic relationship with your customers.

This is why we developed SMART numbers benchmarking for our TruMethods Peer members. It provides them with a comprehensive view of the business, enabling them to pinpoint the key factors that truly drive growth and profitability.

So, are there things you need to fix to change your results? If so, look at them and ask if they are symptoms or root causes.

Also, ask, if we fix this one thing 100 percent, would it change the business meaningfully?

Navigating Relationships: Recognizing Red, Green, and Brown Apples in Your Life

Consider life as a bowl of apples, with each type of apple in the bowl symbolizing the different types of people we meet. Understanding the variety among these individuals is crucial.

Let’s start with the red apple. To me, a red apple symbolizes someone we have a close, positive relationship with. Red apples are people you speak with several times a week. They know a lot about you and are trustworthy. You can rely on them for honest feedback. They’re there for you when you need them. Everyone is after the red apple, but there are fewer of them.

Then there are green apples. They’re also delicious and represent positive people in our lives. While they know much about you, you don’t have the same deep relationship with them as you do with the red apples. You talk less and catch up when you can. You’re also supportive of one another but less likely to be vulnerable. You probably have more green apples in your life than red ones.

Finally, there are the brown apples. If you know anything about fruit, when there is one bad apple, it spoils the red apples around it. Unfortunately, we all have brown apples in our lives. These are people who drain us of our emotional energy. We try to avoid them, or at least we should, but we can eliminate them. They could be family, co-workers, or people inside our social circles. Removing the brown apples when possible and managing our relationship with those we can’t avoid is important.

Focus on filling your bowl with red and green apples for a more fulfilling, meaningful, and stress-free life.

Charting My Journey: The Integral Role of Peer Groups in Shaping My Story

I’ve recently taken some time to reflect on the significant role Peer groups have played in my life and the ongoing value they hold for me.

I started participating in Peer groups when I owned an MSP many years ago. They helped me stay on the right track, hold myself accountable, and focus on what mattered as an MSP owner.

While I no longer operate an MSP, I still find Peer groups extremely helpful. In fact, I joined a local one not too long ago. I’ve been in this group for nearly a year and already developed strong personal bonds and gained invaluable perspectives, connections, and insights that have enriched various aspects of my life.

To get the most out of the group, I make it a point to attend every meeting and come well-prepared. Before each meeting, I review updates from others and jot down notes on insights I can offer — aiming to give more than I receive. I also try to be a good listener and thoughtful about my comments.

I’m on the Peer group’s membership committee. Serving in this capacity allows me to interact with potential members, distinguishing those who share a genuine interest in contributing from those merely seeking to take. This role has also deepened my understanding of managing our TruMethods Peer groups effectively.

Above all, I’m thankful for the role that Peer groups have had and continue to have on my journey. Consider joining one if you haven’t already done so. We all stand to gain from a bit of support.

The Emotional Cost of Business Decisions: Navigating Facts vs. Feelings

Many people base their business decisions on emotions instead of facts. While I’ve been guilty of doing the same in the past, I’ve always been a fan of crunching the numbers, which has saved me more often. You see, I like using math to deconstruct problems and find solutions, but many people don’t, and even when the numbers are telling them to go one way, they take a different route. That’s how emotions can cost you thousands of dollars.

For instance, I spoke to a small business owner who owns a contracting business the other day. After talking briefly, he said he recently bought some trucks for his employees and paid in cash. When I asked why he paid in cash, he replied with something I’ve heard plenty of times over the years, “I don’t like debt.” I understood his perspective but decided to use the opportunity to push back and add some value, so I said, “Okay, you don’t like debt? Do you also not like money? By paying in cash, you’re giving it away freely!” Of course, he looked at me with a confused look, so I suggested we sit down and run the numbers. When we did, we found better ways of acquiring the trucks. But the story doesn’t end there! Even though we did the math, he was still hesitant. Why? His emotions continued to cloud his judgment.

Here’s another example. The other day, I watched a brief video of Dave Ramsey, a financial guru known for his staunch opposition to using debt in all circumstances. In the clip, someone asked if he would borrow a billion dollars at 0 percent interest for ten years if it were an option. Now, if you run the numbers, your answer can’t be anything other than yes, but to my surprise, he answered, “No.” Even though Dave tried to make a point, the math didn’t add up.

We also see how our emotions can sway us when making other financial decisions, like the common belief that renting is financially inferior to homeownership or the decision-making process involved in selling a business. While it’s true that these decisions affect more than just numbers, the mathematical aspect often gets overlooked or overshadowed by emotional biases.

My point is this: Even though it’s difficult, we must dissociate our feelings from the mathematical realities to make more informed, rational decisions.

3 Major Takeaways from the Schnizzfest 2024 Main Stage

This year’s Schnizzfest was my favorite of the twelve member conferences we have held. There are many reasons why I enjoyed Schnizzfest 2024. The primary reasons were the excitement, determination, and results of our peer members. The ratings on the content were the highest ever. Also, I was able to use my keynote address to share all of the lessons I have learned about success over the previous year.

Here are three major takeaways from Schnizzfest’s main stage.

Success formula: 90% attitude and discipline, 10% knowledge

You’ve heard this from me repeatedly, but it’s one of the most important statements in my life: “Success in life is 90 percent attitude, self-image, and self-discipline, and 10 percent knowledge.” Without it, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today.

