SuperPod — The no-filter MSP show

Heather Johnson is an operations expert in the MSP industry and also the co-founder and COO of Gozynta. With a strong background in human resources, Heather has led multiple SMBs to boost employee productivity. In this episode of SuperPod, Heather Johnson talks about the importance of empathy in setting up a cheerful and supportive work culture. Heather also cites her learnings from organizing events at the White House for President Obama's Interfaith and Community Service and how the experience helped her understand employees better.

Marnie Stockman is an experienced customer success and sales leader in the IT industry. As the managing partner at Lifecycle Insights, Marnie has helped scale multiple MSPs to better revenue and customer retention. She also leverages her experience in the education industry to derive meaningful insights on timely business reviews and understanding business pain points. Marnie says, "Customer success is all about making customers successful. While we try to make the product as user-friendly as possible, we believe that helping your clients is what makes you successful. That way, we define our customer success for ourselves." Marnie emphasizes on the importance of work culture and core values in delivering quality results.

In this week's episode of SuperPod, the no-filter MSP show, we're delighted to have Robert Jolliffe as our guest on the show. Robert Jolliffe is a graduate of University of Toronto with a 4 year B.A.Sc (bachelor of engineering - focused on manufacturing engineering) and an expert in ERP and manufacturing. He blends a knowledge of supply chain, six-sigma, information technology, manufacturing information systems / enterprise resource planning and entrepreneurship.   He also owns MicroAge-Kitchener, a local IT services company (aka Managed Services Provider) focused on the industrial sector.  He is an expert in the small and medium manufacturing market and technology. He is also president of Sabre Limited, a Microsoft Dynamics Business Central manufacturing reseller and training center selling throughout North America. Robert Jolliffe talks about his experience in building a niche in the manufacturing industry, and how there is a lot of opportunity for MSPs to find fresh sources of revenue through strategic business partnerships and sticking to a niche segment instead of branching out. He also elaborates on how the pandemic transformed his business model positively, and why it's so important to move to a secure cloud infrastructure, in light of the recent slew of cybersecurity attacks.

Tom Watson is a veteran in the IT services field who currently works as a Chief Channel Advisor at NinjaRMM. He harnesses his expertise in the IT field to create valuable and insightful instructional content for MSPs, and coach budding entrepreneurs to shine in a heavily competitive MSP space. In this episode of SuperPod, we delve deep into cybersecurity and its implications for MSPs and their clients in a post-pandemic world. Arvind and Tom talk about why the adoption of AI in the MSP space isn't as high as it should be in a tech-driven space like the MSP market. Tom calls for MSPs to step up their cybersecurity game and train themselves to keep clients and their data safe. But wait, there's more—Arvind and Tom discuss a need for knowledge consolidation, innovation for noise reduction, and an insightful rapid fire round, so tune in!

Mitch Kranitz is an MSP Channel Manager for Print Partner, a vendor that offers print solutions for businesses. Mitch is an incredibly gifted engineer, who's obsessed with solving all sorts of complex problems for his clients. He is a two-time MSP owner, who saw an opportunity in the print space, and now partners with MSPs to help clients understand what they need, and oversees their requirements to completion. From the age of 13, he knew that he was destined to be in the IT services field, eventually making his way in as a break-fix service provider. His emphasis on building relationships and learning from his community of peers helped him build customer advocacy, kickstarted his transition as an MSP, and ultimately landed him his role in Print Partner. His experience as a seasoned MSP owner illuminated the possibility that laid dormant in Print Partner: that MSPs did not have a solution for print, and they would be the ones to give it to them. Mitch harnessed his years of experience in the MSP field to build a strong partner network that covered offices located in across 40 states in the US, to create better support experiences for clients. He explores a variety of his experiences with service partners to help MSPs understand if you're better off outsourcing, how to identify partnerships that can work for you, and where to draw the line when selling to clients and recommending solutions you truly believe in. In this episode of SuperPod, Mitch delves into how relationships are a crucial driver for MSPs, in more ways than one.

In this episode of SuperPod, Chris gets candid about the role of PSA in running your MSP business.

