MSP Sales Teams: Not Just From IT Backgrounds Anymore

By Adam Simpson, CEO and co-founder, Easy Office Phone

The journey of IT companies during the last quarter-century has been an eventful one. At various times, they have been labeled — with varying degrees of accuracy — break-fix mechanics, troubleshooters, network technicians, and, most recently, managed services providers (MSPs).  The latter concept has driven a revolution in the space, along with the rise of cloud-based software services such as customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Many IT firms have now evolved into shops providing applications for nearly every business need, with a business model based largely on monthly subscriptions. 

However, new evidence suggests that some companies may be making the transition to MSP more successfully than others. A recent survey by TechTarget of more than 300 IT companies indicated that only 64 percent provided managed services of some kind, and of those, 41 percent derive a quarter or less of their overall revenues from their managed services offerings.

Carl Watene, VP Sales at cloud-based service provider Easy Office Phone, believes the common element among successful MSPs is a fresh perspective on sales teams. “Contemporary sales staff working in spaces such as CRM and ERP may not come from a highly technical background, and that is a fairly recent development,” says Watene. “Although that background is an obvious asset, the more important aspect for today’s MSP salesperson is a thorough and holistic understanding of how a given application can positively impact business processes. From that point, a skilled salesperson can build a case for ROI.”

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