Compliance, advanced security, and co-managed IT are key growth opportunities ahead for MSPs, but new customer acquisition will be a challenge, according to Robin Robins, CEO of sales and marketing membership organization TMT, who announced new and upcoming offerings for members in those areas at TMT’s annual IT Sales and Marketing Boot Camp, held in Nashville April 11-14.
“You've got to get ready for compliance. You’ve got start offering advanced security, and start maybe looking at co-managed,” Robins told attendees.
During the sold-out “Indiana Jones” themed event with more than 1,200 MSPs in attendance plus a virtual audience, Robins introduced a new “turbo dial” program to support members’ sales development representatives (SDR) that is available now, plus revealed that TMT is planning a “mini boot camp” for new SDRs. To support advanced security sales, TMT now has a new pen test campaign for members who are Galactic Advisor resellers. And in beta is a co-managed IT campaign that will be available at no charge for members using the 2.0 version of the MAP marketing automation platform. Also coming soon is a go-to-market toolkit on how to package, price, and sell compliance. It will be available at no cost for all members.
Finally, TMT has revamped its Celebrity-Authority-Trust program to Trust-Based Marketing, an annual program that includes a quarterly custom local magazine, speaker and podcast training, professionally written content, media landing page, project manager, and more.
TMT also announced its new spokesperson for 2023 is Adam Spencer, CEO of 911 IT, an MSP based in Salt Lake City. As the Better Your Best winner, Spencer also received a brand-new Mercedes-Benz convertible. Spencer was one of five finalists who competed to win the annual Better Your Best contest. All five presented on the sales, marketing, and business strategies they used to grow revenue, profits, and MRR. This year, however, in addtion to the audience, they presented to three of the “sharks” from ABC’s Shark Tank, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, and Kevin O’Leary; and guest “shark” Fred Voccola, CEO of Kaseya. After the presentations, attendees voted for the winner.
Spencer has grown his MSP business from six employees working in his basement in 2018, when he joined TMT, to 21 employees. Last year 911 IT increased net profits 76% and grew gross revenue $452,000. Spencer has been laser focused on growing his list of prospects and customers.
“Towards the end of the year, we were sending out 250 campaigns/letters per week, and then we'll make three follow-up phone calls on each one of those letters,” he says. “And this year, we're doubling down on that and sending out 500 per week. … and so we've been working on growing that list.”
To support that, Spencer has two full time SDRs/appointment setters as well as list cleaners.
He says he’s also focused on offering clients more business value as they face an uncertain economy. “I think there's a lot that we can offer our clients that, one, will help us to keep that relationship alive, but two, especially as they're going through uncertainty, it's a good time for us to step up and really be that business partner and the technology business partner for them.”
