MSP Business School

Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ Guest Name: Abe Garver https://www.linkedin.com/in/abegarver/ Company: FOCUS Investment Banking https://focusbankers.com/ Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoyl... Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-roge... Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com In this episode, Abe Garver joins us today at MSP Business School. Abe Garver is the Managing Director and MSP Team Leader of Focus Investment Banking. 01:00 – Brian asks one of the most important questions: "What does that mean to a market that relies on capital to make acquisitions? " He knows that we've been attending trade shows, discussing MSPs, and speaking with other buyers in the marketplace. There are lots of buzzes around where mna is going during perceptional are becoming somewhat inflationary times there I say recessive times as well. How do those affect valuations, then?" 07:04 – Abe states that there is so much competition that he has a merger of equal platforms that will be completed soon. 11:50 – Abe mentions that he increasingly sees a competitive advantage to call potential clients and informing them that he has sixty-five nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) from all of these buyers for this assignment, which will encourage serious bids from prospective buyers. 13:58 – Robb asks Abe, "That the MSP or buyer who lost three times kind of changed up their plan on the fourth time, what did they kind of change to make themselves more attractive?" Beyond simply changing the procedures to help themselves rise and secure that agreement, what else did they do globally?" 17:33 – Robb and Tim both agree with Abe. They are aware, from the perspective of the buyer, that there are many subtle similarities between MSPs in terms of excellent client service, responsiveness, and communication. 22:57 – Abe says that there are over 600 organizations in the peer groups that meet quarterly in Phoenix, Dallas, Denver, and Orlando who claimed that IT Nation Evolve peer groups are the finest in the country at producing the top MSPs. Basically, fifty peer groups of principals are in between parts of their six hundred. 30:26 – Brian adds that from a valuation standpoint, organic growth trumps acquisition and bolt-on growth, which is something that MSPs should keep in mind. The focus should always be on the service and delivery engines, but make sure that the sales engines are primed.

Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoyl... Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-roge... Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com In this episode, we talked about how to double your sales opportunities easily and what Robb's team has learned through over one million cold calls. 00:48 – Brian welcomes everyone who joins him and his co-hosts, Robb Rogers and Tim McNeil, on their podcast. Also, he began discussing their topic and focused on something that we know is very important to a lot of people, and obviously, all of us are looking to expand the organization, grow our lead base, and make customer acquisition. 03:21 – Brian proceeds to one of the biggest questions "How can we double our sales opportunities easily and quickly?" 07:37 – Robb shares about what we do in Sales MaturIT. He talks about Foundations Level > Development Level > Growth Level > Excellence Level > Leadership Level. 17:33 – Robb shows a slide that the numbers show how to grow the sales and marketing department. 20:15 – Tim mentions the issue is the sales rep, particularly in this industry, and Robb agrees that this is one of the more difficult industries to get an appointment in. What tends to happen with sales reps, and this is a general statement that is not specific to the MSP World, is that they stop making calls after four attempts, whereas in this industry you really need at least seven to twelve touches before you get the first appointment, so how do you keep that salesperson motivated and happy? 22:06 – Brian agrees with Tim's remark. Their job as salespeople is to get paid for rejection because the reality is that there is more rejection than acceptance, but it's also difficult to pick up the phone when you're being rejected. 26:22 – Tim discusses some of the direct mailing tactics that are now being pushed out to clients, as well as the things that were successful when they were in the industry and, admittedly, they got away from them for a while because, at the time when they transitioned out of the MSP World, the digital side was up and coming, and even if you could be more successful on the digital side, there is now a lot of white noise out there. 30:13 – Brian wants to focus on how you maximize the team, and what you're displaying is the salary you're paying as an owner for a business developing platform inside the marketer. If you want to maximize the efficiency of those people, this direct mail approach has it all. 36:10 – Robb believes that, in the end, we cannot have a marketing department within a sales department. Marketing does its own thing, and if no one leaves the sales department, which is the traditional approach that everyone uses, they must be coordinated, in sync, and in sync together. 40:15 – Tim stated that the most important thing to remember when sending out mailers is to find a way to stand out. Sending out cards on non-traditional holidays was the most important thing he discovered. 56:25 – Brian ends the podcast by thanking Robb and Tim for sharing their knowledge/information about how to double your sales opportunities easily and quickly.

Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoyl... Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-roge... Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com In this episode, we talked about how we are planning for next year here at MSP Business School. 3:38 – Brian starts talking about planning for 2023. He gives some tips on how he will be going to budget so that he can comprehend the impact of the budget for the following year. 4:55 – Robb agrees with Brian's statement. He expresses his opinion that if you have the client or prospect inside, now is a great time to revisit any proposals that may have kind of ghosted you. You can also use a campaign or other methods to review any proposals. 6:22 – Brian discusses the idea of connecting prospects and sending female energy straight to males. Of course, we also touch briefly on non-traditional holiday fashion, but it's also important to remember that men should always come first when making decisions. It's also the time of year when you should look fantastic in costume, and if they have the opportunity to go out, bring them a gift in real life real form. 10:20 – Brian suggests that you do something nice for your customers, something that your top-tier customers will appreciate, and it could be something simple. 13:43 – Robb agrees with Brian's said. On their side, they no longer focused on MRR in the final month. They only focused on the capital budget that you chased after the project. 20:13 – Robb says that speaking with high-level decision-makers who are difficult to reach is extremely beneficial. So those are the things we like to do at the end of the year when we know a lot of people are on vacation and try to get a deeper conversation with the CEO or anyone else trying to bring it through.

Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ Guest Name: Emily Glass https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyglass/ Company: Syncro https://syncromsp.com/ Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoyl... Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-roge... Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com Emily Glass joins us today at MSP Business School. Emily is the president and CEO of Syncro, an all-in-one RMM, PSA, and remote access tool that helps managed service providers run more profitable businesses. 1:41 Emily an introduction about herself and shares how she fell in love with MSP. She talks about the company, how it grew in a year, and learning the products and needs of its partners. 5:14 Robb inquires about the company's objectives for 2023, what has to be improved, and how to advance in her position. She responds that it's very difficult to make long-term plans in these times of uncertainty, so people and businesses are just doing things one step at a time. 9:06 Robb shares his thoughts about Syncro's website and says that their employees are very prominent on the website. Emily elaborates on how their company started remotely so the pandemic didn't really make it any more challenging for them to make adjustments, however being in a remote set up they also have several challenges that need to be overcome and that's why they have a weekly town hall with their employees and sometimes with their partners - to get to know each other and have a sense of camaraderie. 12:34 Brian points out what Emily said about uncertain economic times and asks what are the common feedbacks they are getting from their partners during these times. 15:28 Emily talks about the challenges of having remote employees and customers. She proceeds that one of the biggest questions in this kind of setup is "how do I communicate the value to my customer?" despite not having any personal relationship or having this different kind of interaction. 21:40 Brian shared his experiences when he was starting out in the industry. How hard it was back then people were barely equipped to start and run a company or how to be leaders for a company and grow it. 23:30 Emily ends the podcast by talking about the things their company is working on right now such as platform reliability and some new features coming up soon.

Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ Battlecard sample: https://salesmaturit.s3.amazonaws.com/Lead+magnets/Generic%2BBattlecard%2Bfor%2BProspects.pptx This episode discusses battle cards and how you can equip your team with this sales weapon. 1:30 Robb dives right into the discussion describing what a battle card is for him. He compares battle cards to cliff notes which helped him get through school. He adds that a battle card is something you look at when you're lost and it enables you to be back on track. 2:14 Tim reminisces about the time when he worked in MSP and tells that he keeps a battle card on his desk every day until his last working day. He also shares that it is beneficial to have a battle card to have a reference guide and keep your head on while doing calls all day. 4:00 Robb answers Brian's questions "what should go into a battle card?" and "what makes up a good battle card?" He narrates what he thinks are the most important things you should have in your battle card. 11:05 Brian describes the One Sentence Hook as a "power statement". Robb agrees with what Brian says and elaborates that the goal is to open up a conversation and connect with people with just one sentence. 16:45 Tim shares his thoughts about brand pillars. He says that as an MSP, something you should understand is what you bring to the table compared to your competitors. 22:55 Battle card is the hub for the rest of your marketing efforts and this is where it all starts. Everything else is built from here. Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoyl... Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-roge... Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com

Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ Guest Name: Scott Haselkorn https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-haselkorn-1a449282/ Company: Haselkorn, Inc. https://haselkorninc.com/ Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoylemetathinq/ Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-rogers-07415251/ Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com Scott Haselkorn joins us today on MSP Business School. Scott is the president of Haselkorn Inc. 1:25 Scott starts off his backstory by revealing that he had a learning disability when he was younger and shared about the first book he read that he thinks made a significant impact on him starting early in MSP. He also talks about how he started wanting to own a computer store as his first dream. 4:00 Scott describes how, at the age of 12, he ventured to buy computer processors by calling Intel in California and acquiring a credit card, tax ID, and applications aided by his parents. He also states that he started out fixing his parent's computers, friends' parents' computers, and even teachers' computers throughout high school. 6:58 He shares that he got his first job in a local place as a tech support and eventually moved to the commercial support department, transferred to Network Administration, and was laid off twice from the same company. 9:30 Scott speaks about he did a training class in dental offices on how to use dental software and got his first paying client through his dad. He then that time started to think about MSP and sort out what his goals were. 11:43 He shares his first encounter with IT Nation and how surprised he was to see many people who like computers the same as he does and make businesses out of them. He also shared the time he started his journey with ConnectWise and how it changed his life. 15:00 Scott then talks about his objectives and says he focuses on security-focused practice to make sure his clients can prevent or don't experience rainy days. He also points out that we should always keep evolving as threats keep changing every day. 17:44 Brian dives right into the conversation, agreeing with what Scott said and noting that one cool thing about the industry is it is ever-changing. He shares his thoughts that these days it is more on "keeping up with the bad guys" and focused on the security-first model. 20:50 Tim and Brian express their astonishment at how Scott was predestined to be working in MSP since he read that book in 4thgrade. Tim adds that it was the game-changer for Scott. 24:13 Scott closes the podcast by saying that all the MSPs all over the globe are peers and teammates. He hopes that as teammates, we can make the world a safer place for the good guys.

Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ In this episode, our team discusses what are the do's and don'ts of comp plans. 0:35 Brian dives right into the conversation, talking about making plans for the upcoming year and sharing about inflationary pressure and new challenges. Tim shares his thoughts on inflation/recession and how he observed shifts in the account management side for the past few months. 3:18 Robb stresses his point and disagrees with the all-in method kind of compensation. He also pointed out inflation and how hard it is for everyone, especially for the owners. 5:45 Brian talks about various compensation models and points out what salespeople predominantly think – rewards and numbers. Robb proceeds and agrees with Brian noting that it's fine to have different commission levels. 7:38 Robb goes ahead and talks about how to change commission plans. He explicates that it's all right to change plans annually based on performance but with a 60-day notice so the rep will get a gist of what the future will be. 8:52 Tim pitches in and examples that in MSPs commissions tend to be aggressive so he observes that many MSPs change compensation plans multiple times a year which is a recipe for disaster. 11:02 The conversation veered to how ego as an owner can become a hurdle and can get in the way when talking about profits. 13:53 Robb gives an example of how and when a rep should be compensated generously. Tim also emphasizes that if a rep brings in three times or five times but your company still struggles, it's time to get a business coach. 16:09 Brian shifts the topic of discussion from don'ts to do's. He continues by outlining Robb's examples and the significance of looking at the numbers long term. 21:00 Robb brings up that when there are changes, reps usually understand it. He also adds that it is significant to recognize that once you lower the commission, you must offer something that is very profitable. Giving them the ability and motivation while taking out known risks. 25:10 Tim expands Robbs' ideas saying that in the event there'll be changes, do not forget that sales reps are also human and has a family to feed. Also to be mindful of changes to not be so detrimental to the reps. 28:17 Robb closes the discussion by saying it's all about communication. No matter what decisions are to be made, always have open communication with the reps the earlier the better and they'll understand. Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoyl... Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-roge... Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com

Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ Guest Name: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-scott-048b195/ Company: https://cleartoneconsulting.com/ Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoylemetathinq/ Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-rogers-07415251/ Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com Brian Scott from ClearTone Consulting joins us today at MSP Business School. Brian is the President and the CIO of ClearTone Consulting. 2:42 The guest, Brian Scott, introduces himself and answers the questions on how he ended up being a service provider from being an electrical engineer. He also mentions how and why he started working as a consultant. 5:52 Brian shares how MSPs are now educated enough to see things such as cyber liability insurance. 8:28 Scott talks about educating the companies about the needs and criticality of security risks as he observed that there are still many executives that don't pay attention to these things. 9:26 Robb clarifies Scott if he means that the most important piece of his consulting business is education and having the people understand their risk assessment. Brian S. answers that even having risk assessments, executives don't really understand its meaning that's why educating them is really very important. 13:00 Scott discusses how important it is for heads of an organization not just to understand but also to have the mandate to ensure continuous improvement. He also adds that you need to have support from HR, staff, and executives to be successful. 14:43 Tim dives into the conversation asking Scott about failure rates and how long it takes for clients to realize that there should be changes to do. 19:43 Scott talks about having a security mindset and says that we are in a curve where people are just beginning to understand and pay attention to security-related matters. He adds that it gradually changes each year but is the new workspace norm we live in. 22:45 Scott shares about 510CISO, how it works, and what it provides. Brian adds how critical it is to have an accountability partner and why it's important to establish the culture to make it successful.

Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ In this episode, our team discusses what are the needs of the customers and what is the reality of what the customers want. 4:51 Brian dives right into the conversation, sharing that he read an article about QBR and how he has different opinions about it. He begins the discussion by stating that QBR should be about communicating with the customer. 6:00 Robb clarifies Brian's thoughts if he means about QBR being like in the past where it's just reviewing numbers and data and repeating everything. 8:15 Brian shares his thoughts on QBR and says to have a business conversation a couple of times a year to understand the customer better. The focus should be on what's in it for the customer. 11:34. Tim answers Brian's question about leadership expectations from an MSP and says when dealing with clients, focus on their business and ask where they want in the next 3-5 years and how your technology stack can get where they want to be. Robb adds that clients want to know what you are doing and how can it fit into their business. 14:46 Brian expands on what it really is QBR about: the key objectives and the obstacles. He also emphasizes that QBR is becoming a sales call. 16:30 Educate the customers, build strategies and get their input for their own plan. 20:28 Robb asks how to get clients who got dark in QBR back to engage in the process. Brian answers to start with deliverables and becoming a better partner. Open up with the customer, appreciate the customer, trust, faith, and transparency. Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoylemetathinq/ Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-rogers-07415251/ Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com

This episode discusses how to get involved in the business and how to start in the industry. 0:55: Brian introduces the guest and starts off the conversation by asking Kipp's backstory on how he ended up with ConnectWise. 1:46: Kipp introduces himself as the financial guy with an accounting background then he found ConnectWise and started working as an overnight help desk support technician while getting his MBA. He also shares how he did not start in the IT industry, his experiences, and how he transitions from various positions. 7:39: Tim jumped into the conversation and shared what he learned over the years and appreciate Kipp helping companies with exit strategies. 8:51: Kipp talks about the different owner programs such as life plans, and personal and business legacy. He also talks about the Modes theory. 12:03: Robb asks Kipp about how he hasn't heard a lot of peer groups take on a solid proactive focus on lifestyle and how peer groups are usually number-focused. 16:24: Brian halted the conversation by saying that work-life balance is a critical component in the industry and that taking care of one's mental health is now one of the essential elements of a successful business. 18:41: Kipp shares about the MAD (making a difference) Personality and how it helps to understand how to build relationships and understanding how to interact with people. 20:28: Brian asks about the steps on how to bridge those who know that they need people and help but aren't just ready monetarily. Kipp explains some of the barriers, especially for smaller companies, and how to get entry where it's not by a peer group. He also talks about the various programs the company offer depending on the size of the company. 26:22: Robb raises a question about "What if an MSP only wants to join a sales peer group, do they have to join the main peer group?". Kipp explains the people involved in different peer groups and how you may participate in only one peer group. 29:38: Kipp emphasizes how beneficial peer groups can be by just sharing ideas, having feedback, or even just asking what tools each company uses.

Frank Raimondi from Nodware joins us today at MSP Business School. Frank is the VP of Channel Development for Nodeware. 2:17 – Frank tells us about his journey in IT. He has seen the industry evolve and change with Apple Computer and Intel stops, giving him a great view of enterprise vendor relationships within the channel. From there, he moved to Synnex getting the distributor's viewpoint before joining IGI Cyberlabs (Nodeware) 6:07 – Brian asks Frank where should an MSP or MSSP start when looking at creating a program looking at cyber hygiene. Frank shares his viewpoints on why the SMB should care and how it can impact the customer's ecosystem. Also, the hits are more often in the SMB than the customers might understand. 9:19 – Tim discusses the range of security products and how it takes more than a product but also an education to help clients. Frank speaks a bit about cyber fatigue at the MSP level and how things with a client should start simply by knowing what needs to be protected. 14:23 - The conversation goes into discovering rogue IPs and controlling what is being secured and what assets exist in your environment. Cybersecurity is a daunting task for many MSPs, and Nodeware can help drive this first step. 20:19 - Tim asks about the people factor in cybersecurity and how education is a critical early step in cybersecurity. Frank speaks that leadership needs to drive the conversation within each business. Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ Guest Name: Frank Raimondi https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankraimondi/ Company: Nodeware https://nodeware.com/ Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoylemetathinq/ Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-rogers-07415251/ Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com

