SuperPod — The no-filter MSP show

Colin Knox, founder and CEO of Gradient MSP gets candid about the MSP industry, the initial hurdles faced by MSP founders, and how they can be overcome

Highlights:The importance of identifying the needs of the market before building any product. 01:38Shruti's thought process behind competing in an MSP vertical space. 02:48The bottlenecking of tools and MSP space's hesitance towards adapting new tools. 06:28Leveraging AI's data-driven insights in the SMB business. 09:01The advantage of being an outsider in the space when it comes to problem-solving. 12:10The opportunity for new players to enter the MSP space. 14:22Resources Mentioned:RedditChannelE2E.comThings you will learn:Quality of service is the biggest differentiator between good and bad companies.Internal speed of execution should be the primary priority for a startup.MSPs need to start taking advantage of new, modern tools to facilitate growth.

HighlightsHow digital marketing has taken prominence over face-to-face marketing. 02:03The importance of cultivating trust and building relationships in growing a brand. 02:54The importance of storytelling in communicating the value of a business. 06:52Things to look out for when hiring a marketer. 07:47Pandemic trends that accelerated MSP businesses and the ones that are here to stay. 13:09Defining marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) and sales-qualified leads (SQLs) — Micheal's take. 16:02The importance of hiring a marketer early on in a growing organization. 19:32Resources mentionedMSP sales 101Figuring out branding and acquisition: the MSP angleGetting started with Branding for your MSPWhat you will learnPeople are drawn in by a brand's interaction with the peopleIn a B2B environment, people relate more to your brand's personality as opposed to the logoCreative and emotional connection take precedence over templates in marketing

Adoption of newer sales techniques in the MSP space-selling the commoditized wayThe need for MSPs to focus around cybersecurityThe necessity of educating the clients on the border between general IT services and the cybersecurity realm.The need to focus on sales and marketing in the MSP space Reaching the 1 million mark and the challenges involvedThe stigma associated with wealth and how a dedicated sales engine helpsBrand value and the need to upsell oneselfMistakes made by MSPs while hiring sales peopleMindset that helps with disruption in the industryFuture of MSPs—Transitioning from widget sellers to risk management firm

Pete's MSP's acquisition journey and what you can learn- 2:30The emotional journey— Letting go of your MSP and team 5:52Communication dilemma during the acquisition phase and how to get past it 12:14Pete's take on handling taxes as an MSP 15:02Insights that can help a new MSP figure out branding 17:45Video medium and the limitless potential it posits in the areas of branding and marketing 19:10Tips on using video in the area of recruitment and collaboration 21:26The quality of content Pete delivers in his videos and the intention behind it 23:18Things to be careful about when working on videos—emphasis on lighting and audio 28:18How to cope with the stress of being an MSP owner 36:10

How Andrew's work with defence helped him with operations and processes. 01:35The challenges with MSPs working remotely and how it has affected them. 05:15The untapped remote work opportunities for MSPs and how to tap into them. 07-26The distributed and remote workforce dilemma and what Andrew's team decided to do about it. 09:00The exact framework Andrew used to ensure his team nailed WFH making it their biggest quarter). 10:15The tools that his teams used to nail WFH. 13:45The lessons that MSPs can learn from his framework. 17:15The fatigue of WFH and why there's a need for awareness around mental health. 21:371 piece of advice for MSPs starting this year. 22:41A note on automation and productivity. 30:13

What you will learnA framework that will turn your website into a lead generating monster.Why (and how) to win more clients between 90-180 days of signing up.Picking a side to position your MSP and ensure you have a good brand recall.Frameworks to help you generate ideas, and marketing metrics you need to measure.

The marketing lesson all of us can learn from The Tech Tribe- 2:40How 'The Tech Tribe' stands out amongst other popular MSP communities- 4:35How MSPs were at the centre of technology shift in 2020 (and how it's helping MSP sales)- 9:20Tapping into the co-managed IT opportunity for MSPs- 11:25Nigel breaks down the right pricing strategy based on various levers- 15:20A unique experiment Nigel ran to get his MSP acquired- 18:50What are the leverage points you can use while selling your MSP- 24:38The biggest pricing mistake MSP commit- 32:41

Topics discussed in this episodeHow did Mark discover the MSP niche, and how he fell in love with them? 01:37Why MSP technicians need some assistance in sharpening their emotional quotient. 05:10Key practices to ensure your customer experience is in place. 06:40The business impact of providing a great customer experience. 08:00Retaining the 'human' element in the age of bots, AI and automation. 09:25On MSPs producing content that engages their audience. 13:10Tactical advice on leveraging customer experience as a growth lever. 15:46The team that made this episode possiblePraveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing and growth.Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts.Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website.Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page.What you will learnWhy 'human customer service' is a growth lever MSPs don't leverage.The importance of customer experience for MSP technicians.How can you bring customer experience in the age of bots, automation, and AI.Tactical advice on using customer experience as a growth lever.