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MSPs can easily talk to each other about the latest gadgets and gizmos, but talking to other people about that same technology can be more of a struggle. It is the same with MSPs and their conversations with businesses.
Watching someone try to sell their services to people can be like watching a slow-moving train wreck — there is enthusiasm when MSPs talk to business owners, but it can be hard to translate that excitement to the client.
That is where the importance of conversations comes into play.
If you’re an MSP, then your entire training for becoming an MSP has been technical. You learned the tips and tricks and workarounds for all things technology. Now, all of a sudden, you are being asked to work with people and explain your services and abilities to them. You most likely do not have the training or knowledge to have conversations that will enable those business professionals to fully understand what it is that you do and what you can do for them.
When entering those conversations, it is important to approach them as people and not as machines. You cannot simply throw solutions their way expecting them to grasp what it is that you are trying to tell them. You have to listen — find common ground and really understand what it is that they care about.
If you are only talking about technology, it will most likely make their eyes glaze over and feel impersonal. At the selling stage, business professionals do not care about the technology — they care about whether they like you or not. Look at the technology solution through their eyes. See how this technology can truly help them, not from an IT standpoint, but from a personal perspective.
Here’s an example. An MSP makes a business’s internet speed much faster and its bandwidth much better. The MSP will look at this solution as a complete technical solution. But, the business professional is excited about having extra time due to not having to actually drive into the office, letting them attend their daughter’s softball game. Both people had totally different standards to measure success, but both situations were using the same technology.
Ultimately, people make most decisions with their hearts, not their heads. If you are great at connecting with the person before talking business, then selling to them will be much better for both parties.