How to Fire Your MSP

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2NHRRDl
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3AyHCUd 

Today, we tackle the uncomfortable task of firing an MSP — something that must be done but isn’t fun. Since this is such a daunting task, we’re giving you three tips to make it the smoothest transition possible. 

Tip 1: Have the keys to the kingdom. 

If you are frustrated or unhappy with your current MSP, then it can be scary to think about firing them considering they have so much power over your technology. If you have a good MSP or someone who is easy to work with, it would cause no problem to transition to a new MSP that works better for your business because that MSP would help with the transition. But, if you have an MSP that you are nervous about withholding information or sabotaging your business, then it is time that you get more access to your passwords. Essentially, you need to be the one with the most control. 

If you don’t currently have all your technology’s passwords plus an overarching master password, then you need to get access to those things. 

Let this be a test for your MSP. You may have a great MSP, and that means that you already have access to all passwords and have total control over your accounts and systems. If you don’t, then maybe your MSP is not the best fit for you. 

So, the first thing to do when you are going to fire your MSP is to get all your passwords and confirm that they are accurate. 

Tip 2: Have a transition plan. 

Like anything within your business, you want to have a plan for what the transition to a new MSP will look like. When picking a new MSP, look at all the things that your current MSP is struggling with and make your decision based on some of those aspects. It is best to have a new MSP picked out so you can give them passwords and authentication information so they can start preparing to take over. 

It is also a good idea to have a risk audit done and get that information over to your new MSP as well. 

Do not let your current MSP know what is happening until the day you are letting them go because they may struggle to finish up projects in a timely manner or continue to do their job fully. 

Tip 3: Transition at a convenient time. 

Be aware of what your business is doing and make sure you plan to transition to a new MSP at a time that is most convenient for your business. Don’t choose to switch your MSP provider during a product launch or in the middle of a massive project. It is best to wait until the summer or a non-busy time to make this transition go well. 

The last thing to keep in mind is that it is okay to look at other MSP offers, even if your MSP is amazing. It is not a bad idea to know what all your options are and compare those options to what your current MSP offers. 

Holiday Security Tips

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2NHRRDl
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3AyHCUd

The holiday season is in full swing, which means that you need to know security tips to protect
yourself from fraud and getting information stolen.

This time of year is so magical, but it’s also when people get duped and lose a lot of money
from internet scams or getting their information stolen. We’re here to help you avoid that or
prepare yourself for when it does happen.

The first tip we have for you is to stop using your debit card and start using another system like
ApplePay, PayPal or some other protected process. It is so easy for people to steal your card
number. You wouldn’t lay your card down on the counter at the mall or grocery store for anyone
to look at; having that same mindset online is very important. Anytime that you’re going to put
your card number into a website, think about whether you really trust the site or not. If you’re
unsure if the site is legitimate, then you should definitely not put any personal information into
the site.

The best thing to do is use PayPal or a protected service that will allow you to purchase without
using a card number. These services have teams of people that are specifically monitoring and
keeping track of your purchases to make sure everything checks out and looks good. These
services are the most up-to-date way to pay, making them the safest.

There have been a lot of changes and updates to cards over the years and that has allowed us
a lot more security. We need to train ourselves to use the most recent processes that will keep
your purchases secure and your information safe.

The second tip is to have a LastPass for your passwords to make it harder for your passwords
to get stolen. Password vaults are cheap if not free and they keep your passwords secure. It’s
an extra step and we know those aren’t fun, but they will give you an extra layer of security and
will help you out in the long run.

When using social media, you should have social awareness and be responsible. Hackers are
paying attention to what you post, and if you’re not careful, they will target you based on
information that you’re either posting or reposting. Make sure that you are aware of where you
are reposting information from and not linking any fishy sites. By doing this, you’re avoiding
putting a large target on yourself for hackers that are trying to steal your information or take your
account down based on what you’re posting.

Make sure you’re not buying anything on social media unless it’s from a site that you really trust.
Facebook ads are a great way for hackers to grab your attention and get you to put your card

information in. Pop-up websites were created to feature different popular items at a lower price
to trick people into purchasing, just to have the site disappear after 24 hours. Especially during
the holiday season, it is important to be aware of where you are purchasing presents from.
The third and final tip is to make sure you’re using something like LifeLock to have a team
actively making sure you’re protected.

Get a 6-month service to ensure people have your back. They will dig through the dark web and
make sure that your information isn’t up for purchase or available to be used. There are lists of
passwords that are common for people to use, and they will make sure that your passwords
aren’t on that list.