In this episode, our team talks about the tactics to accelerate revenue growth. With many MSPs and MSSPs focused on the holy grail of recurring revenue, there may be some low-hanging fruit to boost your top line and expand your profits. 2:04: Tim opens the discussion by talking about a trend where MSPs feel the need to diminish hardware revenue. He talks about tactics to work deal registration, discounts, and spiffs to dramatically grow your margin on NRC projects. 4:27: Robb talks about contract reviews and the mindset of not rocking the boat with MRR customers. If you are not looking at increasing rates for your services within your contracts you will ultimately be losing money (think inflation). Brian shares his thoughts about the deals that can haunt you if you don't correct them. 9:15: Brian suggests never discounting, but adjusting the scope to the right size on underwater contracts. Robb and Tim share their tactic of reducing the inflationary clause in exchange for time commitment driving a win/win for both parties. 13:04: New customer acquisition strategies and ensuring you are market-pricing are critical. Leverage peer groups, trade shows, and market demographics to build pricing models. Robb also mentioned asking for contracts "to ensure apples-to-apples comparisons to get market pricing. They had an 80% success rate in looking at contracts. 16:04: We close by looking at how to goal yourself on customer acquisition. Robb hits the fact...you need to prospect, prospect and prospect.

Vince Tinnirello joins us today on MSP Business School. Vince leads the Business Development team for Anchor Network Solutions and today we talk about the steps he has taken to help grow the business 2x in three years. 2:01 – Vince kicks off his backstory by sharing the career path that ultimately sent him towards a career in IT. Coming from a hospitality background, Vince saw that the standard IT companies they worked with didn't deliver with a customer service focus and that became his mission 7:26 – Brian shares his experience in the hospitality sector and Vince responds by sharing about a presentation he has given in the past about "Customer Service the Marriott Way" and shares how problems and questions in the hospitality industry translates to the issues we face in IT. 11:41 – Robb kicks off a discussion on how Anchor got past the $2.5M barrier that many MSPs get stuck at and grew to $6M+ in just 3 years. Vince shared how he helped the team get past that and the steps taken by his management team to drive upward success. 15:03 - The conversation shifts to client assessments/raters that allow you to measure the relationships with your customers. Tim brings up criteria for firing a client and the team expands on this concept. 22:26 - We close out the conversation of how Vince came to understand how culture is real and plays a part if generating client success.

In this episode, our Brian and Tim talk about Risk Based Selling an how it can drive a more consultative discussion where customers can make a more informed decision about projects and services. We discuss that the biggest reason that customers do not want to engage in meetings like QBR's is often because it is treated like a sales call by the MSP vs. an opportunity to learn and grow a relationship. Risk based selling can change the narrative. When leveraging risk based selling process you need to first understand how the customer views risk in their business and then match your discussion to their viewpoint. We need to help them understand the risk factor and what the cost to be to their business if that risk is realized. This will arm them with the proof points they need make a decision they feel confident about when choosing technology initiatives to move forward.

George Smith joins us today on MSP Business School and we discuss how important it is for MSP's to manage and monitor their clients cloud services and if they do not, someone else will. 2:01 – George shares his backstory that begins in Northern Ireland, with a stop in London, before settling in his home of Canada. He talks about his start in tech originating in web development, finally landing at Augmentt 5:25 – George share the history of Augmentt and how the idea for the product came to be. With the support world moving to the cloud MSP's need a tool to manage it. 9:25 – George shares how SaaS management can go beyond risk and help as well with productivity. The conversation shifts to shadow IT and how to manage that problem facing our clients. 13:48 – The conversation pivots to Microsoft 365 management and how to go beyond the Secure Score to drive new opportunity. Augmentt can support that process and add other security information to help the customer better understand where the total gaps reside. 15:50 - Tim addresses the sales opportunity behind SaaS Management and George shares how MSP's can generate new revenue through security scans as part of the prospecting process. 19:00 - The conversation shifts to user education. To reduce security issues companies need to build policy to support acceptable applications and users need to know the risk of not following the guidelines to security for the organization. It starts with a proactive view vs. a reactive approach. 22:22 - We close the episode with a discussion of how to engage with Augmentt and a secret approach to how to get to know Augmentt better (hint Top Golf).

