Staying Light on Your Feet
For SMBs,
back-office accounting and data processing often aren't the first managed IT service people think of. But depending on the size and scope of financial data processing needs, it can be a good idea.
In the end it's not all that important whether these functions are completely outsourced to an MSP or co-sourced as one-off projects. What's important is lightening the work load, ensuring off-site storage and restoration capabilities and choosing the right MSP.
Managed server hosting can offer an IT service provider and/or an IT organization a total package for Web solutions. You can usually get these services at a good price as well. Such services are a good fit for mid-sized businesses in need of scalability.
There are silver bullets, so to speak, for a managed hosting proposition, but there are also ways to drive the point home as a service provider:
Don't think of it as sales. Instead, think of it as client maintainence.
Shut up and listen. As outlined in a recent MSPTV Webcast I hosted with Joe Nardone, owner of IT service shop Expert Data Labs, it's not about technological jargon involving hosting services, but about hearing out a client on their needs.
Show and don't tell. If you have a real-world example of how managed server hosting situation has and is working for an SMB client, use it.
Posted by Jabulani Leffall on July 09, 2010