Reducing Technical Noise = Increasing Business Clarity

Historically, Managed Services Providers like Net Friends would lead conversations with technical stacks, ticket system features, and certifications. While these are all super important things for an MSP to focus on internally to be a best-in-class IT solution provider, they are not specifically what any customer buys from us. Business leaders who reach out to an MSP don’t buy stacks; they buy outcomes. Our clients want stability, reliability, and security.

There’s a practical matter of timing too, and along at least two fronts. In the first few months with most new clients there’s a backlog of IT needs that range from unsolved problems to something we call “tech debt”, which are legacy systems and solutions that are buggy, insecure, slow, and loads of risk to the business.

When we take stock of what stage we’re in with the MSP-client relationship, we ensure we’re keeping our priorities aligned and we aren’t getting ahead of ourselves. Regardless of where we are in the conversation though, the most important thing as an MSP is that we always speak the native language of our client: the language of business. We have to avoid technical jargon and unnecessary deep dives into components that don’t materially affect business outcomes. We aren’t dumbing things down when we keep the conversation at a high-level. Instead, we’re ensuring that as an MSP we aren’t unintentionally making our clients get confused, and in turn we don’t walk away from any conversation with a misunderstanding that only amplifies when we convey directives internally to our technical teams.

This isn’t a mindset shift alone. It directly shapes how we sell, how we onboard, and how we support clients long after the contract is signed.

Here's our way of executing this plan:

• Constantly remind ourselves that our clients want 3 core things from us above all else: reliability, risk mitigation, and accessible expertise.
• Regularly reach out to our clients with clear reports and offers to discuss their data with them that our tools help surface to aid in their decision making.
• Remind our team that they don’t close tickets, they solve problems for our clients. This increases the likelihood that our technicians and engineers are communicating with our clients in the proper context at all times.
• Set up systems that proactively alert us to potential business continuity disruptions, since our sacred duty to our clients is to keep things running smoothly and at all times.
• Without the client ever asking, proactively implement various protections in the background - like backups, cybersecurity controls, and incident response.

This informs our training posture. This determines our approach to how we report information to our clients. What our clients experience from us is a clearer, simpler, more valuable partnership with their technology. We as their MSP facilitate that partnership, and our success hinges on a client going as far and as fast as they want to go. After the clutter is removed, IT stops being a distraction and becomes a force multiplier for growth - delivered with clarity, trust, and confidence.

Watch Episode 32 of The MSP Sales Podcast, where John Snyder (CEO) and Neeleesh Patel (President) of Net Friends MSP down with Brian to unpack the real work behind building a successful MSP. From early mistakes to leadership clarity, partnership dynamics, and more.