Nancy Sabino is the CEO of SabinoCompTech. Having been in the MSP space for the last 15 years, she has seen the industry's transformation — be it the business model, technology, customer needs, or marketing. According to her, “IT is the infrastructure that supports the business being able to operate. IT should help with efficiencies across the board like communication, capturing processes, streamlining documents and information, and protecting the business. An outsourced IT department should be more than just IT support. It should be invested in the success of the business at every level.” In our conversation with Nancy, she talks about the most critical aspect of building a business: customer relationships.

Most MSPs want to become more cybersecurity-focused. But they aren't quite sure where to start. If you're feeling that way, it's not your fault. Vendors in the security space are multiplying quickly, and most of them use messaging that is confusing and filled with enterprise-level security jargon. Once you build a solid security package, you then have to sell that premium package at a premium price to small businesses with little respect for security (and who have even less of a budget.) Jennifer Bleam, a.k.a Cybersecurity Sherpa, is the founder of MSP Sales Revolution, where she helps MSSP businesses design better marketing strategies and close more cybersecurity leads. In this SuperPod episode, she spills the beans on how she helps her clients achieve a 60% closing rate (or better) on managed security contracts in less than eight weeks. It's a 3-step process that she created after having countless conversations with successful IT companies and MSSPs. Listen to the podcast to learn about the process.

Justin Esgar is the CEO of Virtua Computers — a 360 degree IT consulting, server management, and IT security services. He's created some of the best-selling apps like SignMyPad, the paperless PDF signature solution, TruckFood and Goodnight, the parental monitoring app. He is a blogger, podcaster, speaker, and author of the book— Appitalize on Your Idea. In this SuperPod episode, Justin talks about customer delight as a differentiator in an overcrowded MSP market. He also lets us in on the three secrets to delightful yet consistent customer service. We even discuss ways to hire a great support team that aligns with your company's values and vision.

Andrew Moon a.k.a the Orange Nomad is a serial entrepreneur who has launched and run several successful businesses since the young age of 8. After running a successful MSP company of his own for 10 years, which he sold in 2014. He founded Orange Nomad to help MSPs, small businesses and entrepreneurs bridge the gap between strategy and execution. In this SuperPod episode, he talks about how important it is for MSP to 'take a break' and yet still be in control of the company you're running. He also gets candid about his thoughts on hiring and how to nail your sales using LinkedIn.

Jeff Ton, a well-known IT expert and founder of Indy CIO Network, talks about the evolving role of an IT leader. He delves into the thought process behind a CIO's decision-making and the potential for MSPs to function as virtual CIOs.

Michelle Ragusa-McBain is one of the most influential faces in the tech space. She is currently the VP of Global Channel and Digital Strategy for JS Group and chairman of CompTIA's Advancing Women In Technology group. In this special episode, she talks about the importance of diversity in the IT environment and how organizations can take conscious decisions to improve diversity and teamwork.

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. 01:38 Shruti's thought process behind competing in an MSP vertical space. 02:48 The bottlenecking of tools and MSP space's hesitance towards adapting new tools. 06:28 Leveraging AI's data-driven insights in the SMB business. 09:01 The advantage of being an outsider in the space when it comes to problem-solving. 12:10 The opportunity for new players to enter the MSP space. 14:22 Resources Mentioned: Reddit ChannelE2E.com Things 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.

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

Adoption of newer sales techniques in the MSP space-selling the commoditized way The need for MSPs to focus around cybersecurity The 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 involved The stigma associated with wealth and how a dedicated sales engine helps Brand value and the need to upsell oneself Mistakes made by MSPs while hiring sales people Mindset that helps with disruption in the industry Future of MSPs—Transitioning from widget sellers to risk management firm

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

How Andrew's work with defence helped him with operations and processes. 01:35 The challenges with MSPs working remotely and how it has affected them. 05:15 The untapped remote work opportunities for MSPs and how to tap into them. 07-26 The distributed and remote workforce dilemma and what Andrew's team decided to do about it. 09:00 The exact framework Andrew used to ensure his team nailed WFH making it their biggest quarter). 10:15 The tools that his teams used to nail WFH. 13:45 The lessons that MSPs can learn from his framework. 17:15 The fatigue of WFH and why there's a need for awareness around mental health. 21:37 1 piece of advice for MSPs starting this year. 22:41 A note on automation and productivity. 30:13

Tune in to learn the MSP aquistion journey, getting to know video marketing, the framework that helped Pete scale his video marketing efforts. And Pete's #1 advice for MSPs to start a video marketing channel. 