It’s easy to have the mindset that, “if people want to get in, then they will.” We get it. But, giving
yourself an extra level of protection with our three tips will make it so much harder for people to
actually want to hack your accounts. Since these criminals are really just looking for easy
money, making it harder for them will protect you.

Just remember, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. When you’re shopping and browsing the
internet this month, be extremely careful and take precautions. If you do, you’ll have a magical
December.

Holidays

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2NHRRDl
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3AyHCUd

The holidays are here and that means that you might be figuring out who has to work over this time and who gets time off. If you’re an IT professional, you might be hoping to get a moment of peace and quiet in an empty office over the holidays. 

As IT professionals, we want to celebrate the holidays, but there are always projects that can only be done over a day off. Take Thanksgiving for instance. You can eat with your family on Thursday but then come in on Friday to do a major rollout on things like phones or swap out a couple of servers. This is sometimes the ideal situation for IT professionals. You can still celebrate with your loved ones, but you also get to really get stuff done without interruption or calls coming in. A quiet office is also a great break from those loved ones after a holiday spent together.

Say you came in on the Friday following Thanksgiving and got lots of stuff done. This allows you to monitor that progress over the weekend and fix any bugs or problems that might take place without interruption still. 

These holidays can become like custody battles. While many professionals are trying to get time off for the holidays, IT professionals are typically debating over who gets to work certain holidays or periods of time following the holidays in order to get done with everything they’re hoping to. 

This is called change management, which is super important in the IT world. The holidays are generally where we center this change management. Weekends work alright, but holidays are the best time to make big changes and implement new technologies.

Holidays can be a conflicting time as well. The personal side also comes into play. Family is very important, and spending time together is what the holidays are all about. Balancing this family time and also getting stuff done for work can be a complicated game to play. If you absolutely love your job, this becomes even more difficult. But, if you can learn to balance these two things, the holidays will be both a special time of togetherness and a time of solitude work. 

There is another aspect to holidays that most people don’t think about, and that is the fact that, worldwide, we all celebrate different holidays. Some holidays are universal while others are very specific to a region and it is important to keep these in mind when deciding when to work and when to take a break. You might also be able to let another take care of what you’re trying to accomplish if they are in another region and working when the United States is celebrating a holiday.

If you’re a business professional, it could be beneficial to have a conversation with your IT staff and figure out if they actually want the time off over the holiday season or if they would benefit from working one or two days in order to work in a quiet office, uninterrupted.

Tech Conferences

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2NHRRDl
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3AyHCUd

A few months ago, we posed the question: are conferences dead? We weren’t sure at the time, but, after recently attending a conference in Florida, we’ve got some more answers. 

Our experience at the recent conference was very similar to a normal event pre-covid. There were lots of events and activities going on within the conference and people were generally treating it like a normal event. For those of you that love conferences, this should be very encouraging to you!

Going forward, hybrid-type conferences are probably going to stick around. There are lots of positive things about this method of getting together, but there are also things that you can’t really receive in a remote format. 

Now, when you go to a conference, you shouldn’t go for information. You should always attend an event to make connections and build relationships with people. It’s not bad to learn at conferences, but most of that learning can come from talking to people who are passionate about the same things as you. This is the item that might be missing from your remote conference experience: connections with people in person! You might be an introvert, so this might be the factor that you are glad to be apart from, but, there is so much value in being able to chat with someone face-to-face.

If you are attending an event, go to the keynote presentations and listen to what the speakers have to say, but the most important part of these days is what happens after the event is over. Take the time to interact with other people in any way. That can be getting dinner or drinks with other attendees or simply having side conversations with people throughout the evening. These conversations generally lead to getting more information and insight than you could ever get during the event itself. The real meaty party of those conversations probably could not have happened remotely.

If you don’t love going to conferences, try being a vendor instead. Vendors generally do not attend the main events, and they get a lot of free time. This means that they have more time to meet people and connect with them over a load of topics. This is a great way to learn what other people are doing for their businesses and maybe even partner with an organization to make your company even better. B to B relationships are very important, and being a vendor can lend you the time and experience to make those connections. 

It’s important to pay attention and look for the really engaging parts of conferences. Sometimes, they aren’t found where you were expecting them. Listen intently to the Q and A sections of speeches and create side conversations throughout the event. This will ensure that you get the most out of any and all conferences that you attend going forward. 

If you had to boil it down to what a good conference looks like, it’s all about building relationships. So, we don’t think conferences are dead. Hybrid systems will stick around, but conferences are here to stay!

