Selling as Problem Solving

This is the second in my series on selling IT services. In last week's post, I explained the difference between selling services and products. In this week's post, I want to address a strategy that I employed with tremendous success in my career doing technical sales: turning selling into problem solving.

Engineers are Natural Problem Solvers

If you are a successful IT professional, problem solving probably comes natural to you. The day to day work of IT professionals is trouble-shooting and problem solving. However, for many of us, the idea of selling ourselves or our services makes us uncomfortable. Many times, we feel that making our clients happy means solving their problems. And that is true, to a point. In general, especially if you are a consultant or managed service provider, solving your clients problems is not enough. To win new clients and keep your existing ones, developing relationships with your clients is vital. 

The way I have always looked at selling IT services was that I was solving problems rather than selling services. In that way, I did not feel "fake" in any way. In my consultations with potential clients, I always focus the problems and issues that they are experiencing and the ways that I can address those issues. In that way, I feel like a problem solving engineer, rather than a salesperson. The end result is I solve your problems; you pay me money.

Obviously, to be successful, we all need to work on our interpersonal and communication skills. However, if we can reframe some things, like sales and marketing, as something that we are comfortable with, like problem solving, then we can approach sales meetings and potential clients with more confidence. 

Focus on Problem Solving

In any sales meetings with potential clients, I would always focus on two things:

1. What are their problems or pain points
2. How am I going to solve those problems and remove the pain points

By focusing on the problem solving aspects of your work, you can avoid any type of "sales pitch." Once you create rapport by explaining how you will solve their outstanding issues, your potential client will then often ask you how they can work with you. This removes the need to "sell," rather you are merely explaining your services.

In the end, the process boils down to three simple things:

1. The client has problems
2. You can solve those problems
3. They will pay you money to solve those problems

That is how to have a sales meeting that any engineer can feel comfortable and confident in.

A Final Word

I would love to help in selling your services or developing your business. To learn more, I invite you to sign up for a free consultation:

Build Your Business Strategy Session

Selling Services vs Products

I decided to do a few posts about selling IT services. In this first post in the series, I want to talk about the difference between selling services and products. I believe this is vital to managed service providers, because many books and sales trainings focus on techniques and strategies for selling products and not services.

Differences in Desired Outcomes

One main difference between selling products and services is that the nature of the desired end result is different. For the most part, a product sale is a one time sale. You need a computer, you buy a computer. You need a loaf of bread, you buy a loaf of bread. The actual purchase process may or may not involve any interaction with a "salesperson." Even if it does, that "salesperson" may work for the retailer and not for your company. For this type of business, marketing and brand building is much more the focus.

There is also another type of product sales where a salesperson representing the producing company directly sells the products to consumers. Example of this type might include selling software, selling cars, selling large computer systems, etc. This model tends to be large purchases that may be one time or once every few years. In this case, the salesperson may have support from marketing and brand building, but in the end, it is the direct contact with the buyer that will make or break the sale.


On the other hand, the "end goal" is to sell a service which is typically either some project or a long-term on-going service. For most managed service providers, MRR (monthly recurring revenue) is the desired outcome for any sales negotiations. Because the end goal is not a one-time sale of a product, but rather a long-term engagement, the sales process will naturally take longer, often months. Your goal is to demonstrate to your potential client that you can solve their problems and maintain their systems in a more cost-effective and efficient manner than if they did these things themselves.

You (and Your Staff) are the Product

In the end, when you are selling services, you are selling yourself and any staff that you may have. The buyer is committing to an extended relationship with you, whether it is for a short-term project or a on-going service. This is especially true for IT consultants or managed service providers. However, it is also true for any service providers such as contractors, cleaners, babysitters, accountants, and landscapers. For services, because the individual relationships are more important, brand building and brand loyalty are less important. You might argue that insurance and tax preparation are exceptions. I would argue that insurance is actually a product. It is true that H&R bock and others have tried to commoditize tax preparation. However, many people either chose to use individual accountants, buy software, or do their taxes on their own. In addition, paying taxes is something everyone has to do, so I believe it is a special case.

Early on in my consulting career, my mentor stressed the importance of relationship building as the key to success. Over time, I began to see the process of relationship building and sales of services as a process analogous to "dating." I find it useful to use this analogy, because in most cases, the desired end result is a long-term relationship and during the "wooing" process, you want to make sure that both sides will benefit from this relationship. This is an important thing to always keep in mind during the process. You want to make sure that you want the client as much as they want you.

To me, the above differences comprise the reasons why salespeople with a background and experience in selling products, no matter how successful, typically struggle with selling services such as IT consulting. While there may be exceptions, I would recommend against any managed service provider employing a trained salesperson who does not have a technical background.

In next week's blog, I will talk about the real "product" you are selling as an IT consultant.

