Erick and Rich discuss ChannelPro’s special October issue, which is all about the why-to and how-to of building a diverse workforce, as well as tuning up your sales plan and a recent partnership between T-Mobile and…Betty Crocker?

For the first time in ChannelPro’s 13-year history, we’re dedicating an entire issue to one critical topic: bringing greater diversity, equity, and inclusion to IT—and why MSPs, VARs, and solution providers achieve even more success when everyone contributes to the tech economy.

Building a diverse workforce isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s also the smart thing to do for any channel pro who is serious about success. Brought to you by CompTIA and ChannelPro, these resources will introduce you to both the why-to and the how-to of achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion in IT.

On the spot as usual, ChannelPro’s Joel Zaidspiner talks with BVoIP ahead of the latest Channel Strong road tour, JS Group about its important new executive hire, and MSP Toolkit about its brand-new set of business building resources.

Erick and Rich examine the evolution of Sophos Cloud Optix into a hybrid security/management tool, the importance of using all your PSA system’s integration capabilities, and proof that artificial intelligence still can’t match the human kind sometimes.

When Rich gets his hands on an interesting story, he’s like a man possessed. No, really, you’ll see what we mean a little ways into this week’s episode, which features a guest hosting appearance by Josh Weiss, president and virtual CIO of L.A. Creative Technologies, plus an interview with the consistently fascinating David Friend, president and CEO of cloud storage innovator Wasabi Technologies.

Erick and Rich dive into some conflicting stats about how much people like working from home, discuss the importance of taking guilt-free time away from work, and explore further evidence that 2020 is driving everyone just a little crazier than usual.

In his latest virtual road trip, ChannelPro’s Joel Zaidspiner checks in with Cyberfish, IoTSSA, and SAP on what’s new and noteworthy in the SMB channel.

When technology moves at today’s astonishing rates, why is such an old method of internet trickery still so common? The answer is simple: because it’s still wildly successful. Perhaps the more important question, then, is: why are people still clicking? In this report, dive into the survey results, get insights and analysis, look at revealed real-world concerns from workers around the globe, and more on offered steps to help businesses and individuals stay resilient against phishing attacks.

To get a deeper understanding of the state of cybersecurity in the channel by learning firsthand from a group of managed service providers (MSPs) to surface their current internal practices. The program engaged with five United States-based MSPs across different size operations, traditional on-premises, and born-in-the-cloud footprints. Onsite engagements were one to two days at the MSP’s location.

Ensuring a smooth onboarding process can be challenging, not least because every client is different, and there is no completed standardized process that you can follow. However, with the right planning and attention to detail, you can achieve a smooth onboarding experience for you and the customer. Read this white paper for the comprehensive guide on what MSPs can expect during onboarding and how they can avoid making high-cost mistakes during this critical stage of a new customer relationship.

With Gary Bixler, Yvette Steele, Rachel McGuiness, Susanne Tedrick, Karl Palachuk, and Jill Chapman

Sometimes it pays to sweat the small stuff, and you’ll learn about one of those times when Matt explains why he has a fat lip this week. Onboarding a company you’ve just acquired is another good example, as you’ll see when Matt and Rich discuss a recent article on that topic with ChannelPro Managing Editor Colleen Frye, their guest host for this special edition of ChannelPro Weekly, sponsored by APC by Schneider Electric.

What do Back to the Future and the Star Wars saga have in common? The answer is in this week’s show title. As for the show itself, it features Matt, Rich, and guest host Eric Long, of cloud solution provider TeraCloud, discussing a new co-managed IT offering from Beachhead Solutions, ConnectWise’s new bug bounty program, and the secrets to success in work-from-home security.†

Erick and Rich discuss what a recent story from Beachhead Solutions says about the co-managed IT market, why adapting presentations to the nuances of videoconferencing is a must for MSPs, and a Mexican legislator who tried to skip out of a Zoom meeting early by leaving a photo of herself behind.

This Expert Guide from ChannelPro will walk you through what you need to up your managed services game, such as developing cloud solutions, offering managed security and managed IoT services, plus why you should standardize to increase efficiency.

Remember Groucho Marx’s joke about not joining a club that would have him as a member? This isn’t that kind of club. This is the club founded by Matt, Rich, and guest host Juan Fernandez, of ImageNet Consulting, that we think you’ll love to join. If nothing else, you’ll get to hear their thoughts on HP’s new hardware and services bundles for SMBs and their new work-from-home PCs and monitors, plus top strategies smaller MSPs can use to compete with much bigger ones.

When it comes to managing cybersecurity, safeguarding client endpoints is a critical piece of the MSP service offering. MSPs should have an endpoint security vendor that helps them overcome common issues that can cut into profits and lead to client churn. Ultimately, your vendor should optimize the efficiency of your time and efforts so that you can continue to grow your business and maximize revenue. Check out this ebook to find out more on selecting a vendor with these five essential factors to empower your MSP business.

Erick and Rich ponder the implications of HP’s new subscription hardware and software service for SMBs, why cloud solutions require a different approach to sales and marketing, and the perhaps coronavirus-related rise of the “technosexual.”

With Yvette Steele, Paige Reh, Cal Jackson, Cassandra Allen, Susanne Tedrick

M&A the Right Way, Part 3 | Work-From-Home Security Challenges | MSPs Go Big or Go Home | IoT Meets AI | No-Touch Digital Signage

The primary goal of sales is to generate new business for your company. For an MSP, as is the case for any company, this happens in a variety of ways. For service providers in particular, sales and marketing isn’t just about closing deals. Since MSPs are selling a service, these disciplines should be about identifying and engaging the right prospects. In other words, potential customers that have a set of IT needs that their business can provide for them over time. In this ebook, we’ve pulled together the key sales strategies for MSPs looking to increase profits and drive new business.

MSPs use a variety of pricing strategies today, and yours will ultimately be dictated by your business’ specific needs. Per-user or per-device pricing is the most popular method, while others opt for fixed-price models or a hybrid of the two. There are also some newer pricing models emerging that may make sense for your company. Regardless of the structure you choose, there are many factors to consider.The good news is that developing a pricing model doesn’t have to be an exercise in trial and error. In this ebook, we’ll go through the various options for pricing available that have been designed to drive profits from successful MSPs around the country.

So, what should you be thinking about as you develop a marketing program to help grow your managed services business? We’ve collected a group of experts from successful IT service businesses and asked them to share their thoughts on putting together an effective business-to-business (B2B) marketing program. It’s no surprise that their overriding advice is simple: inbound should clearly be a key piece of your program, but don’t forget some of the more traditional marketing methods. In the end, using a multi-tool methodology – a modern marketing approach – will give you the best chance of reaching, attracting, and retaining customers.

In larger organizations, lead generation is collaborative effort between sales and marketing. For smaller shops, it might be a one person effort, but the concept is the same. Regardless of size, successful MSPs dedicate considerable time and effort to lead generation. In this ebook, we will explore a variety of tried and true methods from IT service professionals and marketing experts for identifying, qualifying and nurturing potential customers.