Inspiration

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2NHRRDl
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3AyHCUd

What are you inspired by? How does that inspiration play into your day-to-day life? Start thinking about those questions as we jump into our topic on innovation and inspiration.

First, let’s look at some definitions.

Innovation is a new method, process, idea, etc. Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. Now, how do these two words relate to one another? Innovation comes from inspiration. Innovation comes from weird areas — sometimes laziness, hubris or impatience. But, when we challenge the status quo and do something different, we create inspiration for a variety of projects or passions.

Let’s look at space exploration as an example. The latest space trip involving billionaires and non-scientific people is the latest and greatest thing in all things space exploration. This type of travel is not easy and is not as simple as someone might assume. There is a lot that has to go into this flight and massive amounts of innovating and problem-solving are necessary. So, how did this end up becoming a reality? Innovation.

Lots of research went into solving this problem, which resulted in not just more accessible space travel, but Tesla became a well-known car brand. Tesla was created with the goal to make a vehicle that was battery-operated and durable enough to go to space. So, the car was created out of innovation with space travel being the inspiration. Crazy, right?!

Another thing happened through space exploration: demand for battery-operated vehicles grew. Tesla has dramatically changed the landscape that every automatic manufacturer is working on. Because Tesla showed that electric cars are possible, the company inspired manufacturers. Tesla wasn’t created to sell more cars, it was created to make more demand for batteries. And this all stemmed from billionaires wanting to go to space and do something crazy.

The changes that are being made in our world today are not always market-driven — they are inspired by the idea that we can do something better than the current way of doing things.

Ultimately, there are a lot of benefits of trying to reach beyond your comfort zone.

So, for your business, how long have you been in a rut? How long have you been doing the same thing? How are you going to innovate and inspire entrepreneurship inside your organization?

In order to make positive changes in your business, you must challenge the status quo and do something that might not seem possible.

Internet of Things

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2NHRRDl
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3uooSU

In this day and age, you have lots of choices when it comes to the internet. These choices can be big or small, from choosing an online banking platform to deciding whether or not to get wifi-capable light bulbs. 

These decisions might not seem super important but, with so much at stake, you need to choose what you are allowing technology to influence. 

The main thing to look at is the specific value that technology is bringing to the table. It is not bad to embrace new technology or know more about what we are doing, but it’s important that you are getting a return on your investment by implementing technology more into your daily life. 

Take a smoker for example. Humans have been smoking meat for a very long time—longer than we’ve had the internet, that’s for sure. Smoking meat has always been fairly simple: you put the meat in and then you wait. It’s a no-fuss cooking process and the hardest part is just being patient. With technology, you now have the option to get a wifi-capable smoker. This allows you to check the temperature of the meat at all times and monitor the cooking process from start to finish. This is not a bad thing, but it seems a bit unnecessary. By opening the smoker and adjusting things or messing with the controls in general, you are making the smoker’s job or smoking meat harder. The best thing to do is just walk away from the smoker and let it do its job without technology messing with the controls.

Sometimes, the less that people know about specific things within their operations, the better. Take the smoker. If you are aware of the whole process and something normal happens that seems like a problem, then you might freak out and do something unnecessary like change the temperature. Ultimately, you are supposed to just let the meat cook and messing with the temperature might end up being the problem that ruins your meal. 

You now have more knowledge than before and you don’t know what to do with it. The internet of things provides a lot of features and data, but do you truly need all of that information? 

The simplest of things has now become complicated. Troubleshooting has become a whole different ball game with customization available for every single issue in the book. Although technology is important and it does advance our lives, there is not value in every item integrated with the internet. 

Here’s a good rule to follow: don’t make something web-capable that you rely on for your livelihood. Be smart about what you are enabling and make sure you know how to function without the internet of things. Also, make sure that it’s improving and enhancing your life and not becoming a distraction. 

Travel and Technology

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2NHRRDl
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3uooSU

Technology is wonderful, but have we become too dependent on it when it comes to traveling and our everyday lives?

When you do not have technology, what do you do? There are huge areas of the world that always have signal and internet connection. What happens when technology doesn’t support us in the ways that we expect it to? All of a sudden, we are at a loss and are left to find other options. 

We have become solely dependent on technology to the point where, if something isn’t working, everything kind of stops. This is a huge problem in business, but it also affects travel too. Here’s an example.

Let’s say you are vacationing in a new country where you do not speak the language. This is not an issue because of technology that provides translation tools that help us communicate. But, if your phone dies or you lose signal, you no longer have a means of communication. What do you do then? Most people wouldn’t know what to do, meaning that technology has taken over that area of travel and made it seem like other options are pointless. 

