10 MSP sales
email templates
that just work:
More MRR, Less effort.
Plus Best practices
to SuperCharge
your MSP sales
author
Nithish Kumar
designer
Karthikeyan Ganesh
november — 2021ebook
superops.ai
november — 2021
page 2
Index
Chapter 1
MSP industry and the sales conundrum 3
6
9
12
14
Chapter 2
MSP sales–Here's what you're doing wrong
Chapter 3
MSP sales: The know-how
Chapter 4
Converting Leads
Chapter 5
Out of the box methods that just work
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.
- Karl W. Palachuk, Public speaker and MSP expert
A $1,000/month contract becomes $12,000/year and $36,000 over three years. Plus, that client totally relies on you
for other purchases as well. Get fifteen of those and you’ve got $180,000 a year! Add twenty contracts at $3,500 per
month and you’ve got a million dollars. The most beautiful thing about managed services is the recurring revenue.
It’s built into the system. It IS the business model.
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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MSP industry and
the sales conundrum
why is that?
Chapter 1
The Managed services industry is set to
hit the 400 billion USD market cap by the
end of this decade. What started almost
2 decades ago (in the 90s) with the
advent of the internet world has now
matured and is being adopted across
sectors to deliver IT services. Today, MSPs
around the world help businesses (From
SMBs to MNCs) with cloud consulting,
cybersecurity, remote hardware
monitoring and management (RMM),
data storage and so much more.
With a projected 11.5 % CAGR in the first
half of this decade, the MSP space is one
of the fastest-growing verticals in the IT
sector. Additionally, the high-profit
margins (50-75% Gross margins) in the
business have made it a very desirable space. With all this said, it is only rational to conclude there is money to be
made in the MSP business. Although, the fact remains that it is still hard to get your share of the market.
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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The stubborn nature of the MSP market
sales
The MSP market is very sticky–clients tend to stay with you for quite a while. It is so sticky that only 5% of the market
turns over every year with the average sales cycle being 90 days. It means out of every 100 prospects, only 5 look
to shift in a year. It means you'd be competing against all the MSPs in your locality to get that 1 client out of 100
prospects in 3 months. Add to it the location-specific nature and it becomes clear as to why it is super hard
to scale.
So, it is no surprise that for a high-growth sector with big money, sales still remains to be the biggest challenge for
MSPs. A 2020 report published by Tequity Advisors, a Canadian Tech M&A Advisory Firm shows that a staggering
**43%** of the North American MSPs find **sales** as their biggest business hurdle.
Another key factor that attributes to sales being the Achilles heel is the tech-savvy nature of the people who work in
the industry. It is true that folks in the MSP space do not enjoy taking sales calls and meetings as much as they
enjoy setting up high-tech servers for a client.
chapter 1
NORTH
AMERICAN
MSPs
43%
lack of resources
42%
marketing
26%
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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So, if you are an MSP, your success probably depends on:
But, marketing costs money.
The question now is "Can your MSP afford it?".
Ideally, MSPs that gross over 50% annually can afford to allocate a decent chunk of their budget for marketing. Well,
if you're just starting out, then you're already at a disadvantage not being able to spend so much on attracting your
clients. This is also why sales is such a huge challenge in the sector.
Well, how can MSPs tackle these hurdles and fill their sales pipeline with leads consistently?
This ebook will address the challenges involved around MSP sales and discuss innovative and quirky
methods to win more customers.
chapter 1
Finding ways to cut through the noise consistently
Creating your own brand
Giving every reason for your prospects to take the discovery meeting with you
(Oh...Almost forgot) While spending less! Read on.
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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MSP sales–Here's
what you're doing wrong
Chapter 2
If you are an MSP owner, your prowess with handling technology is without question. Although, we've established
that running a successful MSP takes more than the technical know-how you possess. It is a hard business that
requires great people skills and a relentless approach to sales.
Well, the fact is everybody tries to sell. The real question is, "Are you doing it right?"
