Most MSPs say differentiation is one of the hardest aspects of marketing. Here's an easy way to figure out why someone should buy from you
Differentiation is perhaps one of the hardest marketing things for MSPs to get right.
Because the only true product differentiation you have - your tech stack and the specific way you do things - doesn't influence ordinary business owners and managers in any way.
Here are 3 smart questions to ask yourself. The answers will give you a huge steer in how to make your MSP stand out.
What market are we in?
The easy answer is "any business in this area". But you don't really want any old business, do you? You must have a minimum user number, or minimum spend? There must be types of businesses you dislike (lawyers!).
On the flip side, maybe there are specific types of businesses you love working with. Or specific verticals or niches that you're good at or find profitable?
The clearer you can be on the market you are in, the easier it is to do marketing that seems both relevant and appealing to that market.
What are the biggest problems our clients want us to remove?
Business owners and managers don't really buy "IT support" or "someone managing my services". Instead they buy:
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I want to sleep better at night
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I want my staff to stop complaining about the technology
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I just want everything to work
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I want technology to help growth not hinder it
If you can identify and communicate back a prospect's needs, wants, and fears, you will seem like you really understand them. Which makes you the easy choice.
What do we do better than our competitors?
Start a new document. List your top 5 competitors. The ones you're most likely to come up against or lose a prospect to.
Make a list of what they do that's better than you, and vice versa. If you think you do everything better than your competitors, you're deluded. Be honest with yourself. No-one else will see this list.
Add to this list over time. And then make sure your marketing accentuates your positives. Better still, connect those positives to your prospects' needs, wants, and fears.
Such as: "We know it's annoying when you're trying to work late at night, and a frustrating tech problem gets in the way. That's why we have a trusted partner who supports our clients when our team is asleep. So you can get help 24 hours a day."