Garret Peaslee joins us and tells the story of a person that has seen it all in the IT services space. Starting in 1986 before the internet, Garret has show the ability to adapt to change and grow a business and expand. 1:17 – Robb, Tim, and Brian recount their trip to CompTIA ChannelCon and share a story about the "Ducky Derby". 2:47 – Garret starts the conversation sharing his background which starts with him starting operations in 1986, pre-internet, pre-networking, as a desktop publishing service provider. This launched a career of adjusting and adapting to meet the evolving technologies. 7:38 – Garret shares how as the internet began to explode he and his team invested $5M and built a data center. This opportunity drove Garret into the world of MRR. He and Brian share war stories from the data center. 13:03 – The call shifts to his sale of his company. Once they hit $18-$20M in revenue they enlisted a broker to support the sale. It was a successful exit and it keep the majority of the team remaining employed post-transaction. A big concern of him and his partners was to find them a safe landing. 16:56 – Tim starts a discussion of how not only was Garret the CEO of Secant, but he also led the sales team. A rare occurrence in the Managed Services industry for a mature MSP. Garret then shares how it was a passion of his and that is why he kept the controls. 20:09 - They close the episode with a deep dive into the selection process for and M&A broker. This includes the consulting that broker provided to help drive the sale, the handling of the legal process with a high-end attorney, and leading the marketing process.

In this episode, our team talks about the Whitespace opportunity. Existing customers offer a huge opportunity to grow revenues and every MSP shares in this chance to expand their relationship with clients. The Whitespace opportunity starts with an assessment of where each client stands against your tech stack and your standards. When you identify the gaps, you can identify potenitial. Brian, Robb and Tim engage in a discussion that outlines tips that MSP's and MSSP's can use to to grow their revenue within each customer through cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Join us as we share how you can grow sales immediately through a whitespace analysis of each client's environment and download our worksheet to do so at our sales development application site Sales MaturIT.

We're thrilled to have Peter Duflo, join us for an incredible episode. This one is jam-packed with useful information, tidbits, and challenges for anyone thinking about building a leadership team. 2:44 – Peter kicks off the call with his background as an MSP leader who has sat on both sides of the M&A event over his early career. His experiences led him to realizing that many MSP's needed guidance on the M&A process. This led him to do some M&A work. In 2008 when the firesales started, he moved into helping MSP's in finding key talent. 5:36 – Brian kicks off a discussion on why an MSP need recruiters and how it can help accelerate company growth. Peter shares his model that helps focus MSP's on bringing on key leadership talent when their MSP exceeds $5M in revenue. 10:50 – Tim drives the conversation of the new remote business models and how that plays into recruiting leadership. Peter shares his experience on executive teams and remote work and the feasibility of a mixed executive team. This conversation transitions on where to find these resources. 17:57 – The call shifts to culture and how feeling like part of the team and helping the greater good for society are key critieria that is driving a lot of the leadership movement. 19:40 – Conversation turns to search timelines. How long does an executive search take and Peter shares some amazing numbers around hiring timelines.

In this very special episode we introduce to the MSP industry our new Sales Development Platform entitled Sales MaturIT. This new platform allows MSP's and MSSP's to evaluate their current Sales Maturity Level (SML) and create a guided, self-paced patch to reaching their sales goals. The platform is geared to meet service providers at that stage their sales team currently resides. Our approach takes you from the early stages of sales, typically owner led, and guides you through activities and strategies to help you grow sales both in velocity and revenue growth. It starts with a self-assessment, allowing you to self evaluate the current state of your sales process. That assessment will allow Sales MaturIT to create a customized training roadmap for your organization. In this system you can also track your sales financial picture. Insert a minimum of your last four quarters of sales data and then head to our goals plan, where you can modify growth indicators like customer count, MRR, and contract value to build a sales plan to meet your long term goals. Sales MaturIT serves as a virtual coach, helping you grow your business and stay on track.

Show Website: https://mspbusinessschool.com/ Guest Name: Hartland Ross https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartlandross/ Company: eBridge Marketing and The HostBroker https://www.ebridgemarketingsolutions.com/ https://www.thehostbroker.com/ Hosts Brian Doyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandoylemetathinq/ Robb Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-rogers-07415251/ Tim McNeil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmcneil3/ Sponsors vCIOToolbox: https://vciotoolbox.com OSR Manage: https://osrmanage.com We're thrilled to have Hartland Ross, join us for an incredible episode. This one is jam-packed with useful information, tidbits, and challenges for anyone thinking about a future M&A transaction.