This is why, it is important to assess our current methods for their effectiveness before we start talking fancy
sales methods.
Here are 5 common mistakes to avoid while setting up your MSP sales engine.
Trying to be everything for everyone
The MSP market serves clientele from every possible industry. The needs and requirements change with every client
and it is practically impossible for a single MSP to cater to the entire market. So by trying to cater to everyone, you
end up catering to no one in the market. This is why the best way to grow an MSP is to pick a niche and develop
your expertise around it. If you're an MSP for manufacturing businesses, you'd know their business processes
in-depth and offer specialized services that help you stand out in the vertical.
Simply knowing,
"Oh, network outages and interruptions are a common problem in the manufacturing space. So optimizing for
downtime is crucial", will inspire trust in your clients about your domain expertise.
It simply means that not everyone is your customer.
Choose a vertical and grow!
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november — 2021
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chapter 2
It simply means that not everyone is your customer.
At the end of the day, the real question is not about how many leads you've generated. It is about how many of
those leads(target customers) are relevant to you. These are what we call as MQLs (Market Qualified Leads).
We'll discuss more on lead generation at a later stage in this ebook.
Relying fully on traditional methods to work
We're not saying don't cold-call prospects, just don't put all your eggs in one basket. In fact cold calls and emails
are the two most commonly used sales techniques in the MSP space. Every MSP in your locality does this. But, are
they really that effective?
Try to think from your ideal client's perspective.
Over-networking
The essence of networking is not to just add new entries to your contact list but to build meaningful relationships in
the process. Relationships take time, but they pay off in dividends in the long run.
Remember, we've also established that there are too many MSPs with too little customers looking to shift. Therefore,
it is safe to say that a 2 min cold call (or an email) isn't anywhere near enough to convince a prospect to buy
your services.
MSP sales is also about setting yourself up for luck more than you think. So, it is important to give your MSP every
chance to succeed and it means to leave no box unchecked.
Do it, but don't rely on it completely to work.
1. They're probably fed up with taking so many cold calls
2. They have email filters to weed-out promotional emails
3. Buying the services of any MSP is a long term investment for them
4. It is also a costly affair with recurring bills to pay
So, should we skip out on these then? Probably not.
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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chapter 2
LinkedIn is a great platform to network and build connections, but cold-emailing them with “Do you want to” or "Are
you looking for" messages isn't a great way to start conversations.
All you need is a well-engaged network of 50 solid connections and not 1000 people who won't even open your
message. The fundamental premise of networking is symbiosis. It means to deliver value to get value in return. So
make an active effort to maintain great relationships with a select few who could mutually benefit from your
services
Not making use of existing customers
Your customers are your biggest brand ambassadors. Having employed your services and benefitted from it, they
hold enough credibility to convince a new prospect to at least meet with you. Incentivize your existing clients to do
the promotions for you. These incentives could be anything from offering support for extra endpoints to referral
commissions per deal. While it might not be the most sustainable lead-generation method at scale, it still works
wonders for smaller MSPs (especially solo MSPs) that are just starting out!
Well, now that we know what not to do, let's talk about how to bring a method to the madness that is sales.
If you need some pro-tips, we've got you covered at the Bugle.
Up your SEO game!
Poorly optimized website
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is one of the most crucial factors when it comes to lead generation. SEO is the
process of increasing the visibility of a website on web pages that are indexed by search engines.
Think about how your clients are finding you. 9 times out of 10, it's probably by searching "Best MSP in my location"
or "Best MSP for XYZ vertical" on the internet. If your MSP website does not show up on the first page of the search
results, chances are, they're never going to find you. While word of mouth is the most effective way to generate
leads in the MSP industry, people would still prefer to do their own research online before they reach out to you.
So, it doesn't leave a good impression if they have to scroll 5 pages to find your website.
