Most MSP owners get their first sales hire completely wrong. They focus on revenue from day one, measure the wrong things, and wonder why it falls apart.

Alan Lloyd from Accelerate Consulting spent years building sales teams in the MSP space. In this episode, he explains why your instincts about sales hiring are probably backwards - and what actually works.

We cover the real metrics that matter (hint: it's not dials or monthly revenue), why the first 90 days should never be about hitting targets, and how to spot whether someone's coachable before you hire them.

If you're thinking about bringing on your first salesperson, or your current sales team isn't performing, this one's for you.

Key takeaways:

• Why measuring output is almost useless
• The one metric that actually predicts success
• How to onboard without the "here's a laptop, off you pop" approach
• When to know if you've made a hiring mistake

Guest: Alan Lloyd, Accelerate Consulting

Connect with Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlloydonline/

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:15 - The "angry man" misconception

02:45 - Why MSPs struggle to hire salespeople

05:20 - Looking for experience vs coachability

09:30 - How to identify coachability in interviews

12:15 - Setting up your first hire for success

15:40 - Week one: orientation and foundations

18:25 - The "so what?" test for value propositions

22:10 - Why you should never measure dials

25:35 - Pipeline over output: what to actually track

29:45 - The sensitivity analysis you must do first

33:20 - When to know you've made a bad hire

36:50 - Industry Manure: what's dead on LinkedIn?

39:15 - Pass the Pitchfork: why MSPs can't find customers

41:30 - Yell from the Barn: Accelerate Consulting

More from Harvest:

Subscribe for regular episodes on growing revenue from your existing MSP customers.

Most MSPs don't know their clients' businesses. Jennifer Bleam reveals why 5 minutes with AI beats years of relationship building - and why you should partner for AI services, not build them.

Jennifer's site: https://mspsalesrevolution.com

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Introduction

02:30 - The research gap killing credibility

06:00 - AI prompts for industry expertise

11:00 - Partner vs build for AI

16:30 - Sales process that works

21:00 - Never email proposals

27:30 - Budget qualification

32:00 - The easy button lie

Jennifer Bleam - Sales Sherpa, MSP Sales Revolution. Author of "Simplified Cybersecurity Sales For MSPs". Has coached 2,000+ MSPs.

This episode is sponsored by Salesbuildr - helping MSPs automate and systemise the quotation and proposal process. https://www.salesbuildr.com

💬 Do you actually know what your clients' businesses do? Comment below.

Are you burning out from trying to please everyone while your MSP slowly kills your personal life? What if putting yourself first actually made you better at serving clients?

00:00 Introduction and misconceptions about Harold

02:30 The lazy person's guide to MSP efficiency

06:00 Why fancy proposals kill your close rate

11:00 34 years without hiring a single salesperson

16:30 The 10% client rule that prevents business death

22:00 "I don't like this" - the 4 words that scale MSPs

27:30 Why selfishness is the key to MSP success

32:00 Building sustainable business through boundaries

In this episode, Harold Mann reveals how strategic selfishness built his bulletproof MSP over 34 years. His contrarian approach puts operational excellence and personal well-being first - leading to better client outcomes and sustainable growth.

We cover:

• Why being "extremely lazy" drives better business decisions
• The mortality event that taught him the 10% client concentration rule
• How one-page proposals actually improved his close rates
• Why "I don't like this" became his team's most powerful tool
• The restaurant analogy for premium MSP positioning
• Why selfishness prevents burnout and improves service delivery

👤 Guest: Harold Mann, CEO of Mann Consulting, San Francisco-based MSP specializing in Mac environments with global co-managed IT partnerships

👇 Do you struggle with putting boundaries in your MSP business? Share how you balance client demands with self-care in the comments!

Are you struggling to grow your MSP revenue without feeling like you're constantly selling to your existing clients?

00:00 The richest opportunities in your existing clients

05:30 Right-sizing clients from the start

11:00 The power of structured technology reviews

16:30 Avoiding costly accounting mistakes

22:00 Client communication strategies that work

27:30 Building sustainable client relationships

In this episode, Barbara Paluszkiewicz, CEO of CDN Technologies, reveals how to grow revenue from existing clients without aggressive upselling tactics. With 30 years of MSP experience, Barbara shares practical wisdom on packaging services properly from day one.

We cover:

• Why charging for assessments sets the right client expectations

• How to structure your fundamental package to ensure profitability

• The biggest financial mistake MSPs make (and how to avoid it)

• Effective communication strategies that clients appreciate

• How to handle technology reviews that naturally lead to additional revenue

👤 Guest: Barbara Paluszkiewicz, CEO of CDN Technologies

👇 How do you grow revenue from existing clients without feeling salesy? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Are your MSP account managers just maintaining clients instead of growing your most valuable revenue opportunities?