Technology isn’t bad per se, it has made traveling much easier and more accessible. But, when you are at a loss or when things come to a standstill when technology malfunctions or can not work, then that is an issue. 

With that being said, technology has advanced how people travel and has made lots of improvements to people’s experiences.

There are apps that read and translate signs, making driving and getting places easier than ever before. Entertainment on flights! Wow, people now have options for movies, better internet connection and an ability to track the flight as you go along. Translation tools also make communicating much easier so you can get around and be more assimilated into the culture of where you are traveling to. 

Like anything, with the positives of technology also come negatives, making it really important to practice taking detoxes from technology. 

We’re not over using technology, but if we are at a standstill because of a lack of technology, then that is a problem. We need to recognize in our personal lives that you need to have other options outside of the technology that you generally use in order to be prepared. 

Processes can simplify when it comes to using technology. It does not have to be in every single aspect of our lives. It can be refreshing or easier to use a non-augmented option — it might give you some self-confidence, too! 

Technology is not bad. It has made traveling much easier. Just make sure you are not solely dependent on it for all areas of your life — especially travel.

EpISODE 164: Complexity is the Enemy

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2NHRRDl
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3uooSUX

Having a simple solution is better than having a perfect solution. People are constantly in danger of over-complicating solutions. Here is how you can simplify things and make them more elegant and easier to understand. 

The world is complex. When creating a project or coding a system, it is super important to document your work. Commenting and reminding yourself of certain tips and tricks is helpful for you down the road. You should put 2-3 lines of comments for every line of code to make it less complex and increase your ability to return to the code later on and still understand how to use it efficiently. Plus, if you comment as you’re creating, the code will be fresh in your mind and make more sense than it will at any other point in time. 

We can make things a little over the top. We’re human — it happens! 

The best way to know if you have over-complicated a project is to explain it to someone. If you launch into a long narrative and need to explain every little detail in order for the person to make sense of what you have created, then it is probably too difficult to actually implement or be used in your business by other people. If so, it is time to step back and rework your project in order to be simple and easier to understand. 

It’s easy to get distracted by the possibility of creating something cool and forget to ask yourself if the process needs to be automated in the first place. 

Look at your process. Can you explain it in less than 30 seconds? If not, it might be time to take the big, complicated process and take steps to simplify so your business can more-easily manage the system. 

Understand the ins and outs of your process so you can let your company and other employees know what it is and how it is solving problems. Once everyone understands the process or system being used, your business will flourish. 

Have your IT professionals take a look at the process your business professionals are using and vice versa. There may be an easier solution or tool that can simplify both profession’s ways of doing things in order to make everyone more efficient.

Once things are easier, you can sell more, onboard new clients and have more time to dedicate to other, more important things. 

The best thing to keep in mind is the plan that is going to work is the one that you have in front of you. You will not always be able to make your process simple right away — you might have to use a complicated system if it is the only one available to you. But, there is always the ability to go back and simplify over time. 

Complexity crushes our ability to talk to people and it takes up time. Write down what you’re doing as you’re doing it, explain it to someone else so that they understand what you’re doing and know that you can always go back and simplify as you learn and grow with the system. 

Merger meant for you

Virtual C and Managed Services Platform have been working together to create tools to increase customer success since 2017. Together we have created a turnkey product line with all the tools, templates, coaching and resources necessary for success. These all form the battle-tested Humanize IT framework that many of you are familiar with. 

This merger will help the MSP community address the increased pressure of staying competitive through client engagement and demonstrating strategic value to clients. 

You might be asking one big question: what is the goal of this merger?

The goal is to enable MSPs of all sizes to work less and achieve higher client engagement through one seamless solution. This will help give more streamlined help and allow us to serve you better.

One thing this pandemic has made clear is that MSPs can no longer wait to improve their client engagement, QBRs and IT strategy processes. MSPs now know the need to demonstrate their value to clients and standardize their technology stack in order to stay competitive.

MSPs often lack clear direction, knowledge, resources and time to make this a reality. That results in price pressure, client churn and lost profitability.

Managed Services Platform has developed one of the most advanced software tool sets for vCIOs and Account Managers. They enable MSPs to engage clients, differentiate from competition and help standardize their operation. Humanize IT has been a partner with Managed Services Platform since 2017, providing coaching, consultation, templates, reports and community in order to implement vCIO and Account Management best practices on the platform. 

This is an exciting announcement that will allow all around better and more efficient use for you! Check back at our blog for more information about this merger in the coming weeks or for further questions email us.