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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MSP sales:
The know-how
Chapter 3
The MSP sales process could be roughly broken down into 2 stages:
- Lead-Generation engine
1. Generating leads- Methods to fill up the sales pipeline with potential customers
2. Converting leads- Strategies to convert qualified leads into paying clients
Building a Lead-Generation engine:
Lead generation is by large a product of marketing. After all, the more you attract, the more you sell. Marketing,
however, is about finding ways to ensure you are known for your offerings amidst the client pool. Therefore, it is no
surprise that generating leads is a culmination of various marketing experiments that evolve constantly along with
customer needs. Here's a high-level overview of the lead generation process.
Lead generation
strategies
Track progress
(metrics)
Improvise
Results (MQLs)
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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Here's an in-depth look at the attributes of the flowchart
Effective Lead-Generation methods
An interactive
website
Clean aesthetics
Easy to navigate
Neat and simple copies
Definitive CTAs
01
Build a brand online
Consistent and relevant
engagement on social media-
Reddit threads, forums, etc.
Join existing communities and
client groups
Post customer testimonials
Uniform branding- colors, fonts,
design styles, etc.
Google reviews from customers
03
SEO optimization
Short and clear slugs (URLs)
Use a mix of HSV (High Search Volume) and ZSV (Zero
Search Volume) keywords
Snappy and fast loading
Compress media- images, videos, graphics
Keywords for titles and short descriptions
A mix of media elements to increase time on page
Backlinks and interlinks from other websites and web
pages
02
Emails and Newsletters
Targeted email campaigns with clear goals and
expected outcomes
Cornerstone content-ebooks, blogs, tech
suggestions, etc.
Ensure clear CTAs- booking a demo, downloading an
ebook, reaching out for support.
Attach calendar links to block meetings along with
the email
04
Paid ads
Google Adsense- text, image, video, interactive
media ads targeted to the site content and
audience
Linkedin Ads-Easy to reach decision-makers
Twitter Ads-Capitalize on trends and hot news
Facebook Ads-Easy to reach communities
Youtube Ads-Best for targeted video ads
05
chapter 3
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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Metrics to track performance
Traffic to your website
Users - number of unique users to
your website
Pageviews - number of pages visited by a
user per session
Average session duration- time spent by a
user on the website per session
Bounce rate - the percentage of users that
left your website without interaction
01
Paid Ads
Cost per Click (CPC) - Cost incurred when
someone clicks on your ad
Cost per Action (CPA) - Cost incurred per user
action-form fill-ups, downloads, sign-ups.
Cost per Impression (CPM) - Cost incurred
per view
02
Social Media (Organic)
Impressions - Number of times a post is seen irrespective of actions
Reach - Total number of times a post is seen
Engagement - Comments, shares, likes
Conversion - Number of visitors who click on links to other sites from a post
03
Results-Market Qualified Leads (MQLs)
Well, the results are the leads. However, it is important to realize that not all leads are your actual prospects. Filtering
out the noise from the lead pool is essential because it then allows you to focus the already limited time and energy
on deals that have a higher chance of getting converted.
SuperTip:
For MSPs that
are just starting
out, factoring in
your location
might also be a
good starting
point.
There are a few key factors that could help you sort the MQLs from the overall lead pool.
So, how do you qualify the leads that matter?
1. No of endpoints (Company size) - Depending on the strength of your MSP
2. Sector - Depending on the vertical you specialize in (Manufacturing industry, health care, etc.)
3. Client requirements - Helps if it matches your service specialty (Cybersecurity, network management, etc.)
4. Company revenue - Insight into the ability of the business to afford your services
Now that we've looked at how to generate and qualify leads, it's time to sell!
chapter 3
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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Converting leads
Chapter 4
Don't just send a bunch of emails that start with "Hey, we are an MSP based out of XYZ location. We found that your
business could greatly benefit from the top of the line cybersecurity services we offer...". They don't work, period. On
the other hand, blindly calling prospects will most probably yield poor results.
How to decide if you should call or email a prospect? Here's a workflow:
Sales calls and Emails- Get them right!