00:00 The overlooked value of account management

05:30 Setting up account managers for success

11:00 First steps for new account managers

16:30 Building strategic customer relationships

22:00 Creating account growth opportunities

27:30 Account management as a growth engine

In this episode, Warwick Brown shares proven account management strategies that help MSPs grow profitable revenue from existing clients. Learn why client retention deserves as much celebration as new sales and how to transform your account management into a true growth engine.

We cover:

• Why account management is the true growth engine for MSPs

• How to properly structure and empower your account management team

• First-day strategies for new account managers to build credibility

• Tactical approaches to segment and prioritize your client base

• How Warwick renewed a $12M account that was ready to leave

👤 Guest: Warwick Brown, Account Management Expert

👇 How are you currently handling account management in your MSP? Share your approach in the comments!

Are you afraid to proactively contact your existing clients because they might complain? You're missing out on your biggest revenue opportunities!

00:00 The confidence gap in client communication

05:30 Designing effective QBRs that clients want

11:00 Tracking client intent and engagement data

16:30 Anti-stack approach to selling solutions

22:00 False confidence from selling to referrals

27:30 Consistent communication drives more revenue

In this episode, Dave Sutton from Wingman Agency reveals why most MSPs fail to extract value from existing customers and how to overcome the fear of client conversations. Dave brings nearly 10 years of MSP sales experience with concrete strategies for generating more revenue from your current client base.

We cover:

• Why confidence is the #1 missing ingredient in client relationships

• How to structure QBRs that clients actually want to attend

• Why spending $15K on new client acquisition is wasteful

• The dangerous false confidence that comes from referral-only sales

• Why the traditional vendor stack model is limiting your growth

👤 Guest: Dave Sutton, Founder of Wingman Agency

👇 What's your biggest challenge with existing client revenue? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Are you offering pathetic $100 referral incentives and wondering why your clients never send you leads?

In this episode, Harrison Baron reveals why most MSP referral programs fail and how to create offers so compelling your clients feel silly saying no. Learn how to leverage your existing client relationships to predictably generate high-quality leads.

00:00 Introduction and misconceptions

05:30 Why most MSP referral programs fail

11:00 Creating irresistible referral offers

16:30 Using LinkedIn for targeted lead generation

22:00 Concrete strategies that convert connections

27:30 Implementation and measuring success

We cover:

• Why $100 referral incentives are insulting to your best clients

• How to research LinkedIn connections for targeted introductions

• The exact framework for making irresistible referral offers

• Why most MSPs are afraid to invest properly in referrals

• How to leverage 7-20 year client relationships for consistent leads

👤 Guest: Harrison Baron, Founder of Growth Generators and MSP Peer Group Leader

👇 What's your most successful referral strategy? Share your wins (or frustrations) in the comments below

Are you spending 60+ hours every week trying to improve your MSP but seeing no real progress? Are you constantly buying new tools that never deliver the promised results?

In this episode, Darren Strong, CEO of Scalable, reveals why most MSPs fail to grow despite working harder than ever. He shares insights on why systems - not shiny tools - are the key to sustainable growth.

We cover:

• Why MSPs need to focus on systems instead of constantly buying new tools

• How to build frameworks specific to your MSP's size and goals

• Why thinking your MSP is unique might be holding you back

• The common pattern of broken promises to family due to business demands

• How peer groups helped Darren realize most MSPs face identical problems

👤 Guest: Darren Strong, CEO of Scalable

👇 What systems have you implemented that actually made a difference in your MSP? Share your experience in the comments!

Are your account managers making pointless check-in calls that waste everyone's time and generate zero revenue?

In this episode, Brian Doyle (from VCIO Toolbox and MSP Business School) discusses how MSPs are wasting their account managers and missing huge revenue opportunities with existing clients. He shares proven frameworks to transform account management from basic relationship maintenance into a powerful revenue generation engine.

We cover:

- Why it's easier to get revenue from existing customers than finding new ones

- The dangerous 'check-in call' habit that wastes customer time and kills opportunities

- Brian's 'Thirds Rule' for structuring effective account management conversations

- How to implement gap analysis to discover hidden revenue potential

- Making every customer touchpoint meaningful and productive

👤 Guest: Brian Doyle, VCIO Toolbox and MSP Business School

Are you an MSP owner trapped in 70-80 hour work weeks with no way out?

In this episode, Tim Thomson (MSP Advisor with 25 years of experience) discusses how MSP owners can buy back their time through effective delegation and prioritization. He shares practical strategies to break through revenue plateaus and focus on business growth.

We cover:

• How to conduct a time-energy audit to identify tasks you shouldn't be doing

• Why MSP owners get stuck at the "pain line" ($750K-$1M revenue)

• The mindset shift from working IN your business to ON your business

• Why "a million dollar company isn't built on $10 tasks"

• Practical delegation strategies to reclaim your time

👤 Guest: Tim Thomson, MSP Advisor with 25 years in the MSP space

👇 Got thoughts or questions about buying back time as an MSP owner? Drop them in the comments!