Even with the rapid rise in cloud adoption, the Managed Service Provider (MSP) market is highly competitive. Hence it is crucial that MSPs distinguish themselves from the competition. The increasing number of MSPs for businesses, showcasing almost similar service portfolios, benefits, and much more, have forced MSPs to go above and beyond to retain and acquire new customers.
MSPs must understand that not every organization that needs help with its cloud infrastructure is a match for their services. Although, the same can also be said for any organization on the lookout for MSPs. So, what makes an MSP successful in this competitive market? Let’s understand a few key traits that separate an MSP from the rest.
Proactive Approach
A common problem faced by a majority of MSPs is their approach toward the businesses of their customers. It is essential to understand that MSPs are no different from any other IT solutions provider as their customers’ infrastructure relies heavily on their abilities. With the technical knowledge MSPs bring to the table, it is crucial that they take a proactive approach instead of a reactive one. In the end, preventing a security breach is much better than dealing with the aftermath of a breach. As a byproduct, a proactive approach instills confidence in your customers for continued and long-term relations.
Follow the Sun Service
As is common knowledge, problems and threats do not wait for a convenient time to pop up. Hence, customers are always on the lookout for an MSP with 24/7 support. Even if an MSP does not have employees round the clock, their IT systems are always at peak, even on holidays. In case of business-critical issues, the MSPs dispatch relevant teams to fix the problem as soon as possible to keep the damages to the minimum. Successful MSPs always try to keep the uptime of their customers at 100% with continuous monitoring and quick response.
Highly Trained Workforce
In most cases, organizations hire MSPs because they lack the required experience or a skilled workforce to maintain their cloud infrastructure and get the maximum ROI. MSPs with highly trained engineers tend to always be ahead of the curve when meeting the needs of their customers. Some of the leading MSPs ensure their employees are always up to date when it comes to certifications and training programs. A few MSPs often hire entry-level engineers to maintain their smaller clients, leading to problems in the long run, whereas the top MSPs always hire the best of the best to ensure the customer always remains on top of their cloud, no matter the account size.
Named Account Managers
One of the most prominent ways successful MSPs differentiate themselves from others is named account managers for their customers. As a personal manager assigned to the customer, a named account manager will handle all the customer’s requirements or problems in a seamless manner by acting as a single point of contact. This serves multiple purposes; while providing a personal touch to customer relations, the named account manager also helps customers implement various optimization practices in their cloud infrastructures.
Conclusion
There are many traits to categorize an MSP as successful. However, it is the customer that makes the ultimate decision of choosing an MSP. One way customers make this ultimate choice is by watching the MSP’s track record as successful MSPs often retain their customers for a long time with their top-of-the-line service portfolios and services. From the MSP perspective, a lot goes into distinguishing itself as a prominent choice in the market. Centilytics helps MSPs stand apart from the crowd by helping them deliver value on top of services. Learn more about our MSP enablement here.