SuperPod — The no-filter MSP show

Topics discussed in this episode

• How did Mark discover the MSP niche, and how he fell in love with them? 01:37
• Why MSP technicians need some assistance in sharpening their emotional quotient. 05:10
• Key practices to ensure your customer experience is in place. 06:40
• The business impact of providing a great customer experience. 08:00
• Retaining the 'human' element in the age of bots, AI and automation. 09:25
• On MSPs producing content that engages their audience. 13:10
• Tactical advice on leveraging customer experience as a growth lever. 15:46

The team that made this episode possible

• Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing and growth.
• Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts.
• Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website.
• Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page.

What you will learn

• Why 'human customer service' is a growth lever MSPs don't leverage.
• The importance of customer experience for MSP technicians.
• How can you bring customer experience in the age of bots, automation, and AI.
• Tactical advice on using customer experience as a growth lever.

Topics discussed in this episodes

• The secret to running a good podcast in the MSP space. 02:45
• The importance of collaborating/partnering with those providing complementary services. 07:00
• The new way to think about MSP marketing. 13:00
• The difficulties of being an MSP owner. 17:45
• The three things Richard does to be mindful. 21: 56
• The 'secret sauce' to your MSP business and the framework to find your differentiation. 27:59

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Tech tirbe
• CompTIA
• True Methods
• SmallBiZ Thoughts
• TubbTalk
• A+ Certification
• Headspace
• Pomodoro Technique
• Brain.fm

The team that made this episode possible

• Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing and growth.
• Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts.
• Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website.
• Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page.

What you will learn

• Why every MSP should start a podcast and how to do it right.
• The power of partnerships to sell more.
• How to bring the 'human touch' in MSP marketing.
• The mental health of MSP owners and why it's okay to speak about it.
• How to identify the unique thing about your MSP and stand out.

Topics discussed in this episodes

• How RCS Professional Services changed the marketing game post the pandemic. 03:18
• How the 18-member team in RCS is structured. 04:32
• Competing and standing out in a crowded MSP marketplace in New York. 05:50
• The importance of tech stack in winning new businesses. 07:55
• Being vendor agnostic helps RCS customize solutions to their clients needs. 10:26
• Mental health and what MSPs can do about it. 13:20
• Rapid fire with Esther. 16:10

The team that made this episode possible

• Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing and growth.
• Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts.
• Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website.
• Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page.

What you will learn

• How RCS Professional Services stands out in a crowded MSP market?
• The biggest learning Esther has had from her MSP marketing peer group.
• Mental health and what RCS Professional Services does about it.

Topics discussed in this episodes

• Nate's focus on customer retention, overcoming clients shutting shop, and finding 'ideal' customers. 03:30
• The relevance of MSPs for smaller businesses. 05:03
• Mental health and MSPs — why you should care. 06:45
• Tactical advice on 'drawing the line' for your mental wellness 10:15
• Why talking about mental health is important for you and your fellow MSP owners. 13:00
• The unknown when it comes to AI, and challenges with AI adoption. 15:35
• Why economic downturn will not affect MSPs and in fact help MSPs. 17:30

The team that made this episode possible

• Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing and growth.
• Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts.
• Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website.
• Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page.

Topics discussed in this episodes

• Why we will never go to the 'way it was before'. 03:22
• What is the one key thing that will help MSPs thrive and shine. 05:09
• The importance of being a 'digital citizen' in your marketing efforts 08:00
• Looking out for new target markets that's emerged out of 'hybrid workforce'. 16:00
• Identifying and firing 'high-cost' clients and why you need fire them. 17:47
• Downsides to standardizing your offerings. 22:05
• Why IoT might be the next big thing in the MSP space and what possible use cases does it serve? 24:04
• Calendaring and time boxing to stay productive. 30:19
• The first hire you should make your in your MSP. 31:49

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Linkedin
• Time-boxing technique

The team that made this episode possible:

• Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing and growth.
• Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts.
• Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website.
• Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Visibility doesn't translate to productivity. It's not necessary to be physically present in the office; it is a bit of an "artifact". 02:30
• Traditional infrastructure is irrelevant in the new normal and this is an opportunity for MSPs to play the extended IT. 09:50
• Collaboration will be central to how organizations and MSPs operate. 12:00
• The necessity of switching from a reactive model to a proactive model. 13:44
• MSPs who have been prepared for such uncertainties have been able to thrive. 16:29
• Mitigating cyber and phishing attacks, and protecting users are crucial for MSPs to provide as a service. 18:22
• What's wrong with solving people's problems using technology. 20:06

Credits:

The team that made this episode possible:

• Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing and growth
• Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts
• Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website
• Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Why being 24*7 is not an option for MSPs anymore, and how it's become a necessity with remote working becoming mainstream. 05:50
• There's a real opportunity for MSPs to sound intelligent and get a seat in the IT strategy. 07:25
• Why hiring tech talent might not be the most important thing for your MSP. 12:50
• The constraint that holds MSP from growing. 13:44
• Increasing efficiency by outsourcing, and how it helped James achieve more. 20:55

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Managed Services In a Month by Karl Palanchuk
• Package, Price, Profit by Nigel Moore
• Infinite Scale by James Vickery

Credits:

The team that made this episode possible:

• Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing and growth
• Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts
• Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website
• Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How can you differentiate your MSP from the MSP next door when you're on a shoe-string budget. 03:45
• Tactical advice on being 'agile' and how you can leverage automation to achieve the 'everything now' phenomenon. 09:50
• A step-by-step breakdown to answer 'Why should this client come to me', and break the silos between marketing efforts. 17:20
• Overcoming the lack of events, tightening budgets, absence of direct sales, and leveraging Facebook at $0. 19:15
• Finding your niche, and exploring newly blossomed markets. 22:45

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Textexpander
• Calendly
• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Use the promo code Superops100 to get $100 off on your first month of Smith.ai

Credits:

The team that made this episode possible:

• Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing & growth
• Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts
• Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website
• Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page

Topics discussed in this episode:

• There are two defining terms to describe how MSPs can handle crises brought by the pandemic: survival and change. 06:43
• We are seeing years of transformation such as cloud migration, distributed work, happen in a matter of months. 07:25
• There's nothing like it when both the opportunity to do something right and make some money show up in the same place. 09:35
• Working with data is crucial because being realistic about a given situation is better than blinded by optimism. 10:11
• The way MSPs are making money has changed and will continue to do so in the following years. MSPs need to constantly reinvent themselves. 11:40
• The assembler-builder analogy puts the prospect of AI in the MSP industry in perspective. 15:50
• With the right kind of implementation, AI can bring value. It's sure to change a lot of lives. 19:27

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Virtualization: Defined, A Primer for the SMB Consultant by Dave Sobel

Credits:

The team that made this episode possible:

• Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing and growth
• Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts
• Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website
• Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The good that the MSP community has done for him and why he wants to give back to this community. 04:00
• COVID gave a whole new perspective to what it means to have business continuity. 06:10
• The changes that MSPs need to make from a technical, business, and financial point of view, to stay resilient. 09:13
• It's necessary to continually look at your technology and see how you can enable your clients to meet their business goals. 12:00
• Getting new business is highly challenging; it is important to give 10x without expecting as much in return. 14:28
• When internal IT and outsourcing MSPs come together there is an opportunity for MSPs to leverage. 20:19
• Put all your eggs into partner enablement because your partner base drives 80% of the revenue. 22:37
• Start with email marketing before you start spending money on advertising. 28:12

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Channelnomics
• CRN
• Channele2e
• Channel pro

Credits:

The team that made this episode possible:

• Praveen Ramesh, who leads product marketing and growth
• Monica Maria, who leads the content marketing and editorial efforts
• Karthikeyan Ganesh, who designs everything you see on our website
• Kanagaraj Subramaniam, who built everything on this podcast page