Co-managed IT deep dive: Why your B2B marketing actively repels IT directors (& what to do instead)

Quick question.

Have you ever tried to win a co-managed IT contract, but found you were banging your head against the wall trying to generate quality IT director leads???

I ran a live event this week where I went deep on exactly why this happens. And the most important idea from that session, the one that I think changes everything, is worth sharing here.

It’s the difference between relief and reinforcement.

First, a quick bit of context

Forgive me if you know this already. Co-managed IT is where a larger business already has an internal IT team but brings in an MSP to work alongside them.

It’s a huge and growing opportunity. As businesses scale but the internal IT team doesn't, they become overwhelmed. That means a very high proportion of their work becomes reactive, so security gaps start to appear and projects slip.

Eventually someone, usually the IT director, starts to wonder if they need outside help. That’s the exact moment you want to be there!

The problem is most MSPs either arrive at the wrong moment... or if they do get the timing right, they turn up with completely the wrong message.

When you market to a business owner, you’re selling RELIEF

A business owner who doesn’t understand technology wants one thing and one thing only. They want the whole hassle and headache of IT taken off their plate.

So your B2B messaging works beautifully when it says things like:

• Relax. We’ll manage everything
• Leave it all to us
• We take away all the burden

For a business owner, that’s exactly what they want to hear. Relief from a problem they don’t fully understand.

And if a business owner picks the wrong MSP? They lose time and money. Which is painful, but recoverable. As business owners, we’re pretty unfireable, right? 😃 😃 😃

When you market to an IT director, using that same message sounds like a massive threat

An IT Director not only understands technology; dealing with all those problems IS their job!

So when you say “we’ll handle everything” or “leave it all to us,” they are thinking...

• “Wait... are they trying to replace me?”
• “Is my job at risk?”
• “If I bring these people in, will I look incompetent in front of my boss?”

And if an IT director picks the wrong MSP for co-managed support, the stakes are so much higher. They’re an employee, accountable to a CFO, a CEO, a management team or maybe even a board.

If it goes wrong, it reflects on them, not you. This is what they lie awake worrying about at night when they're considering co-managed IT.

And it's why you need completely different messaging.

In co-managed, you’re selling REINFORCEMENT

Think about every Jack Reacher episode you've watched (and isn't that such a great show?). When the hero is stuck and the odds are against them, what do they call for?

--> Reinforcement <--

That’s exactly the word to use with IT directors. You’re not taking over or replacing anyone. You’re the reinforcement that arrives when the team is stretched and the mission's getting harder.

This changes your positioning and shifts your language...

• Instead of “we manage everything,” you say “we operate within clearly defined boundaries"
• Instead of “we become your IT department,” you say “we reinforce your existing structure”
• Instead of “we take responsibility for your IT,” you say “we document ownership so accountability stays clear”

You're delivering the same technical service but it's framed completely differently. And it makes an IT director feel safe.

Winning co-managed IT contracts is not about showing how clever you are or rubbing your thighs at your tech stack. It's about helping an IT director understand that you're there to make them look good and you're not a threat.

Want to go deeper on this?

I ran a full hour on this topic this week. The recording covers:

1. The full psychology of IT directors
2. How to spot the right co-managed opportunities
3. The specific language that works (and the language that kills deals instantly)
4. My 3 step system for winning co-managed clients
5. And the three traps that stop most MSPs from ever getting there.

Access the raw video.

Get the video with a dynamic transcript that you can search (and play at faster speeds).

And here's a summary from Claude: both a visual one and a text summary.

If co-managed IT is something you want to pursue properly, I’ve just launched a new membership built entirely around helping MSPs win co-managed contracts. Strategy, content, and support: All aimed specifically at IT directors rather than business owners.

Like my popular B2B membership, it's only available to one MSP per area. Enter your post code or zip code on this page to see if yours is available (without having to enter your contact details).