Robert Gibbons is Chief Revenue Officer at Aabyss, and Troy Midwood is the Chief Technology Officer. They spoke to Richard live at Dattocon Europe 2024 and shared their thoughts on what makes a modern MSP successful.
An Interview With Robert Gibbons and Troy Midwood
Why Peer Groups are Important for MSPs
As a long-time fan of peer communities, Robert is a big advocate for them. “It’s a great place to go if you’re stuck and you need some advice. There’s always somebody ready to listen to you and share their wisdom.
“I believe that my business grew faster in the two-year period after I joined SBSC than it would have done otherwise. Vendors also attend these meetings, so you get to find out about new products. Plus you can give them feedback on existing tools.”
As Robert points out, getting that kind of information first-hand saves you time trying out a solution that isn’t that good. Peer groups help you to make shortcuts to all kinds of valuable business decisions.
How a Modern MSP Can Manage Vendor Fatigue
It’s fair to say that today’s MSPs have too many vendor partners, which means too many separate bills and a lot of admin. But there are ways to manage vendor fatigue, whether you’re just starting out or your business is established.
Robert says: “Look at the stack of products you want to have in your business, those that will really help you. And then investigate which vendors are out there who can supply you with multiple products.
“Kaseya have a range of solutions, such as service desk and tech support. And if you want licencing, such as for Microsoft tools, Pax8’s marketplace can help. You could probably build an MSP with just those two partners.”
What Has Stayed the Same in the Industry
Troy says that while there are new solutions coming on the market all the time, the big players are still relevant today: “When we first started, we deployed Microsoft servers with Windows on PCs.
“And we’re still using their tools – all of our clients have Microsoft 365. What HAS changed is how we use the tools and how we run our businesses. Back when we did break/fix, we all wanted our customers to have a problem so we could go and fix them. That’s a terrible business model!
“Clients don’t want their IT systems to go wrong and neither do we. There’s a shared interest in keeping them operational, and that’s why the MSP model is so successful and profitable. But their core needs are still the same, too.”
The Most Important Lesson Learned From Experience
Robert says the most important lesson is also one of the simplest: “Be on the side of the customer. if you’re battling with them, you might win the argument but you’ll probably lose the customer. That’s not what you want.
“But if you can have empathy for them, work to get to know them and build that relationship, you can really help them. Ask them what success looks like for them and talk about how to make it happen. Be a partner, not a supplier.”
How a Modern MSP Can Ensure Longevity
Troy says that one of the biggest challenges MSPs face is when they don’t recognise just how important they are to their clients. Businesses need an expert to help them with their tech and to keep it safe.
“But too often, MSPs are in a race to the bottom to win business at the lowest price. And it’s difficult to deliver a good quality service that way. You can’t afford the right toolkit or training, or have enough people to deliver a good standard of service.
“In the US, there’s been a big shift in the MSPs having to accept liability when things go wrong. That doesn’t help your longevity. So when that happens here, we’ll start to see clients seeking certifications for security. You can’t deliver that on a shoestring, so re-evaluate your prices now.”
Troy’s Advice for a Modern MSP Stuck in the ‘Tech Guy’ Mindset
“IT support is commoditised,” says Troy. “And the differentiator for clients is not how responsive you are. It’s about the material impact we can have on their businesses. And that’s things like helping them to make the right tool choices.
“That can often be complex and the client has never done it before. So when they’re faced with multiple options, having a trusted partner to help them pick the right one will be a massive help.
“If you can help a client use technology better in order to hit their goals, that’s more valuable to them. And it’s interesting work for the MSPs. Where you can stand out is by helping them to understand the impact their decisions will have on their business success.”
How to Connect With Robert and Troy
- Aabyss
- Follow Aabyss on LinkedIn
- Connect with Robert on LinkedIn
- Connect with Troy on LinkedIn
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Mentioned in This Episode
- IT conference: Dattocon
- Podcast: Richard’s interview with Robert
- Book: Marcus Sheridan: They Ask, You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today’s Digital Consumer, 2nd Edition, Revised and Updated
- Cybersecurity accreditation: Cyber Essentials/Cyber Essentials+
- Quality management certification: ISO9001
- Environmental management certification: ISO14000
- Information security certification: ISO2700
- Peer group: SBSC Northwest Group
- IT management platform: Kaseya
- PSA tool: Autotask
- RMM tool: Datto RMM
- Documentation tool: IT Glue
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8
- IT conference: Pax8 Beyond (Denver)
- IT conference: Pax8 Beyond EMEA (Berlin)
You Might Also be Interested in
- SBSC North West: Advantages of Sharing Best Practice Among Local Peers
- Podcast: How to Build a Modern MSP for Business Growth and Success
- Successful MSP Relationships: How to Find and Nurture Them to Make Them Last
Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
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