Partnerships are the key to MSP success

Today’s business environment is in constant flux. New challengers arrive, customer demands change, and the volatility of global economies put organisations under constant pressure to evolve. Managed service providers (MSPs) must evolve alongside and even ahead of their customers, so they can be trusted partners that enable organisations to meet challenges head on.

Organisations that are prepared with robust and flexible systems can find and embrace the opportunities that come from change. Victor Guerrero, the Director of Channel and Alliances for APAC at NinjaOne, says well equipped and focussed MSPs can help customers move faster than their competitors while growing their own businesses. But this requires a laser-like focus and a cross-functional perspective that is not limited to only discussing technology.

“Most businesses depend on IT. But successful IT projects are about more than technology. They require a whole-of-business perspective that shows how the benefits are delivered to the business and how that beings value their clients.”

Guerrero says there are five key areas NinjaOne focuses on with the organisations they partner with. Cybersecurity, digital transformation, social responsibility, remote work and cost reduction are the foundation of successful partnerships between MSPs and their customers.

MSPs have traditionally delivered a broad spectrum of services to their clients. But Guerrero says there has been a thin veneer of capability. He says the market now demands deep domain expertise in core areas such as cloud, cyber and communications.

“Customers expect a higher performance level from their MSPs within the constraints better value and better outcomes.”

The key to success for MSPs is moving away from a pure service delivery model and becoming a trusted advisor to clients says Guerrero. That means moving from a purely transactional view towards a more consultative business model. And while technical expertise remains important, successful relationships between MSPs and their customers are partnerships where both parties benefit.

“Let your customers know if it was your business, how you would be driving their network, how you would be driving their cloud and the type of cyber posture that you would have in place. When MSPs put themselves in their customer’s shoes, they can transcend transactional selling models and become a trusted advisor,” Guerrero says.

Success for MSPs is about more than delivering software and infrastructure services. Ensuring they support customers with their goals requires a dialog between the MSP and its customer. MSPs that become trusted advisors can build success for their customers which, in turn, helps them deliver more high value services that enable both parties to create long term success.