We're thrilled to have fellow MSP podcaster and YouTube personality, Dave Sobel of MSP Radio, join us for an incredible episode. This one is jam-packed with useful information, tidbits, and challenges for anyone in the MSP industry. Dave Sobel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesobel/ MSP Radio: https://www.mspradio.com/

Back for the third time on our podcast, Abe Garver of FOCUS Investment Banking joins us for an update on M&A in the MSP industry. ChannelE2E article referenced by Abe: https://www.channele2e.com/influencers/5-msp-valuation-drivers/ Abe Garver: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abegarver/ FOCUS Investment Banking: https://focusbankers.com/

Jerry Koutavas of The ASCII Group is a household name in the MSP community. In this episode of MSP Business School, we get to hear directly from one of the foremost leaders in the industry as he and the hosts discuss where the MSP industry is now and where it's headed in the very near future. Jerry Koutavas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/koutavas/ ASCII: https://www.ascii.com/

As one of the few companies that started during the dial up days, Shane Naugher has seen many shifts and changes in the industry. The evolution of DaZZee IT Services is a master class in paying attention to trends and staying ahead of the curve, even when it's uncomfortable and pushback is strong. Shane Naugher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanenaugher/ DaZZee IT Services: https://www.dazzee.com/

If you listen to our show, you've probably heard us talk about the "curse of the great MSP": the more you automate, the more you do remotely, and the less things tend to break, the more likely it is that your value gets called into question and you get shown the door. What are some things you can do to avoid this curse? In this episode, hosts Brian, Tim, and Robb share some practical steps you can take to break the curse and provide even greater value to your clients, solidifying yourself as an integral part of their business.

The president of EscapeWire Solutions, Michael Beecher's unique experiences – both good and just plain awful – have shaped a solid MSP with a healthy and robust security offering. In this episode, Michael and the hosts dive into how terrible events can sometimes be the best things that happen in a young, growing company. Michael Beecher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-beecher-810523/ EscapeWire Solutions: https://escapewire.com/

The Director of Sales for the MSP Advantage program at Mindmatrix, Eric Weber led an interesting and diverse life before joining the MSP industry. His journey serves as a reminder to show up, be consistent, and give it your all in everything you do, because eventually you'll end up in the right place and just exactly where you should be. Eric Weber: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esweber/ Mindmatrix: https://www.mindmatrix.net/

Sometimes life takes you on a wild ride, and other times you're granted choices that have the possibility of changing everything. Then there are people like Derek Gabriel, Co-Founder and CEO of Ignite Solutions Group. As you'll hear in this episode, Derek is one of those people who doesn't wait for life to offer up wild rides and lucky breaks: he carves the map himself. Listen in for a great tale of experimentation and gutsy moves from Fargo, to Bismarck, to Kansas… to Hawaii. Derek Gabriel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dereksgabriel/ Ignite Solutions Group: https://www.ignitetheday.com/

Objections to pricing when presenting a prospect with the cost of your services is always an uncomfortable situation. How do you set the tone from the initial encounter to ensure your prospects appreciate the value of the products and services you offer? In this episode, Brian, Robb, and Tim give many examples on how to avoid and overcome price objections at different stages of the sales process.

Frank DeBenedetto has the fascinating perspective of being both an MSP owner and a vendor. We dive in with him about the incredible service he provides through audIT and how it came out of a specific need in his own MSP, Two River Technology Group. Frank DeBenedetto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankdebenedetto/ Two River Technology Group: https://www.tworivertech.com/ AudIT: https://www.auditforit.com/

What creates a thriving culture and excellent client base when it comes to MSPs? For Jon Kotman of Kotman Technology, the answer is your principles and core values. Join us for a wonderful discussion on how defining your principles and sticking with them no matter what leads to the best possible outcome for everyone on your team. Jon Kotman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkotman/ Luke Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-ross-238b07143/ Kotman Technology: https://www.kotman.com/

It's our 100th episode of MSP Business School and we couldn't be more excited to be joined by Ed Carroll and Jeremiah Smith of Edison Marks, a brand new company that's promising to be a major disruptor in how MSPs operate in the sales and marketing space. Buckle up and get ready for a few "ah-ha!" moments of your own as you listen to this exciting interview.

Sales and Marketing: two departments that are often disregarded by smaller MSPs but are crucial for growth… especially when you structure your company so that they work together. In this episode, hosts Brian, Tim, and Robb tackle how to integrate a marketing team into your sales efforts in order to create the greatest growth potential for your MSP.

