Growing together through strategic planning

Five IT Managed Service Providers give tips for effective strategic planning, complete with data from the ScalePad Business Growth Report.

What got us through the pandemic and allowed us to normalize and maintain our revenues was going deeper with our clients. We turned around with a whole new program that on average is 13 to 15% more revenue per customer, focused with security at the core and digital transformation on top of that.”

Joe Markert
CEO, TransformITive

49%

of MSPs say STRATEGIC PLANNING is growing their business

Work with who you've got

Successful MSPs aren’t just gaining new clients every quarter, they’re retaining the clients they have. How? Through strategic planning.

51%

of MSPs say ASSET MANAGEMENT is growing their business

Manage solutions, not just assets

Asset management can be done with or without a strategic plan. Without one, you’re reactively playing catch-up. But strategic asset management is proactive, collaborative, and builds trust between you and your clients.

Of course. It’s ‘oh, do I need to buy a new server this year?’ No. We can push that off till next year. ‘Wait, aren’t you supposed to be selling me stuff?’ No, I’m supposed to be providing the right solution. That’s the mindset that we’ve got here.”

Paul Riedl
CEO, River Run

Separate sales and strategy

A strategic plan should be developed with the right people in the room. Include client leadership who know the long-term plan for their organization. Then once the plan is set, have a separate conversation for budget and expenses.

Since we moved the expense part into a lower tiered conversation with the appropriate parties, that has enhanced engagement in the strategic planning element.”

Joe Markert
CEO, TransformITive

Build collaboration into contracts

It’s not enough to build a relationship with clients and hope they’ll stick around. You need a contract. This sets the stage for mutual accountability for the strategic plan.

54%

of MSPs say CONTRACT WITH CLIENTS are growing their business

Collaboration is built around long-term relationships, which ultimately are built around long-term contracts.”

Nick DaCosta-Greene
Operations Director, Curatrix

Become irreplaceable

Working collaboratively on long-term plans will make your MSP part of your clients’ team. And once you prove you can deliver on it, you’ll be seen as an irreplaceable part of their team. Now they won’t be looking at the competition.

If you don’t bring it up, if you don’t have those strategic-focused meetings with your clients, you’re doing yourself a disfavor, because you’re just looking like a vendor that can be replaced.”

Luis Alvarez
CEO, Alvarez Technology Group

54%

of MSPs say PROJECT MANAGEMENT is growing their business

Flexibility pays off

Remember, you’re on the client’s timeline. Not yours. So manage projects with their needs in mind. Do it well and they’ll be looking forward to the next phase of the strategic plan.

Here it’s ‘Let’s work together and when is this gonna work for you?’ […] As opposed to ‘no, you gotta do it right in the middle of tax time for an accountant.’ That’s not good.”

Carrie Green
Vice President of Strategy, Alt-Tech Inc.

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Features for
strategic planning

DMI™
Our Digital Maturity Index™ objectively rates your client’s IT infrastructure against industry standards.

Use it to identify which clients need strategic planning to get them up-to-date.
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Scorecards
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Roadmaps
Plan months or years in advance on this flexible timeline built from Initiatives.

Share with clients to work collaboratively on strategic planning.
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Initiatives
Simplify the proposal creation process by leveraging data and templates in Lifecycle Manager.

Send to clients for approval and add Initiatives to your Roadmap to see the big picture.
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