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

Topics discussed in this episode How did Mark discover the MSP niche, and how he fell in love with them? 01:37 Why MSP technicians need some assistance in sharpening their emotional quotient. 05:10 Key practices to ensure your customer experience is in place. 06:40 The business impact of providing a great customer experience. 08:00 Retaining the 'human' element in the age of bots, AI and automation. 09:25 On MSPs producing content that engages their audience. 13:10 Tactical advice on leveraging customer experience as a growth lever. 15:46 The team that made this episode possible Praveen 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 learn Why '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.

Topics discussed in this episodes The secret to running a good podcast in the MSP space. 02:45 The importance of collaborating/partnering with those providing complementary services. 07:00 The new way to think about MSP marketing. 13:00 The difficulties of being an MSP owner. 17:45 The three things Richard does to be mindful. 21: 56 The 'secret sauce' to your MSP business and the framework to find your differentiation. 27:59 Resources mentioned in this episode Tech tirbe CompTIA True Methods SmallBiZ Thoughts TubbTalk A+ Certification Headspace Pomodoro Technique Brain.fm The team that made this episode possible Praveen 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 learn Why every MSP should start a podcast and how to do it right. The power of partnerships to sell more. How to bring the 'human touch' in MSP marketing. The mental health of MSP owners and why it's okay to speak about it. How to identify the unique thing about your MSP and stand out.

Topics discussed in this episodes How RCS Professional Services changed the marketing game post the pandemic. 03:18 How the 18-member team in RCS is structured. 04:32 Competing and standing out in a crowded MSP marketplace in New York. 05:50 The importance of tech stack in winning new businesses. 07:55 Being vendor agnostic helps RCS customize solutions to their clients needs. 10:26 Mental health and what MSPs can do about it. 13:20 Rapid fire with Esther. 16:10 The team that made this episode possible Praveen 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 learn How RCS Professional Services stands out in a crowded MSP market? The biggest learning Esther has had from her MSP marketing peer group. Mental health and what RCS Professional Services does about it.

Topics discussed in this episodes Nate's focus on customer retention, overcoming clients shutting shop, and finding 'ideal' customers. 03:30 The relevance of MSPs for smaller businesses. 05:03 Mental health and MSPs — why you should care. 06:45 Tactical advice on 'drawing the line' for your mental wellness 10:15 Why talking about mental health is important for you and your fellow MSP owners. 13:00 The unknown when it comes to AI, and challenges with AI adoption. 15:35 Why economic downturn will not affect MSPs and in fact help MSPs. 17:30 The team that made this episode possible Praveen 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.

Topics discussed in this episodes Why we will never go to the 'way it was before'. 03:22 What is the one key thing that will help MSPs thrive and shine. 05:09 The importance of being a 'digital citizen' in your marketing efforts 08:00 Looking out for new target markets that's emerged out of 'hybrid workforce'. 16:00 Identifying and firing 'high-cost' clients and why you need fire them. 17:47 Downsides to standardizing your offerings. 22:05 Why IoT might be the next big thing in the MSP space and what possible use cases does it serve? 24:04 Calendaring and time boxing to stay productive. 30:19 The first hire you should make your in your MSP. 31:49 Resources mentioned in this episode Linkedin Time-boxing technique The team that made this episode possible: Praveen 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.