When you think about it, it’s nearly impossible to accumulate all the knowledge in your field. You simply don’t have the time. Because of this, someone will always know more than you, whether in tech, business, or life. That’s why competing on knowledge is a failing business strategy.

For instance, I wouldn’t have launched my first MSP if I had been focused entirely on acquiring knowledge. (At the time, I was barely knowledgeable in technology or being a business owner!) While there were plenty of MSPs ahead of me, I instead focused on my attitude, self-image, and discipline, which paid off tremendously in the long run.

Another example is when I launched TruMethods. I wasn’t an expert on peer groups, public speaking, or coaching. All of that I had to learn “on the job.” It wasn’t easy, but what kept me moving forward was the foundation of self-discipline I had built while running my MSP; it kept me on track and moving forward.

Ultimately, concentrate on what’s within your control, which is invariably yourself.

Securing the ideal client at the optimal price

I’ve always said that acquiring customers at the right price is critical to becoming a world-class MSP, which is true, but what’s also important is finding not just any customer who’s willing to pay the right price but the right one.

Good customers respect you and your team. They also implement your recommendations and, most importantly, pay on time. Bad customers not only do the opposite but can also destroy your company culture and kill the morale of your employees.

For example, Tyler Sanders, CEO of PACE Technical Inc., shared a story with me at Schnizzfest about how one of his customers would disrespect his employees, putting undue stress on their service desk. This led to Tyler losing a top employee. Fortunately, PACE fired the client, and luckily for Tyler and his company, the employee returned.

Remember this: Our employees don’t make enough money to be treated poorly by our customers.

Finding the right customers at the right price can make all the difference to your bottom line and your organization. It’s your responsibility to vet prospects for potential bad customers.

Heroes are leaders who choose not to be ordinary.

Sometimes, we don’t recognize the everyday heroes in our lives until we look in the mirror. There, we see all the people who’ve helped us become who we are for the better. Those are the heroes we should strive to be.

Motivational speaker Kevin Brown spoke at Schnizzfest to remind us of this. He talked about how we can all be heroes in the lives of others if we learn to own the moments that matter. Being with a group of people is an opportunity for you to add value to their lives. Will you own the moment by being present and making a difference, or will you keep your head down and miss the opportunity to give? You never know when your world colliding with someone else’s can make a significant difference in the lives of others.

Kevin shared a story about meeting an executive chef at Disney World who took the time to learn more about his autistic son’s dietary needs and made the appropriate accommodations. Kevin was amazed by the chef’s compassion and willingness to go above and beyond that he shared the story during many of his talks. But it wasn’t until many years later that he realized the moment his son shared with the chef made a difference in not only the lives of Kevin and his son but also many of the other guests at Disney World. After learning everything she could about dietary restrictions for children with autism, the chef created programs explicitly designed to meet their needs, impacting an insurmountable number of future guests.

Great leaders are heroes. They pour everything they have into the lives of others. Bring everything you have to the present moment because you never know if something you say or do will positively impact another person’s life.

Turning a Missed Call into a Teachable Moment: My Encounter with a Car Salesman

Recently, I was helping my daughter buy a car. I researched what we were looking for and called the local Mazda dealership to speak to a salesperson. But the conversation went differently than planned.

Once connected to a salesperson, I said, “Here’s the car I want. Here’s the stock number of the car from your website. I want to make a deal on the car. I am ready to buy.” He replied, “Hey, I have a customer coming in. Can I call you back when I’m done?” I said sure, but I never heard back.

The next day, I called the salesperson back and said, “Hey, you never called back.” He responded by telling me how busy he was and simply forgot to return my call. I took it upon myself to make this a learning opportunity for him.

I asked him, “Are you the top salesperson in the country for Mazda?” He wasn’t; according to him, he wasn’t even close. “Okay, then,” I said. “Can you send me your to-do list? I want to see what’s higher on your list than calling back a prospect who told you he was ready to buy today.”

Of course, I’ve asked MSP leaders this question many times over the years, especially after I noticed something that could make an immediate difference in the business, and it just wasn’t getting done. This concept separates achievers from others.

Most people aren’t lazy. We’re all busy all day long. The difference is what we spend our time on. In the case of the car salesman, he doesn’t have a process to manage how to do the most important things first — do you?

Every Job Is Like Sales

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to present to more than 1,000 account managers at the Kaseya sales kickoff meeting in Miami. Thanks to the group’s vibrant energy and eagerness to learn, it was as enjoyable as any talk I’ve given.

I shared stories about the struggles, fears, and wins I experienced as a young salesperson. I introduced them to what I call my ‘Success Process.’ It’s a straightforward approach, focusing on three things: creating a clear vision for my life, setting meaningful goals, and being consistently accountable. This approach helped me see the clear link between my actions and outcomes, showing me just how much control I had over my career and life. It’s not just a sales technique; it transformed my entire approach to business leadership.

I always enjoy speaking with sales teams because the Success Process directly applies. Either you meet your activity goal or you don’t; you hit your quota, or you don’t. The direct tie between what you do and what you achieve is clear, straightforward, and incredibly powerful.

But let’s be honest: Every job has elements of sales. The challenge is to define what success looks like and set clear markers for accountability. The principles I’ve shared are universal — they can help anyone excel in their business and career.