A Final Word

I would love to help in selling your services or developing your business. To learn more, I invite you to sign up for a free consultation:

Build Your Business Strategy Session

My Story

As a business development coach, I help small MSP owners get more clients and develop their businesses without cold calling or slimy marketing techniques. Do you know micro-MSP owners who would like to get more clients and build their business successfully?

My Background

I have worked in IT for over 25 years and worked as a consultant for the past 12 years. My IT career began briefly in Tucson, Arizona after I received my Master's degree in Information and Library Science from the University of Arizona. In 1992, I took an IT job in Tokyo, Japan and worked there at various IT jobs until 1999. Just before Y2K, I took an IT job in Columbus, Ohio and moved there. There I worked for a construction and real estate company, before making the move to a consulting company.

In 2010, I moved to Silicon Valley and have worked with three different managed service providers. At the most recent two, I helped these MSPs go from small, unknown shops to leaders in their market niche. As a specialist in client relations and technical sales, I have a better than 80% close rate and a proven track record of getting clients to commit to lucrative contracts all while maintaining a high-level of satisfaction. Now, I can help you to develop the skills to get more clients and keep your existing clients happy and paying.

Why I Started MSP Rescue

Throughout my career, I have always been passionate about working with small businesses and helping entrepreneurs attain success. To that end, I decided to focus on helping smaller MSPs and consulting firms (especially, one or two person operations) be successful and learn how to compete with the "big firms." I believe that by following the right steps, you can build a successful IT consulting business and I want to help you do just that.

In particular, I have learned that "selling" services, and especially IT services, is vastly different from selling products. Unfortunately, many sales books, seminars, and techniques are designed for selling products and do not translate well to selling services. I want to help IT consultants learn how to market and sell their services, so they can build successful MSP companies.

My Core Values

1. Building a lasting relationship with your client is the key to long-term success.
2. Trust is the most important element in the relationship. When trust is broken, the relationship is doomed.
3. Integrity and honesty will set you apart from your competition.
4. You have to know where you are going to get there. A failure to plan is a plan for failure.
5. How you do one thing is how you do everything. You can't fake a successful mindset.

All of my solutions are designed on the "win-win-win" idea that all sides must benefit, otherwise it is not a viable solution.

• The MSP owner must benefit from the solution. This benefit can be financial gain (obviously the most important). However, my solutions are also designed to increase client satisfaction, trust, and loyalty, strengthening your relationship with the MSP clients. My client should easily see the value that I am providing.
• The MSP's client(s) must also benefit from the solution. Together, we will provide the best solution for all clients and their businesses at the best possible price. The value provided in the solution should be obvious to the MSP clientele.
• Finally, I must benefit from being a part of the solution as well. This benefit will typically be financial gain, but can also include increased visibility for my services, referrals, and the satisfaction of providing a high-level of service with absolute integrity.

A Final Word

If you want to know more, I invite you to sign up for a free consultation:
Build Your Business Strategy Session

Welcome to the MSP Rescue Blog

Welcome to my new blog. Every Friday, I plan to post tips and tricks designed to help small Managed Service Providers grow and develop their small consultancies.

Why Me?

I have worked in IT for over 25 years and worked as a consultant for the past 12 years. I have worked to help two Silicon Valley managed service providers go from small, unknown shops to leaders in their market niche. As a specialist in client relations and technical sales, I have a better than 80% close rate and a proven track record of getting clients to commit to lucrative contracts all while maintaining a high-level of satisfaction. Now, I can help you to develop the skills to get more clients and keep your existing clients happy and paying.

Throughout my career, I have always been passionate about working with small businesses and helping entrepreneurs attain success. To that end, I decided to focus on helping smaller MSPs and consulting firms (especially, one or two person operations) be successful and learn how to compete with the "big firms." I believe that by following the right steps, you can build a successful IT consulting business and I want to help you do just that.

What Can I Do for You?

Do any of these questions describe you?

• Do you struggle with getting new clients? Are you are not sure how to get new leads?
• When you do get a lead, do you struggle to close the sale? Do you not want to feel like a "salesperson," but do not know how?
• Do you wish clients would just "understand" your value and sign up with much effort?
• Do you need help growing your business? Do you have all the tools in place that you need to develop and grow your business?

I can help you with sales and business development coaching so you can Get Clients and Build Your Business.

How about these:

• Do you struggle with having time to support your clients? Can you remember the last time you had a vacation?
• If one of your clients has a big project like an office move or a large migration, do you feel overwhelmed? 
• Do you wish someone could help you, but you are afraid that if they do, they might steal your clients?
• Do you feel like you can't compete with the bigger MSPs? 

I can provide project and temporary staffing to allow you to support your clients without worries.

If you want to know more, I invite you to check out my MSP Rescue website: 

www.msp-rescue.com