New customers equate to new monthly recurring revenue – the ultimate goal for improving your business. But, many MSPs lose potential customers as a result of mistakes in their packaging of IT service offerings.
Packaging is an important part of your sales approach, and it has the potential to be the most compelling trigger for new clients. It involves what you sell to each customer and what promises you make to deliver IT solutions that meet their needs.
Think: How do we turn the services we provide into that which our clients really want?
Evaluate how you are packaging your IT solutions, and consider these key tactics to improve your efforts.
Focus on the end result.
What you’re doing and how you’re doing it isn’t as important to customers as what they’re getting out of it. How does it impact their business? When you focus more on the people impacted by your services and the positive results they’ll experience, your IT service offering becomes more appealing to potential customers.
Talk about the process.
Highlight your specialties and the unique MSP services you bring to the table. Your entire business process increases your clients’ profitability, and that sets you apart. It’s about much more than technology. It means knowing what your company does that others don’t. Use your process to your advantage.
Limit your options.
If you’re putting extensive time and effort into your service packages, you’ll bleed time, resources and energy – unless you limit the number of options you offer. When you pitch a list of all your available options without considering your potential client’s budget, you’re unlikely to win the business. Instead, customize your service offering based on specific client needs, keeping their budget and priorities in mind. The extra investment and care you put into this is going to pay off.
Define edges.
Create a clear outline for customers, detailing exactly what they’re paying for each month. By showing them the services they’re receiving for their investment in your IT solutions, it’s easier to demonstrate the value of your service offering package.
Remove entrance barriers.
If you want to increase the level of monthly recurring revenue flowing in, you have to make it as easy as possible for new customers to do business with you. Eliminate technical jargon from your package descriptions, and redo complex contracts that are difficult to understand. Clients often perceive ambiguity in service offerings as a risk. Remove this risk and red tape to accelerate the rate of your sign-on process.
Define your “company way.”
This is the single most important step you could take to improve your packaging process. Ultimately, your packaging should define your “company way” – your unique value proposition. How do your services have a positive impact on the customer’s business? When eliciting a commitment to your service offering packages, make sure you demonstrate your competitive advantage and highlight your MSP Super Power.
Ask: Is our packaging unique?
When it comes to forming a relationship with new clients, it’s critical to utilize technology – not sell it. Every competitor pitching to a company before and after you talks about how they’re going to monitor computers better or how their cloud is more secure. Prospects are tired of hearing it. You must send the message that you’re not just technology experts, but also experts in providing top-notch service.
Here’s a quick list to help you determine how to evaluate your support offering against your competitors.
How much of the “everybody” list are you highlighting in your service offering pitch? Refocus your efforts on what makes you a unique MSP, and you’ll see the positive impact on your monthly recurring revenue.
In the next blog, we’ll evaluate the other half of this element: pricing. Come back to find out why you should charge more for the IT services you offer.
In mastering how you package your service offering, you’re one step closer to World Class MSP status. Learn more about how to package and price your IT services by downloading our free whitepaper.