MSP 101: Your Dream List

Welcome back to another MSP Marketing 101 Pillar Series of posts, and in this one, we're talking about your dream list clients.

If you're new here, my name is Pete, and last year I sold the MSP that I'd been running for a near-decade. Now I'm Coaching other IT Business Owners 1:1. I'm also building a course that I've just opened for registration that takes you from startup to exit, and I've also co-founded Continuity Video to provide Video Marketing services to other MSPs.

Coming up with your dream list of clients is the one thing you'll consistently come across with all industries and all forms of marketing.

So in this post, we're going to cover what your dream list is, how to build your dream list, and then what to do with that dream list.

Maybe you know exactly who you want on your list, or perhaps kind of know - the next step is to build that list.

HOW IT'S DONE

The easiest place to start is LinkedIn. This is where Sales Navigator can be quite handy to have, but if you don't already have it then you can just sign up for the free trial, grab the information you need and then cancel, life hack right there!

The goal here is to gather all of the relevant information that you need.

Create a spreadsheet, or ideally add them to your CRM, and if you don't already have a CRM then you can check out the links down below for both Hubspot and Active Campaign, 2 of my favourite CRMs for MSP.

You want to store all of the relevant information. Of course, their Company Name, Contact Number - But ideally, you want to get really personal. Who owns the company? What's their email address? Direct dial number? Heck, their home address!

I've told this story before but there was a case where a young startup company wanted to snag one of their dream list clients. So they figured out the route that the owner took from home to work and back, then just put up billboards along the route. They ended up winning their business, and the owner's response as to why they went with them was "because you're everywhere!". When in actual fact, the ONLY place they were was on his route to work. Very clever.

But I would think further than just that basic information. Where do they hang out - what networking groups are they part of? What are their hobbies, their passions? Do they sponsor any charities, find out as much as you really can about them. 

There is no quick and easy  "Do this and you will win them as a customer". Just like trying to find someone to spend the rest of your life with, it takes time to find those dream clients, and in some cases, those dream clients will be duds.

You'll get your foot in the door and realise they actually, might not be the best customer. Which is fine - just update your database or CRM with a note as to why they're not a good fit, and take them off your list. It's the modern equivalent of swiping right, except I wouldn't know what that means... [awkward]

I typically find that the best way to attack your dream list is to try and hang out where they hang out. Find out what network groups they attend, and show up there. Every time. Without fail.

You want to show that you are reliable, trustworthy, and knowledgeable, and it needs to show in everything that you do. I guess this relates back to my video around brand building, in that you want all of your marketing efforts, your website, brochures, social media, video marketing - everything, to exude the quality of the service that you provide.

You want to try and be everywhere. So that means to perhaps send a few warm emails but be VERY careful not to spam or send unsolicited emails that they'll hate. It's a very fine line.

You could remarket to them using the likes of Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn Ads. Try that trick of putting up billboards on their route to work.

I definitely find that the best way is to just be on their radar whilst attending the same events. Look at any events they're putting on, but also think outside the box and figure out if say, the business owners always go to the same place at the same time each week. Maybe a round of golf, maybe a bar, maybe the gym, it can be anything. Whilst that sounds a little stalkerish, it can be a really great way to get familiar with one another.

Now, of course, don't be right in their face, but be prepared for this to be a very long play, because this can take months, nay years of effort. But they're a dream-list customer, right? You'd be happy to put the effort into work with them because it's a dream to work with them...

I hope that helps you build your dream list, another great strategy to build on with your MSP 101 Marketing Pillars.

Take a look at the course on starting, building, and taking an MSP through to exit down in the links below. I'm adding SO much content to this every single month, and I'm really excited to see where that goes.

Follow the links for a good CRM like Hubspot or Active Campaign. Check out the links for the sponsor of today's video - Continuity Marketing, if you need a hand with any marketing campaigns for your MSP, and I will see you, in the next MSP 101 Marketing Pillar Series, whew, mouthful.

Seeya.

🛒 Hubspot: https://geni.us/pT3QYl

🛒 Active Campaign: https://geni.us/qwrZZUO

Thanks to Continuity for Sponsoring: http://continuity.uk

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