Insights as a Service

Join Brendan Ritchie and Paul Green from MSP Marketing as they delve into the nuances of modern marketing. They discuss the undeniable power of niche content, the transformative impact of understanding client trends and frustrations, and the significance of podcasts in today's digital landscape. They also highlight the importance of commitment and consistency and explore the art of generating standout content. This episode is packed with insights and strategies. Tune in for a masterclass in marketing strategy, personal branding, and much more! Chapters: 00:00:00 - Importance of Marketing in the MSP Sector 00:07:03 - Overwhelming for Techs 00:14:09 - Building Trust and Engagement with MSPs 00:21:20 - Tracking and Eliminating Red Tasks in MSPs 00:28:31 - Product Managers and Marketing Responsibility 00:35:45 - Putting Yourself Out There 00:42:40 - The Commitment and Consistency of Podcasting 00:49:35 - Three-step marketing strategy 00:56:25 - The Challenges of Business Ownership

In this episode of Insights as a Service, Brendan is joined by Dean Ellis, recruitment manager at Beaumont People. From global Insights to local benefits, they delve into the latest developments in technology recruitment. Explore market trends, talk about security and career progression in smaller MSPs, tackle salary inflation, and gain insights on employee retention, skills assessment, and customer support. They also discuss the concept of functional roles in tech and how to make the four-day work week work in your business. Chapters: 00:00:00 - The Pitfalls of Chasing a Higher Paycheck 00:04:55 - Salary Increases for Software Engineers 00:09:39 - The Security Perception in Smaller MSPs 00:14:24 - Promoting Unskilled Employees in MSPs 00:19:09 - The Importance of Company Culture 00:23:53 - The Impact of Offshoring on the Technology Sector in Australia 00:28:31 - Specialization and Offshoring in the Tech Industry 00:33:11 - Implementing a Four-Day WorkWeek 00:37:48 - Ensuring Customer Satisfaction and Productivity 00:42:30 - Measuring and Increasing Direction 00:46:57 - Effective Communication with Customers 00:51:37 - Value-Added Service and Building Sticky Relationships

In this episode, Brendan delves deep into the sales universe with James Bergl, the VP Communities & Ecosystem APAC at Pax8. Learn about striking the right balance in sales leadership, fair compensation, and the art of relationship-based selling. They touch on the nuances in the tech industry and the essence of financial literacy in sales and unveil the blueprint for success in these challenging economic times. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Paying Someone What They Are Worth and Building a High-Performance Sales Team 00:05:41 - Incentivising Sales Teams 00:10:51 - Motivation beyond money in sales 00:16:07 - The Importance of Commission Plans in Hiring 00:21:27 - The Importance of Qualified Salespeople 00:26:38 - Building a Sales Pipeline and Social Media Strategy 00:31:54 - The Why, How, and What of Sales in Troubled Economic Times 00:37:27 - The Future of MSP Business Models 00:42:45 - Building Value Compositions for Business Success Where to find them: 👉Brendan Ritchie https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanri... 👉James Bergl https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbergl/ Free resources: 👉The NBN Explained: https://www.lightwirebusiness.com/nbn-playbook/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=nbn-playbook 👉 B2B Internet Services in NZ: https://www.lightwirebusiness.com/b2b-internet-services-in-nz-guide/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=b2b-internet-services-in-NZ

In recent years, growing expectations from consumers and investors for better ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) practices have led businesses to shift towards models prioritising profit generation in pursuit of positive social impact. So, how can you do good while doing well? In this week's conversation, AJ McKean, the Managing Director of Synergy Technologies, discusses running a for-profit business with a focus on creating a positive social impact. The idea of running a business that aims to do good by being good at what it does. 00:00:00 - The Competitive Advantage of Purpose-Driven Organizations 00:04:59 - Making a Difference through Social Impact 00:09:45 - The Challenge of Choosing Good Causes 00:14:33 - Balancing Genuineness and Accountability 00:19:02 - The Importance of Purpose and Impact to Motivate the Team 00:23:35 - Balancing Stakeholder Impact in Business 00:28:08 - Balancing Outside Influences and Personal Passion 00:32:40 - Balancing Purpose and Profit in Organizations 00:37:20 - Engaging the Team and Supporting Charities 00:41:46 - Taking a Step Forward Where to find them: 👉AJ McKean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amckeannz/ 👉Brendan Ritchie https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanri...

