Most MSPs never break the $1 million mark. Celebrity IT sales and marketing expert Robin Robins said it’s no mystery why. MSPs often chase the same small handful of leads instead of engaging in strategic marketing.
“I call it ‘vulture marketing,'” explained the founder and CEO of Technology Marketing Toolkit. “It’s where they sit on a perch all day long, waiting for something to die in front of them so they can go leap on the carcass and fight over the scraps with the other vultures.”
That said, when service providers do attempt marketing, many take a disorganized approach that Robins likened to the Plinko game from the classic TV game show The Price is Right. “They try pay-per-click or some outsourced telemarketing firm — this or that,” Robins told ChannelPro. “They’re just doing these random acts of marketing. They haven’t really figured out who their target market is. They don’t have a value proposition.”
Robins has spent more than two decades helping MSPs get serious about sales — and stop relying on hope, hype, or half-formed strategies. Her flagship IT Sales and Marketing Boot Camp, taking place April 22-24 in Dallas, brings that mission to life. Between her larger-than-life events and the in-depth consulting work that follows, her team has coached thousands of MSPs to success.
Clearly, from neglected outreach to inconsistent follow-ups, many providers are still leaving revenue on the table, Robins said. The good news? With the right mindset and a repeatable process, growth is within reach.
Why MSPs Struggle to Stick With a Sales Process
Marketing often feels like it’s not working, especially at first. However, it’s not broken, Robins said. MSPs are just expecting the wrong kind of feedback.
Robin Robins
“They underestimate the difficulty of the task,” she insisted. “They feel like they’re doing all this work and getting only a little bit of result. The reality is, in marketing and sales, we play in very small percentages.”
When success is measured in tiny response rates and long-term follow-up, many providers lose patience. “People hear that and say, ‘I must be doing something wrong.’ But that’s the reality.”
Her advice? MSPs should treat sales and marketing with the same level of discipline they apply to their service operations. “Think of leads like tickets. They need to be captured, followed up, documented, and triaged,” she suggested. “Professionalize your sales department the same way you’ve systemized client onboarding. That’s how you start seeing consistent results.”
Know Your Market, Build What They Want
Another big mistake MSPs tend to make is blindly copying competitors instead of being truly market-driven. “They go on Reddit, talk to anonymous people, and take that as good advice,” Robins said. “Then, they cobble together a service offering and try to find someone to buy it. What they end up creating is a commodity service.”
Instead, MSPs should define a clear audience and design offerings to match that group’s needs. Drawing from a national IT services survey TMT is currently conducting, Robins shared, “Cybersecurity isn’t even in the top three things SMBs say they want. They’re looking for someone responsive, who understands their business and the software they use, and who is local.”
The Power of Positioning and Storytelling
Another idea for MSPs to improve their sales and marketing: Become a trusted presence in their target market. Robins calls it CAT: Celebrity, Authority, Trust. “You become a mini celebrity to that particular market,” she said.
That means skip the spam and instead pursue credibility-building activities. Some of that includes public speaking, publishing research, and writing helpful content. And don’t get too caught up in trying to be a tech geek, Robins noted. “Business owners care about growth, cost savings, lowering risk, managing employees — not what MDR stands for.”
Storytelling also plays a key role. MSPs can frame their messaging using the StoryBrand structure, where the customer is the hero and the MSP is the guide. “Your origin story is important, too,” Robins added. “It creates an emotional connection. We want to do business with people who are like us — or someone we aspire to be.”
Stop Hoping, Start Building
For MSPs stuck in reactive mode, there’s no magic bullet. Instead, commit to process, clarity, and consistency. Robins emphasized that success doesn’t come from chasing the latest marketing tactic, but from treating sales as a discipline. “It’s no different than onboarding a client. You need systems, follow-up, accountability.”
That mindset shift — from passive to proactive, from chaos to clarity — is what separates the MSPs that scale from those that stall. And while most may never cross the $1 million mark, Robins believes that milestone is well within reach for those willing to stop guessing and start leading with strategy.
Images: Technology Marketing Toolkit
