This is the second part of a series of articles diving into how MSPs can improve cybersecurity for small and midsized clients through stronger relationships. Read Part 1 here.
MSPs have become crucial partners for small and midsized businesses (SMBs). Recent research showed that SMBs have reported significant advantages from partnering with MSPs. Some of those include enhanced security (56%), increased efficiency in IT management (57%), and cost savings (37%).
These benefits are crucial given the complex IT environments SMBs face. Nearly half of SME IT teams reported feeling understaffed and under-resourced, making the expertise and additional resources provided by MSPs invaluable.
Despite these benefits, MSPs face rising challenges, including:
- Security management (40%)
- Cost issues (28%)
- Scalability limitations (26%)
- Poor customer service experiences (23%)
These red flags highlight areas where MSPs must improve to maintain and strengthen their SMB relationships. They must focus on delivering value, adapting to client growth, and prioritizing customer satisfaction.
Here are some practical strategies for MSPs to address these challenges and solidify their position as indispensable partners to SMBs.
1. Prioritize Cybersecurity Excellence
It’s important to stay ahead of emerging threats and continuously update security protocols. Offer clients comprehensive security services, including threat detection, incident response, and employee training. Further, keep abreast of industry standards and certifications, and demonstrate compliance at a moment’s notice. This will nurture trust and credibility among clients.
2. Enhance Transparency and Communication
Develop clear, regular reporting mechanisms for clients around their security posture and any related incidents. Conduct periodic security audits and share results with clients regularly to maintain transparency.
3. Offer Flexible, Scalable Solutions
To prevent clients from outgrowing services, develop a tiered service model that can accommodate growing businesses. Regularly review and update service offerings to match evolving technology trends. Creating customizable solutions that can be tailored to specific clients ensures that MSPs can adapt to changing requirements over time.
Antoine Jebara
4. Improve the Customer Experience
Invest in training for both technical and customer-facing staff to guarantee high-quality interactions at all touchpoints. Implementing robust feedback mechanisms and acting on client suggestions shows responsiveness and a commitment to improvement. Developing a client success program to ensure ongoing satisfaction and addressing issues proactively will help cultivate strong client relationships.
5. Demonstrate Value and ROI
Show clear metrics on how MSP services improve efficiency, security, and bottom-line results. Offering regular business reviews to showcase value and cost savings can demonstrate the benefits of an MSP relationship. Creating case studies and success stories also help illustrate tangible benefits for those who may be on the fence.
A Security-first Strategy Wins
As SMBs increasingly turn to MSPs for critical IT functions, MSPs must meet rising expectations around security, scalability, and value. Service providers have an opportunity to deliver more flexibility, better security, and higher value to reinforce stronger, long-lasting client relationships.
MSPs and SMBs will always need each other. That said, MSPs also must adapt and improve to prove themselves worthy. By following these best practices, MSPs can position themselves as indispensable partners in their clients’ success stories.
Antoine Jebara is general manager of MSP business and co-founder at JumpCloud.
Featured image: iStock