This time, we have something special in store for you. Recently, Brendan had the privilege of being a guest on the Pax8 Academy podcast, hosted by the amazing James Davis. During their conversation, they delved into Brendan's experience of bringing a New Zealand business to Australia. Exploring the valuable lessons learned, the required investment, and the resulting return on that investment, they guys cover topics relevant to all businesses looking to offer services across both countries. Additionally, they discussed the timeframe for achieving success and what Brendan might do differently if he had a do-over. If you're an MSP or a telco currently operating in either Australia or New Zealand and wondering whether it's the right time to venture into the other market, you're in for a treat. Their discussion is packed with valuable insights that can help inform your decision-making process. 0:00 Background 5:00 Biggest challenges getting into the AU market 11:20 The secret to building your network, fast 20:00 What to do when can’t directly compete 23:20 The first hires you need when entering a new market 27:50 Creating alignment in a remote-first culture 32:00 Benefits of trans-Tasman operations 35:00 How much $ do you need to enter a new market 40:00 Final thoughts 👉James Davies https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejamesdavisaus/ 👉Brendan Ritchie https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanritchie/

AI is here, and it’s bigger than the internet, according to Tim Warren, CEO and founder of Ambit. How you use it in your business will determine the quality of experience your customers have and how effectively you differentiate your brand. This week’s conversation is taking Brendan into the history and development of AI, from Natural language processing (NLP) to Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT) and its applications in various industries. You will learn how businesses are focusing on new customer service tactics, using AI in B2C and B2B interactions to drive bottom-line growth. Blog/Resources: https://bit.ly/3rvqsb3 NBN Playbook: https://bit.ly/3PUbRQX Brendan Ritchie https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanritchie/ Tim Warren https://www.linkedin.com/in/tswarren/ Ambit https://www.linkedin.com/company/ambit-ai/ Organisational Readiness: AI and GPT: https://www.ambit.ai/resources/organisational-readiness-ai-and-gpt 00:00:00 - The Marketing Power of AI 00:02:13 - Introducing Ambit: Customer Service with AI 00:03:01 - Finding the Right Business Idea 00:03:20 - The Rise of AI and Blockchain in Business 00:06:35 - The Definition of Artificial Intelligence and its Development 00:10:00 - The Evolution of Natural Language Processing 00:13:21 - The Rise of Generative AI 00:16:52 - The Viral Adoption of Chat GPT: Bigger than the Internet 00:20:16 - The Stunning Visuals and Advances in AI 00:23:40 - The Role of Engineers in Real-World Applications 00:26:56 - Creating Art in the Style of Nirvana 00:30:06 - The Cognitive Challenges in AI and Humans 00:33:13 - The Evolution of Cybersecurity Threats 00:36:29 - The Democratization of Skill Sets in the Job Market 00:39:42 - Coder Disruption and Industry Regulation 00:42:49 - The Importance of Regulation and Consumer Safety 00:45:50 - Automating documentation with chat GPT 00:49:02 - Sophisticated Support Mechanisms 00:52:17 - Chatbot Adoption in B2C and B2B Markets 00:55:26 - Where to Find Tim

In this era of state-sanctioned cyber warfare, Is your business approach to cybersecurity up to date? How can you keep your business and your clients, safe from cyber-attacks? Embark on an eye-opening episode of Insights as a Service. Barry Greene, former Principal Resiliency & Security Architect at Akamai Technologies , helps Brendan understand the origins, evolution, and best practice responses to disruptive cyber warfare campaigns! Get up to date on the real state of cyber warfare as Brendan and Barry discuss different sovereign state responses, how critical it is to take proactive measures in cybersecurity, how Australia's approach towards preventing cyber-kinetic incidents puts it at an advantage, and much more...

In this episode, Brendan is joined by Ryan Spillane, the CEO of 360 Consulting, an IT-focused advisory company. Together they tackle key topics essential for MSPs looking to thrive in a dynamic and competitive landscape. They will dig into the secrets behind their pricing strategies, profit margins, and growth opportunities.

Nigel Moore runs The Tech Tribe, an organisation that has more than 4,000 MSPs as members, so he knows a thing or two about how to successfully sell into a specific niche segment or vertical. This is a subject we have spoken about before on the podcast, and it has resulted in a lot f feedback from listeners where they have questioned how easy it is to do in the real world. In this episode Brendan shares this feedback with Nigel and gets him to counter the objections one by one. You can expect practical tips on how to pivot without impacting revenue, how to market to specific segments, how this approach impacts hiring, and much more. Brendan and Nigel deliver a must-listen episode for MSPs wanting to gain a competitive edge!

Wayne Small, the CEO of SMBiT Professionals, joins Brendan to explore the challenges and opportunities in the MSP industry, with a specific focus on the needs of small businesses in ANZ. Diving into topics ranging from integrating AI effectively, mitigating macroeconomic risks, collaborating with other MSPs, and identifying client retention opportunities.