Stop Blaming the Lead. Start Owning the Response.

You probably don’t have a lead problem.

I talk to MSPs every day who think they do. They say things like:

“We tried paid ads and the leads were garbage.”
“We got a few intro calls, but they weren’t qualified.”
“They ghosted us after the first email.”

I get it. I’ve heard all of it. But let me challenge you with something: 

It’s not the lead. It’s how you’re showing up to it.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth most MSPs need to hear: 

What you do in the first five minutes defines the deal.

And in most cases? Those five minutes are either nonexistent… or loaded with friction.

Speed-to-lead isn’t just a B2C thing. In fact, I’d argue it’s even more important in B2B, especially in the MSP space where trust is everything.

“If a lead comes in and you wait even an hour to reply, that person has already formed an opinion about your company.”

We’ve run MSP marketing campaigns that delivered excellent leads.

People were filling out consultation forms. They were saying, “Yes, I’m interested.”

But when we checked in a week later… nothing had happened. No call. No follow-up. Maybe one vague email.

That’s not a marketing problem. That’s a response problem.

And what happens next?

The MSP says the leads are junk. The campaign gets paused. And the pattern repeats itself with a different vendor, a different source, a different excuse.

Let’s reframe this: the job isn’t to generate leads. The job is to create conversations.

And if your internal mindset is:

• “These leads are probably low-quality.”
• “They just want a price.”
• “They’re probably talking to five other IT companies...”

You’ve already poisoned the well before the first word is spoken.

Instead, you need to be asking:

• How fast did we respond?
• Was it personal?
• Did we show up with curiosity or with a pitch?
• Did we make it easy for them to say yes to the next step?

The difference between a ghosted lead and a closed deal is often "how the first interaction feels" to the prospect.

Let me make it very clear: respond to your leads within 5 minutes and you will see much better results.

A lot of MSPs are hesitant to follow up because it feels awkward.

They don’t want to chase. They don’t want to feel like salespeople.

But follow-up doesn’t have to be desperate. It can be confident. It can be professional. It can ditch the pandering.

Here’s a line I use all the time:

“(Name): are you still looking for help with (your problem)?”

That kind of message restarts the conversation. It’s direct and respectful. And it skips the awkward desperation part. You’re making it clear that you’re showing up to help with a very real problem they are suffering.

“There’s this weird shame around follow-up. Around selling. Around putting yourself out there.”

That’s the mindset trap. That’s the block.

If you’re still telling yourself you’re “not a salesperson,” then who’s going to carry the sale across the finish line?

The most successful MSPs I work with are not waiting around for perfect leads. They’re treating the response as seriously as they treat the service.

And if you’re hiring someone to sell for you? You better have a process in place. And you better know how to show them what "the right way" looks like.

Otherwise, you're expecting someone else to succeed inside a system you haven’t even defined.

Here’s a simple checklist I give to every MSP who says they want more leads:

1. Answer the phone. Seriously. Every time.
    
2. Respond to form and chat leads within 1–5 minutes. Even just to acknowledge the request and schedule a next step.
    
3. Follow up with intent. Not “checking in.” Show that you really listened.
    
4. Own your part. Don’t blame the lead until you’ve examined the process.
   
    

Make it easy to say yes. Short forms. Clear, practical next steps. Real availability.
 

You can’t always control the lead quality.

But you can control how you show up when the lead arrives.

That’s where most of the opportunity lives and where most MSPs drop the ball.

So the next time a new lead hits your inbox?

Stop blaming the lead.

Start owning the response.

Did you miss Nate Freeman as a guest on The MSP Sales Podcast?

In Episode 13 of The MSP Sales Podcast, "The Truth About Leads and Growth", Brian Gillette and special guest Nate Freeman of Tech Pro Marketing, for a raw and refreshing conversation about what it really takes for MSPs to grow. You can watch the live studio recordings of all our episodes on our YouTube channel.