Why MSPs Should Stop Using This Term

| Author

There are a few terms in the MSP industry that have been overusedbut none more than the word "proactive". Every MSP says it's proactive, but if you dig a little deeperyou’ll find that most MSPs are not actually proactive, they just have proactive intentions. There’s a big difference. 

A few weeks ago, I spoke to a group of 100 MSPs about security. During the discussion, we came to an agreement on the following: It takes more than just tools to properly protect MSPs and their customers from the ever-evolving threat landscape. It takes process and discipline — specifically around centralized services, technology alignment or compliance, and vCIO. In other words, it takes dedicated proactive roles and resources.

Then I asked, “How many of you have at least one service delivery resource that's 100 percent proactive?” I mean a service delivery role that is not assigned tickets, alerts or billable projects. Only a few hands went up, and they turned out to be TruMethods customers.

Afterward, I delivered the bad news: “If that’s the case, are your customers really secure?” How can you say you are proactive if everyone is working on tickets and projects?  

Being truly proactive is not only a math problem, but a common sense issue. 

First, the math.  

Today, you have an average cost per seat that exists in your business, which you may or may not be calculating properly. Tools and support get done first. You must pay for your tools and respond to tickets and alerts. What’s left for truly proactive roles and process? 

Now, the commonsense part. 

Look at your service delivery team. Is everyone assigned tickets, alerts and billable work? Is someone who is assigned tickets also going to be proactive with any level of discipline or consistency? 

Here’s the wake-up call: You don't become a top-performing MSP by having every technical resource on your team entering crap in service tickets all day long. You also don't secure yourself or your clients that way. 

When the TruMethods team teaches MSPs how to implement the technology alignment and vCIO roles and processes using myITprocess, the common response from MSPs is this: This is a lot of work. 

Yes, being proactive is a lot of work, and it takes time, which is why you must charge for it. MSPs with truly proactive roles and process command 20-30 percent higher prices. 

The only way to be proactive is to build proactive roles and processes into your seat costs, so that you can afford to do it. 

The next time you're meeting with the prospect, and they tell you, the vendor is proactive, but they're only charging $110 a seat, you should be thinking: proactive, schmoactive. 

There’s a big difference between being proactive and having proactive intentions. 


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TOPICS: world class msp MSP processes vCIO MSP advice

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