Topics discussed in this episode: Visibility doesn't translate to productivity. It's not necessary to be physically present in the office; it is a bit of an "artifact". 02:30 Traditional infrastructure is irrelevant in the new normal and this is an opportunity for MSPs to play the extended IT. 09:50 Collaboration will be central to how organizations and MSPs operate. 12:00 The necessity of switching from a reactive model to a proactive model. 13:44 MSPs who have been prepared for such uncertainties have been able to thrive. 16:29 Mitigating cyber and phishing attacks, and protecting users are crucial for MSPs to provide as a service. 18:22 What's wrong with solving people's problems using technology. 20:06 Credits:The team that made this episode possible: Praveen 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

Topics discussed in this episode: Why being 24*7 is not an option for MSPs anymore, and how it's become a necessity with remote working becoming mainstream. 05:50 There's a real opportunity for MSPs to sound intelligent and get a seat in the IT strategy. 07:25 Why hiring tech talent might not be the most important thing for your MSP. 12:50 The constraint that holds MSP from growing. 13:44 Increasing efficiency by outsourcing, and how it helped James achieve more. 20:55 Resources mentioned in this episode: Managed Services In a Month by Karl Palanchuk Package, Price, Profit by Nigel Moore Infinite Scale by James Vickery Credits:The team that made this episode possible: Praveen 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

Topics discussed in this episode: How can you differentiate your MSP from the MSP next door when you're on a shoe-string budget. 03:45 Tactical advice on being 'agile' and how you can leverage automation to achieve the 'everything now' phenomenon. 09:50 A step-by-step breakdown to answer 'Why should this client come to me', and break the silos between marketing efforts. 17:20 Overcoming the lack of events, tightening budgets, absence of direct sales, and leveraging Facebook at $0. 19:15 Finding your niche, and exploring newly blossomed markets. 22:45 Resources mentioned in this episode: Textexpander Calendly Linkedin Facebook Use the promo code Superops100 to get $100 off on your first month of Smith.ai Credits:The team that made this episode possible: Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing & 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

Topics discussed in this episode: There are two defining terms to describe how MSPs can handle crises brought by the pandemic: survival and change. 06:43 We are seeing years of transformation such as cloud migration, distributed work, happen in a matter of months. 07:25 There's nothing like it when both the opportunity to do something right and make some money show up in the same place. 09:35 Working with data is crucial because being realistic about a given situation is better than blinded by optimism. 10:11 The way MSPs are making money has changed and will continue to do so in the following years. MSPs need to constantly reinvent themselves. 11:40 The assembler-builder analogy puts the prospect of AI in the MSP industry in perspective. 15:50 With the right kind of implementation, AI can bring value. It's sure to change a lot of lives. 19:27 Resources mentioned in this episode:Virtualization: Defined, A Primer for the SMB Consultant by Dave SobelCredits:The team that made this episode possible: Praveen 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

Topics discussed in this episode: The good that the MSP community has done for him and why he wants to give back to this community. 04:00 COVID gave a whole new perspective to what it means to have business continuity. 06:10 The changes that MSPs need to make from a technical, business, and financial point of view, to stay resilient. 09:13 It's necessary to continually look at your technology and see how you can enable your clients to meet their business goals. 12:00 Getting new business is highly challenging; it is important to give 10x without expecting as much in return. 14:28 When internal IT and outsourcing MSPs come together there is an opportunity for MSPs to leverage. 20:19 Put all your eggs into partner enablement because your partner base drives 80% of the revenue. 22:37 Start with email marketing before you start spending money on advertising. 28:12 Resources mentioned in this episode: Channelnomics CRN Channele2e Channel pro Credits:The team that made this episode possible: Praveen 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

Topics discussed in this episode: The two factors affecting how MSPs navigate the changes. 04:15 The only constant in the world of technology is change. 07:13 MSPs that didn't care well for their clients in the summer of 2019 are losing customers 08:00 Distributed workforce increased the demand for MSPs. 09:51 Adoption of new technology isn't purely an MSP's responsibility; the client must be willing too. 12:07 The advantages of hosting events virtually and marketing to an audience virtually. 13:31 Social proof is key to marketing. It's as good as word-of-mouth marketing. 16:14 A series of elements that make a good website isn't the same as a perfect website, and why you should have one. 20:04 Marketing your MSP business is as important as building your products or delivering great customer service. 23:01 Why it's necessary to look around at what's happening and see how to fit that in your current MSP strategy. 26:30 Resources mentioned in this episode: Updating Servers Doesn't Grow Your Business by Paul Green The 6 Principles of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies by Chet Holmes They Ask You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today's Digital Consumer by Marcus Sheridan Credits:The team that made this episode possible: Praveen 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