We’re big believers in partnership here at KME. That’s how we approach things with our clients, it’s how we see our involvement with the community, and it’s how we prefer to interact with other businesses in the IT support field, too.
In fact, that’s the reason we were so happy to be a part of Ingram Micro’s Trust X Alliance. When great companies partner with other great companies, great things are bound to happen.
Yes—even when those companies are in competition with each other.
It’s counterintuitive, but it works
We know plenty of business owners who would disagree with us. The idea of getting all cozy with the competition strikes a lot of SMB leaders as a bizarre choice. They’re the enemy, right? Why partner up with them?
It may strike you as counterintuitive, but the truth is that partnering with other managed IT services providers actually helps everyone—you, the competition, your clients and the community at large.
In fact, if you commit to genuine partnership full-force, you’ll get way more out of it than you give up.
“The only way to win is to delight the customer. You can’t better delight the customer by paying attention to your competition.”
The upside of partnership
We MSP folks are big into understanding how things work. With that in mind, we’d like to share the 6 strategic reasons why partnering with other MSPs is a good move.
1. No matter how amazing you are, you can’t do everything
Managed IT services providers like to tout their expertise, which makes sense. Good MSPs can do a lot. But no MSP can do everything.
At KME, we focus on IT support and cybersecurity. We can offer help in other areas, but there are times when our clients’ needs would be best served by a referral. When that’s the case, we point them to the IT experts that will provide the most value.
And you know what happens? We win our client’s trust, their needs are met, and rarely do we lose a client in the process.
2. There are more than enough potential clients out there
There are plenty of businesses out there that need IT support. So many, in fact, that the managed IT services field is growing. As business leaders see the value in a proactive, strategic approach to IT tools and solutions, they’re only going to need MSPs more.
Which means there’s no reason for MSPs to go toe-to-toe over every single available client. If someone isn’t a great fit for your services, no worries. Move on. Or, even better, refer them to an MSP partner . . . who may well return the favor and refer other businesses to you later.
3. We’re ultimately on the same side
Why did you go into the MSP field? Was it just because you saw a pragmatic business opportunity? We sure hope there’s more passion behind what you do than that.
For us at KME, we feel a real sense of accomplishment in helping our clients. We’re a business, yes. We need to be profitable. But we also want to make a difference. When our clients tell us they wouldn’t be where they are now without us, that’s music to our ears.
If that’s why you’re doing this, too, then we’re on the same side. We all want to help people with technology. We can find cooperative, mutually beneficial ways to do that.
“By collaborating with smart organizations of all sizes, corporations drive productivity gains both for their customers and for their own professionals. It’s a win-win for all parties.”
– CIO
4. We can do more good for the community when we partner up
This isn’t just about what we can do for our clients. There’s the community to consider, too.
We believe that any responsible business should give back to the community. There’s literally no reason not to. It helps out our fellow humans . . . and it’s great for business at the same time. There are tons of reasons to pitch in and help out, and we’ve even published whole guides on how to get started if you’re not sure.
When we partner up with other businesses, including other MSPs, we can do so much more. Everyone benefits.
5. Partnership is so much more productive than competition
That last point leads right into this one.
Whether we’re talking about the approach your sales team takes or community service or just the day-to-day tasks of providing IT support for your clients, partnership is always more constructive and productive than competition.
You can spend your time fighting other MSPs, or we can band together and help each other out, all growing at the same time. Which sounds better.
6. It’s better for us . . . and our clients
This final point kind of encapsulates all the others. Not only does it help us when we partner with other like-minded MSPs. It helps our clients, too.
It frees internal resources for us to be able to deliver better service. It gives us the option to make a referral when that’s in the client’s best interest. It means we’re all focused on being the best we can be instead of just being good enough to beat out the next MSP. And when a client moves from one MSP to another, it means we can more easily facilitate a smooth transition.
When you add up all the strategic reasons for partnership, things get really clear. There’s no real downside and a host of compelling benefits.
Start building positive relationships with other MSPs in your area today. You’ll be glad you did.
Keep reading: 6 reasons giving back to the community helps Your SMB
6-reasons-why-great-msps-partner-with-other-great-msps