Another addition to our conversations with MSP owners, Travis Barker of EZ IT Solutions joins us to talk about the somewhat crazy and not-so-apparent road that led him and his company to where they are today. Starting with a great origin story and ending with our best cliffhanger to date, this is a must-listen for any MSP owner.

As a business owner, you need to be able to estimate what your sales are going to be in the near and distant future. But if your sales reps aren't clearing stale deals out of their pipelines, how will you be able to make an accurate forecast? In this episode, Brian, Tim, and Robb sit down for a discussion on how you as the owner can help your salespeople create healthy pipelines and actually close more deals in the long run.

Oftentimes the best way to get advice on how to run your business (or ideas for areas of opportunity you hadn't considered before) is to listen to other successful owners talk about how they got their business to where it is today. This week, we're joined by MSP owner Allan Jocson of Agilitec. Allan generously shares how he and his team navigated many challenging times to emerge as a highly successful MSP.

The shift in recent years to prioritizing monthly recurring revenue over all other money-making methods has led to a bit of a stalemate in the industry. How do you stand out against the crowd if all you're doing is offering the exact same services as every other MSP out there? In this episode, Brian takes the lead as he presents a shift in mindset that will provide your MSP with an endless number of ways to create new avenues of generating revenue and greater value for your company.

In episode 90, Brian, Tim, and Robb discussed how to find and recruit MSP salespeople in today's market. Now that you've found the perfect rep, how do you present a job offer to them? And before you do that, how do you put together a competitive compensation plan that makes them want to work for you? In this episode, the hosts continue their roundtable discussion about hiring salespeople by diving into compensation plans, bonuses, and the right way to present a job offer.

The Vice President of Service Leadership (a ConnectWise solution), Peter Kujawa knows a thing or two about building a business. Assisted by Service Leadership's support offerings, Peter led the turnaround of Locknet, including the acquisition by EO Johnson Business Technologies. Now, 11 years later, he's committed to helping MSPs experience success by using the same tools that aided his company's growth.

The MSP space is a fast-moving, ever-changing industry. Staying on top of the latest information and technology can be challenging, especially for younger MSPs that aren't quite ready to commit to something like a peer group. Enter ChannelPro: a free publication with a mission to educate and support the MSP community. Joel Zaidspiner, ChannelPro's Vice President & Associate Publisher, joins us to share the importance of education, community, and exposure, and how ChannelPro can assist MSPs in their growth and client relationships.

Not too many people make the leap from technical positions to the world of sales and marketing, but for Jimmy Hatzell of Quickpass, his background in IT serves as a major plus when developing content and marketing strategies. In this episode, Jimmy shares his philosophy on marketing, explaining how the right kind of marketing will boost your sales teams' efforts and create sales at scale.

For this special roundtable of MSP Business School, hosts Brian, Tim, and Robb tackle one of the most difficult challenges MSP owners are facing today: finding, recruiting, and hiring salespeople.

The Executive Vice President and Chief Product and Marketing Officer for Nuspire, Michelle Bank joins us to talk about what has people perplexed in the MSSP space, why end users are confused by the alphabet soup of IT, and what MSPs and MSSPs can do to help their clients better understand cybersecurity

Are you covering your SaaS? That's the question that Jim Lippie of SaaS Alerts wants to answer for you in this episode of MSP Business School. As more and more SMBs are migrating the majority of their business to the cloud, it's up to MSPs to ensure their clients remain protected no matter the application.

Willis Cantey of Cantey Tech Consulting joins us to talk about what it's like to be under the umbrella of a private equity organization, sharing unique strategies they use to grow and find new MSPs coming in, and what the opportunities are for MSPs looking to be targeted.

As the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Datto, Rob Rae is a man who needs no introduction. If you've been in the channel for any length of time, chances are you know his name and have most likely seen him at an event or two. We're delighted to have Rob join us for this episode of MSP Business School to talk about the current climate of the industry and the opportunities he sees for MSPs in the coming year.

The CEO of Binox MSP, Walter Contreras is a technologist, entrepreneur, and marketer whose current focus is helping MSPs grow quickly through lead generation and marketing automation technology. Walter sits down with Brian, Tim, and Robb to discuss the changing landscape of sales and how technology and automation can help MSPs through some of the more difficult parts of the sales process.

Welcome to MSP Business School's first episode of 2022! We made it through another year, and as we look forward to this new year bringing a bit more normalcy and stability as the pandemic continues to wane, we wanted to share the top three things we believe MSPs should be thinking about in 2022.