How Salespeople Close IT Projects Faster?

We’re all too well aware of the enormous amount of work that goes into the preparation phase of every client IT project. From the idea stage (we need to replace the server architecture) to actually being able to send a proper quote ($18,500 with labour cost) the MSP spends dozens of hours coming up with the IT project plan and the numbers. The hours are tracked as “sales” hours spending time on those quotes but at the end of the day most of those projects never take off. Everybody is bummed, the client calls off the opportunity, the team writes off the time to a “lost opportunity” category and life goes on. However there is a totally legitimate, battle-tested sales tactic that a few MSPs use to cut this unproductive and morale-draining busy work. Let's get into the details.

WATCH our free RECORDED webinar and we'll explore how to prepare

client meetings even more efficiently

What is the real problem?

Once you do the work and prepare the IT project quote, then three things can happen:

• Client loses interest during the process, the pain is not there anymore and the issue is pushed to “next quarter”
• Client realizes they have higher priorities seeing the $18,500 quote and saying “we did not budget it in”
• Client starts negotiating but eventually goes ahead

The real problem is that the client receives all the critical information needed for the decision only AFTER you’ve poured dozens of hours into the project scope and planning process, and when the pain and problems are likely not that pressing anymore. That leads to lost opportunities AND time.

The information came too late in the process and was probably much more precise than needed for actually making the decision.

How to fix this?

Salespeople use a process to overcome this problem. Their goals are:

• Strike while the iron is hot - “move things along while they’re in focus“
• Qualify the client’s budget against the solution - “are they ready to pay?”
• Make a “reversible” decision - “do not be pushy”
• Get a “letter of intent” from the client - “evidence of the priority”

They are not pushing people or being salesy. They want to deliver all the information to the client as soon as possible for decision making AND to get proper feedback, to enable them to invest in the opportunity.

They want to move the decision making way up in the process in order to qualify good opportunities and avoid those with less chance of success.

The two best practices they are using are the price testing and the pre-approval in order to move the decision event PRIOR to the excessive work of planning and quoting.

Step 1. - Price Test

The first thing to qualify a client for a certain project is a price test. This is a verbal agreement from the client that within certain conditions they are good to go. At this point it’s pretty hard to guess the right price for us (lack of proper scope) or to commit to any price. So they are qualified for the opportunity with a price test to make sure it’s worth the time.

They use a price range ($16,000 - $20,000) rather than a hard number ($18,500). This reflects the assessment of the magnitude of the work. It does not really make a difference if it is $16,000 or $20,000 to make the preliminary decision. But the client isn’t left guessing between $5,000 or $100,000 and has a reliable budget range.

Second, the salespeople cannot commit anything to the client yet. Instead of saying: “This would be about $16,000 - $20,000 to deploy the solution. Can you afford that?”, they’ll say “last time we solved this problem for a similar size organization it was about $16,000 - $20,000; is this in a range worth solving the problem?”.

You see the difference?

Managed Services Platform Tips

• The IT project roadmap is a perfect place to play with numbers in the budget sheet
• Predefined project templates help to vaguely scope the projects without extensive work
• As these projects are likely going to be custom feel free to add the templates to the roadmap and start editing with them

Step 2. - Pre Approval

Talking is useful but writing is a different level of commitment. Most clients do not realize how much work goes into the project preparation phase, and innocently send you to craft a proposal like they’re fishing. If they realized that this is a bigger commitment on your part, they might take this more seriously.

When companies are making their bigger deals involving a lot of work from both parties they sign a paper called “Letter of Intent”. This agreement is not legally binding but strong enough to demonstrate interest from both parties to invest more time and money.

In your case this is something like a “Pre Approval”. The pre approval requires only a number from the price test and a defined results and outcomes to solve the problem.

If the project scope is templated then you are able to get approval right away. If not you can write a quick brief and send for pre-approval.

Managed Services Platform Tips

• The proposal process is ideal for asking for pre-approval
• You can link your “Terms and Conditions” to the proposal to offset legal obligations
• You can use the note section to state that this is only a “letter of intent” and not legally binding

Conclusion

This is how you protect your time and resources and work only on IT project plans and quotes if both parties have agreed on the boundaries. Most managed services providers are operating in a high trust environment with clients. If the client is aware of the “additional work” needed to actually prepare a proper quote, understands the goal of a project and knows the potential investment, they can easily pre-approve multiple projects. That puts the tech team in a better position to invest more time in higher probability opportunities and not hustle opportunities with no potential for success.