Don't do spray and pray marketing. Instead identify the top 100 prospects who'd make the biggest impact on your MSP if they became clients.
There's a book you should listen to on Audible. The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes is not about MSPs. But it could be.
Because the concepts inside are gold dust. They're totally relevant to help you find great leads, nuture them, and turn them into sales appointments.
One of the most exciting concepts in the book is that of the Dream 100.
Rather than spray and pray marketing (where you try to reach... everyone, anyone) it's about identifying the top 100 prospects who would make the biggest impact on your MSP if they became clients.
That might be because of:
- Their size, or number of staff/endpoints
- Their reputation in your marketplace (servicing a 'famous' local business is like having a celebrity client)
- Their MRR budget or opportunity for big profitable projects
- Their positive attitude to technology
Don't get too hung up on the number. To you it might be 58 of the hottest prospects.
The point is that you relentlessly pursue this small group of targets. You go above and beyond to cut through the noise and stand out to them again and again and again.
And again.
They are your number one most important marketing focus every day. You're aiming to grow your relationship with them. Build familiarity and trust. So that the day they wake up ready to switch MSPs, whenever that is.... they immediately think about YOU.
What can you do to target them?
There's an endless pot of ideas. Here are 10 from me. Heads up, there's a LOT of real life, physical stuff in this list, because it's a smart way to cut through the noise.
The key thing with all of these ideas is that the more relevant the receipient perceives it to be, the greater impact it will have.
IDEA 1: Target them with an integrated marketing campaign - for example a piece of direct mail, follow-up emails and a follow-up phone call. Every month we supply a new marketing campaign for exactly this purpose to our MSP Marketing Edge members.
IDEA 2: Print off a relevant blog article or LinkedIn post. Could be one of yours but doesn't have to be. Write a few words on a Post-It, such as "I saw this and thought you'd find it interesting". And then send it to them. Enclose your business card in the envelope.
IDEA 3: Build a small case study about one of your clients. Get it professionally designed and printed and mail it to them. Add a note that says "we'd love to help you create a transformation story like this".
IDEA 4: Send them a printed newsletter every month, or every other month. Another asset we create for our MSP Marketing Edge members.
IDEA 5: Record a personalised video on Vidyard or Bonjoro. Make it about a tech subject that's relevant to them. The urgency of Windows 10 end of life would be a great subject for the next few months.
IDEA 6: Put on a short webinar, or better still a real life lunch & learn. Invite your Dream 100 to attend. 30 mins talking to a human in real life can have the same impact as a hundred digital interactions.
IDEA 7: Send a gift. It's more important it's thoughtful than expensive. For example, call their reception, find out the decision maker's regular coffee order (black, 2 sugars) and get that printed on a mug. Pop your logo and website address on the other side. Send it to them with some decent coffee beans. Hassle factor high, impact... off the scale.
IDEA 8: Follow up that mug with a phone call to check you got their order right. And ask if you can pop in to have a 15 min coffee with them.
IDEA 9: Offer a free or low cost paid tech audit. An old marketing tool that's fallen out of favour in recent years. But it ticks every box in terms of engagement, interaction, and finding opportunities to sell something to a prospect.
IDEA 10: Target them with retargeting ads that follow them around the web. Send them to a page of case studies on your website. You want them feeling in their core that "these guys are everywhere". Very powerful.
What do you think of the Dream 100 concept? What other targeting ideas do you have?