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
Is it an MQL
Call
Email
Response
Response
Schedule
meet in person
Follow
up email
- MSP sales workflow
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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Sales email tips you wouldn't want to miss
1. Personalize the content- tailor the email to match the client's pain points
2. Clear and engaging subject line- the subject line should contain a hook, a reason for people to open the email
3. Install email trackers- helps you track the prospects engagement with the email
4. Establish clear CTAs. Ex: If your email is intended for a meeting, attach a calendar link. If it's for the prospect to
look at the demo, end with a "Try it for free" button
5. Track email performance and improvise-keep tweaking until the open rate improves
Sales email tips you wouldn't want to miss
1. Do your homework before you take a call- client website, domain, social media
2. Understand their pain points- look at Linkedin posts, Reddit threads, and communities to see if they've posted
a query
3. Always try to listen as much as possible before you talk
4. Follow up with materials promptly-ebooks, brochures, videos, etc.
5. Take notes meticulously
6. If possible record the conversation
7. End with a follow up task- set up meetings in person, or follow up calls and emails
chapter 4
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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Out of the box methods that
just work
Chapter 5
Yes, you read that right! Invite your clients and prospects for a Friday morning coffee and croissants, and have
casual conversations on how they feel about your service, and your future offerings. They'd love to talk to your
clients and understand exactly how you add value to their business. It also makes up as fun conversation starters
for your clients whenever they attend a meeting. "Hey, did you know, the folks at XYZ MSP invited me over for some
coffee and croissants at their place?" Word of mouth and referrals are still some of the most effective ways to get
clients in the MSP space.
Coffee and croissants
Your vendors have probably sold products to you many a time. It's very likely that they also supply direct to
companies and SMBs in the area that are in need of IT service providers. If you make a genuine effort in supporting
and selling their products to your clients, you can get solid referrals over time. Make a conscious effort to build great
relationships with a few select vendors and watch the magic happen in the long run.
Vendors can help you sell too
This method still works, and is useful especially for MSPs that are just starting out. You don't need to look for
monetary deals all the time. A great way to go about this is to explore opportunities with local government/public
initiatives that deal with SMBs. Offer them IT services in exchange for marketing in their email blasts, events, and
publications. If the local body also offers IT support, ask them to recommend your MSP. It is an effective way to
attract local businesses without burning through your marketing budget.
The age-old barter system
MSP is a community-driven market at large. People like to draw inspiration from each other's choices and decisions.
If you're an MSP, you're probably a part of 15 MSP groups and Reddit channels. But, have you thought about the
groups your clients are a part of? Client groups are a gold mine for MSPs to generate leads. Besides, it's a great
opportunity to understand the real pain points and business needs of clients in that specific vertical. Actively
interact and engage in discussions with people and offer your expertise wherever relevant. This way, you not only
build on your visibility, but also your credibility as an MSP.
Explore client groups
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
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Free assessments open doors
Cold calls and emails are common marketing tools in the MSP space. But they're not as effective as you think.
Instead, give prospects a way to assess your services without a downside to help them understand the clear value
your MSP offers. For example, if you're an MSP specializing in cybersecurity, you could offer to do a free configuration
scanning or a security audit (by reviewing their code). When you show them how well you're able to solve their pain
points, you have a hot lead on your hand.
Conclusion-Patience is the name of the game!
Remember, growth in the MSP space is usually linear, and success takes time. Buying the services of an MSP is a
long-term investment for businesses. This means that your marketing plays a huge role in bringing your MSP more
long-term clients who are directly responsible for your growth. When you consistently keep working on your
marketing strategies to bring in a predictable stream of leads, you can supercharge your MSP's growth from linear
to exponential. It also helps to have very reasonable sales goals YoY if you're looking to scale up and expand.
Irrespective of how hard we try, we've to understand the way of the market!
Oh and, here are the 10 MSP sales email templates that you've been waiting for:
chapter 5
10 MSP sales email templates that just work: More MRR, Less effort.superops.ai
november — 2021
page 16
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