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“Lifestyle business” hypocrisy

Let’s discuss an ingrained issue that is not often addressed: client growth complacency. Some MSPs claim they want a ‘lifestyle business’ by sticking with existing customers to grow. Yet, when surveyed, their number one priority is finding new clients (CompTIA, 2024). MSPs often resort to short-term tactics that are misaligned with their business strategies, leading to losses and unnecessary stress.   1 – Is it cognitive? In the case of Managing Directors, there may be a dissonance between the outward preference for a lifestyle business and the internal drive or external pressure to pursue growth. 2 – Is it about control? For some Managing Directors, motivation might be influenced by the need for autonomy (control over the business), competence (feeling effective in their role), and relatedness (connecting with their team and clients). 3 – What to do? Here are some of the most conventional ways to grow a business. Most of us are familiar with these, the real challenge is to choose which are the ones that align with the company’s goals and values: Should you wish to refine your sales playbook or engage an outbound revenue partner as your extended arm, get in touch! Contact 7 Mistakes MSPs Make That Lose Sales in 2025 Avoid these common pitfalls that could be hindering your sales success. Download my guide now. Download Now

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How do you sell cyber security?

Today, I’m going to show you simple steps to be more effective at selling cyber security products. It matters because a lot of prospects and clients push back, feeling that cyber security protection is optional and/or that you are simply pushing products to them which triggers sales resistance. MSPs fail to sell cyber products in addition to their bread and butter offering and end up being caught up in a crossfire, left to deal with tighter margins and dissatisfied customers. 69% of buyers say “ Listen to my needs”   1 – Build your client profile One of the first things you should be doing is to understand what your Ideal Client looks like and build a client profile.   Once you have you’ve built an Ideal Client Profile , you should be asking questions that will help them understand which business areas require more support. You could be asking questions like the following: Are you protected against internal threats and accidental leaks? How secure is your document sharing and internal communication? How do you manage security risks for remote employees?   2 – Lead with fear There’s a myth that SMEs are less vulnerable than bigger corporations to cyber attacks. It’s important to know that a cyber attack on a small UK business costs on average £10,830 (Twenty-four.it, 2024), without considering the impact on reputation, which has a knock-on effect on suppliers, brand, etc. This figure may not be entirely representative of sector-specific attacks, which can be much more significant in terms of financial damage. 3 – Simplicity always wins   If you need a team to support you with your sales, one that you can bring on and make redundant upon satisfaction, consider an Outbound Revenue Partner like Topsalesdev that will handle the sales cycle from beginning to end. Get in touch! Contact 7 Mistakes MSPs Make That Lose Sales in 2025 Avoid these common pitfalls that could be hindering your sales success. Download my guide now. Download Now

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Are Professional services a “nice to have” for MSPs?

We’ll find out in this blog how professional services are either necessary for MSP or more of a “nice to have” option. Professional services tend to be one-off costs, project-based expenses that either add value or set MSPs back if they can do it all themselves. MSPs usually offer all-around IT help, but they might not have the know-how needed for tracking down threats, dealing with incidents, and digging into forensics. About 1/2 of businesses are short on basic cybersecurity skills, and a third are feeling the pinch when it comes to advanced skills. The need for specialist cybersecurity know-how is growing as businesses lean more on digital tech (Worldskillsuk, 2024). You might rely on a Managed Security Service Provider to keep your network safe, while bringing in professional services for a particular cloud migration project. Looking ahead, when it comes to future maintenance, you’re pretty much on your own with professional services. Once they finish the project, that’s usually it, and you’ll have to set up follow-up services or handle network maintenance yourself.    That said, a lot boils down to quality collaboration, and whether you are considering large IT consulting firms like Accenture or the more specialist and agile ones such as Morgan Cyber Consulting, you can draw significant benefits. Here is a key piece advice from the consulting firm:                                       “Once you get to the point you are big enough to have your own IT team I would recommend (even as an MSP) using your own team and pulling in PS when needed (Morgan,2024).” One-off: If you’re dealing with just one project, situation, or problem, ongoing support might not be necessary. You might not even need to pay anything at all. Targeted: Professional services tackle a specific issue. It’s simpler than a full project management solution but offers more adaptability than a basic task list. You can count on thorough support throughout most, if not all, stages of the process. Adaptable: You’re not limited to standard IT problems. A professional service provider can craft a solution for even the most unusual situations. In summary, professional services offer specialised assistance for specific IT issues, which MSPs really need, especially when facing problems like a lack of skills or resources, or navigating strict regulations. Getting support from experts not only solves immediate problems but also helps MSPs stay flexible and prepared for future cybersecurity challenges. 7 Mistakes MSPs Make That Lose Sales in 2025 Avoid these common pitfalls that could be hindering your sales success. Download my guide now. Download Now

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Commission or non commission sales reps?

