I really liked how @LTS_Tom broke it down with not only a listing of the services in his MSP package, but also detailed what each one is. Plus, he got into some of the “add-on” services he offers. I can appreciate that this is a difficult topic to keep separate from other aspects of MSP offerings, thank you!
And I get the deal with pricing now, but I used to wonder because I didn’t know what was out there and how I compared. I was afraid of pricing myself out of the game (too high) or coming in so far under the market that I wasn’t viewed as a real provider. I think Tom has the best advice in the area of pricing: start with your costs (including an office/shop, even if you don’t have one now), and add in some cost of payroll for a couple of people. Then put yourself on the payroll, even if you’re a sole-proprietor. This way you won’t end up trapped later on.
It is nice to hear Tom’s offerings from the inside out, give a frame of reference that I can use to gage my own set.
I share the same sentiment that @kingsolmn mentioned in his post regarding Tom’s breakdown, well put.
I too share the concern about the pricing that my MSP offers to clients and what the competition offers. Coming in too high always pushes the risk in my area of getting a flat out refusal in the middle of the pitch. I have even seen the practice of bringing on clients as hourly to start the investigation (and some remediation) into the issues they may have at a deeper level then what is brought up during the initial eval/contact. All due to the fact that the client does not want to pay for full MSP out the gate or a full project to resolve bigger issues. Not sure how much success people have had with that kind of model or if that’s closer to the hybrid approach that tom was mentioning.
That is how we just met and on boarded a new client. It started out with looking at their computers which were full of issues. They did not have a regular IT person, just different people who had helped at different times. First project was replacing all the computers except the server which was already newer and only used as a domain controller and file server. Once the upgrade projects were complete they agreed to move on to being a monthly recurring client on our MSP program. It was an easy sell once they seen the quality of our work on how we manage our projects.
Basically the same for me. The relationship needs to be worked on first… then if it looks like it will work go for the long game. Some start out asking me to check things out and I just walk in and do a review and I walk out with a managed service client, but most of my clients start out as “hey I heard you help so and so out, I really NEED some help over here… when can you be here”? I go there and fix the immediate problems, and then schedule a sit down to discuss the long term fixes (and that usually includes a small conversation about managed services). Managed services in my opinion is something you work clients into, not start out with.
People will go off their feelings, not their logic. Give them a good experience, continue that experience and they’ll be a customer for life (unless they want cheaper - but they always come back lol).