I was on a call with the CEO of a medium-sized MSP from Texas who had just ended a contract with a telemarketing service.

"They were just pushing for the meeting"

"Prospects would not show up for the meetings."

"We need more nurturing and not so much pushing."

His frustration was palpable. They had been with this vendor for 18 months and landed just 1 new agreement as a result. Not to mention all the training and time coaching up the service provider.

Unfortunately, outbound for MSPs is not the same as outbound for SaaS or other industries.

"Sorry to hear this. That's a long time. So out of curiosity, what was the offer to the prospect?"

To which he replied.

"We want to meet with people who are looking to change IT providers."

Uh oh. Did you notice he did not even answer the question?

Far too many MSPs make this mistake. They put all their energy, resources into the marketing and outreach engines and little to no thought into the offer. This is one of the main reasons conversions can be insanely low.

We all know that wedging out an incumbent is not easy. No one wants to think about it. Switching  is hard, expensive and it could be a terrible decision. What if the MSP you switch to is worse than the one you have now?

So if we know all those things, then we need to proactively address those in the offer itself.

Let's step back and look at the anatomy of an awesome offer. If we do that, we can come up with something unique that truly differentiates your MSP.

What do Great Offers Look like?

When we look at how to craft an irresistible offer, it’s good to view things from the prospect's perspective.

They are most likely already working with a competitor. They have some level of help desk support and some cybersecurity in place. Meanwhile, they are overwhelmed with lookalike offers from other MSP salespeople.

So how can you capture their attention?

Here are some important characteristics of a great offer.

• Solves a big (or part of a big) problem
• Friction-less for the prospect
• Fast turnaround
• Transcends immediate need
• Perceived as high-value
• Enables you to discover root causes of problems before you suggest your solution
• Guaranteed satisfaction or benefit
• Conditions apply

I'll give you some examples from other industries to inspire you to get creative.

Example #1 - Tax Hive

Tax Hive is a tax planning and bookkeeping company. There are 1,000's firms like these just like there are 1,000's of MSPs. 

Take a look at their offer and let's see how it scores.

[1] $10,000 Guarantee Terms & Conditions: We guarantee to identify at least $10,000 in missing or potential business tax deductions you are not currently taking, or we will pay you $100. Calculation will utilize information you provide regarding your current or former tax practices. Conditions: You must (1) complete a strategy session with a Tax Hive representative, (2) complete a questionnaire, and (3) have annual business revenues of at least $25,000. If, after meeting the conditions above, we are unable to identify at least $10,000 in missing or potential tax deductions, we will deliver one Amazon® e-Gift Card valued $100. Offer valid for U.S. citizens; void where prohibited by law. If you qualify and meeting the conditions above, please send a request to legal@taxhive.com. Offer expires Dec 31, 2024.

Here's how I would score this offer:

The prospect would need to spend time with a tax consultant and that can be considered "friction" because time is money. But that's okay. An offer like this is high value and it's a great way to weed out tirekickers.

Example #2 - Field Martial Arts Academy

I noticed this brochure at my son's martial arts studio. I'm not looking to take kickboxing classes but this offer caught my eye and made me think.

This is how they lure in people who may not be in "in the market" for kickboxing.

I didn't read the back of the brochure to see if conditions applied, but I bet they require at least a 30 minute consultation.

I might seriously sign up for this.