Commission or non commission sales reps? In this blog, we will determine whether commission-only sales professionals could effectively work with modern Managed Service Provider (MSPs). Finding the right approach to increase sales through hiring salespeople doesn’t always yield desired results. As the Managed Service Provider industry experiences year-on-year growth, it’s crucial to devise the right strategy to avoid revenue loss. The issue lies in IT companies potentially allocating a significant budget to Account Executives /closers with an impressive sales track record, only to see no tangible outcomes. While this statement dates back a decade, it remains relevant. In this article, we will discuss: Pros & Cons Fit with MSPs Recommendations I recently discussed this with a Managing Director who considered this approach for his 10-employee MSP to minimise expenditure. It seemed like a quick fix for the wrong problem. If an IT support service company aims to sell low-ticket offers (3-4 figures) with a quick turnaround, it presupposes high-quality prospects and the MSP’s ability to onboard clients rapidly at a high rate, which isn’t always the case. If you’re considering commission-only reps as the preferred option, you should take into account the following: Your marketing and brand awareness are at the necessary level. You have a short sales cycle to enable your reps to leverage commissions. You have a well-defined sales process. You have robust service delivery. You have strong sales leadership and can provide sales training.  The best approach is to gain hands-on experience with the sales process. If it exceeds 2 months, consider having an in-house team of Account Executives (Commissioncrowd, 2024). While commission-only reps may be suitable for entry-level roles, they may lack industry-specific experience and familiarity with lengthy sales processes. Consider this: you may not be in a position to pay commissions to your staff within 3 months, leaving reps struggling to pay rent in the meantime. I believe it’s best to have Account Executives fully committed to your MSP without the stress of earning commissions when delivering compelling presentations to your long-term clients who seek a lasting partnership. 7 Mistakes MSPs Make That Lose Sales in 2025 Avoid these common pitfalls that could be hindering your sales success. Download my guide now. Download Now

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Crucial Tips for Accidental Sales Managers

Are You An Accidental Salesperson? As the MD or team leader of an MSP or IT company, you may find yourself torn by a myriad of responsibilities – including generating sales But do not panic. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Here are some key steps you can take to systemise your sales process without having to employ sales professionals. Ramp UpSet aside time each day or week to understand how best to optimise your schedule so you make dedicated time to build your sales pipeline and attract and qualify new leads.Be YourselfSales can be daunting, especially when we try to overdo it and you can easily end up sounding like characters from movies or being overly salesy. Be the salesperson you aspire to be, not an imitation. Discard what you dislike about sales approaches and enhance what you love.Use a Proven Sales ProcessAs the person who knows the MSP sales process best, make sure you write it down so that you can use it, replicate it, and share it with your team to help with in outbound outreach. Begin with a Discovery phase, where you take control of the conversation and ask prepared questions to really understand your prospective clients’ pain points.Learn to Pitch & CloseMaster the art of presenting and pitching new business. Once you’ve built a relationship, smoothly guide your prospect towards making a purchase without causing friction or losing deals. Consider incorporating storytelling, following the six attributes defined by Paul Smith: a time, a place, a main character, an obstacle, a goal, and events.Track Progress Remember the adage: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” Conduct regular meetings to understand the state of your lead generation and pipeline. You can identify actions necessary to work towards your goals, leveraging Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as meetings attended, qualified opportunities opened, and the number of conversations held each week.If you don’t have time to take these key steps yourself, I can help. 

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The Secrets of Top Performance

Encouraging Dialogue and a Healthy Lifestyle If you have internal or outsourced sales support for your MSP, it can be hard to assess how much value they are delivering. There are key aspects that every MSP MD or owner should recognise in their sales representatives to maximise positive behaviours, results-oriented attitudes, and revenue generation. Understanding these patterns and where there are gaps will empower you to swiftly achieve your revenue goals. I will talk about the following: Cultivating the Right Habits Identifying Essential Traits Prioritising Sales Well-being Many Managing Directors and SaaS company founders find themselves confused by methodologies advocated by “influencers” or outdated approaches that no longer align with modern sales engagement processes.If, as a Managing Director, you lack the time to engage directly in sales activities, you need to empower your Team Leader or Sales Manager to recruit individuals who are poised to spearhead your company’s growth. However, finding the right people isn’t the sole responsibility of an MD; it’s equally vital to develop them.To foster a sales workforce that operates at its peak, it’s crucial to consider certain characteristics: You might tell me, “Felix, our salespeople already do that, but we’re still not achieving desired results.”My response? s the execution aligned with the individual traits commonly found in top salespeople?”While the learning curve may be steep for new reps, with the right support, they can develop quality leads and close sales. Training them from scratch increases the likelihood of ingraining your organisation’s DNA into their way of working. Wellness advocate De Martini (2019) stresses the importance of linking every aspect of one’s job with the desired ultimate goals. Regular one-on-one sessions focused on performance and well-being transform collaboration into a genuine partnership, transcending the traditional employer-employee dynamic. To find out about my highly effective and affordable sales intensive training packages, give me a call on +44 7479494903

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Why MSPs Need Outbound Outreach

Why MSPs need outbound outreach in 2025 Being skilled and successful at prospecting is your best guarantee to consistent revenues. However, many MSPs and SaaS tech founders struggle with it due to mental blocks or lack of belief. According to Taskdrive (2019), 37% of trained sales professionals face challenges with prospecting. And if your main job is running your IT company, it’s likely to be even more outside your comfort zone! When you’re approaching cold or lapsed leads, you need to take care. We’ve all had those random, untargeted direct messages: Done properly, using a proven methodology, cold DM prospecting serves as a vital tool for expanding your business horizons and filling up your sales pipeline. It’s a way to break the ice and turn strangers into potential partners. While it might not be everyone’s preferred method, it’s a crucial aspect of growth. Leverage your positionManaging Directors and C-level executives of MSPs and IT companies have an advantage in sales, as they can leverage their positions to increase lead generation and progress opportunities. Although sales strategies are constantly evolving, gaining traction, nurturing opportunities, and closing deals remain achievable through a combination of research and action. Optimise your MSP low cost Sales EngineGiving your sales approach a friendly facelift is akin to adding charm to your pitch. Using inbound marketing and online content are crucial to help optimise your sales outreach as part of a targeted sales strategy. I have been building healthy sales pipelines and converting leads for MSPs and tech companies for a decade and have developed a sales methodology that combines the best of inbound marketing with outbound sales with tangible results. 7 Mistakes MSPs Make That Lose Sales in 2025 Avoid these common pitfalls that could be hindering your sales success. Download my guide now. Download Now

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