An Interview With Richard Tubb 
In this special TubbTalk interview, Richard Tubb becomes the guest on his own show! Team Tubb’s Community Manager, Stephen McCormick, takes over the presenter’s seat; he asks probing questions to find out Richard’s Managed Service Provider (MSP) origin story and what’s important to him.
As part of his MSP origin story, Richard explains how he went from corporate IT to providing break-fix services. And how he discovered the world of managed services and why he started his business. Finally, he also tells Stephen why he decided to sell up and become a speaker, author and consultant.
Watch the Video Interview
Why Richard Wrote His First Book
After Richard sold his IT business, he did a lot of consulting and advisory work with other MSPs. At the same time, he was continuing to add to his blog. “There was a point when so many people got in touch for advice because they were feeling the pressure.
“I tried to reply to everyone, but it occurred to me that there were more MSPs in need of help who I wasn’t hearing from. So I decided to help them to avoid the mistakes I made. And I wrote the book to highlight the key things I did wrong so they didn’t.”
What Richard Would do if he Ran an MSP Today
Richard says the world is very different since he sold his business 12 years ago. Top of the list today would be cybersecurity. “12 years ago it was all firewalls and antivirus. But now, cybersecurity is so sophisticated it’s mind-boggling. It’s hard for MSPs to keep up to date.
“So I’d be looking to work with a third party to provide consultancy or even a Security Operations Centre SOC). And the other thing I’d be focusing on is AI. AI for MSPs is really about automation, so if you can use it, you can do things faster, better and cheaper than the competition.”
How to get Started with Outsourcing
It’s funny how many MSPs are reluctant to outsource any of their services, given that their clients outsource to them! “When I ran my MSP, we were one of the first businesses to outsource our NOC (Network Operation Centre). One reason for this was because I wanted to do more specialist work and focus on growing the business.
“On top of that, as the owner, you find yourself managing people and dealing with the books. Outsourcing HR and accounting is a good start. And so is the NOC, because they can take charge of updates, backups and all of those things.”
Managing Mental Health While Running an MSP
Stephen took the opportunity to ask Richard about why he talks about mental health. “I think the world has reached a point now where people are, if not comfortable, than open, about talking about mental health challenges.
“I’m open about my battle with clinical depression, which I was diagnosed with in my 20s. It’s a chemical imbalance, so if I don’t look after my stress levels, my physical health, it can have catastrophic consequences.
“And what I’ve learned from talking honestly about MY struggles is that other people will open up too. I’ve talked about it on-stage at IT conferences, and audience members share their stories with me afterwards.
“Statistically, 1 in 4 people will have a mental health challenge at some time. Of course, the IT industry has been male-dominated, and men don’t always find it easy to open up. And that’s why I started the conversation. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, so seek out help. The MSP community is one of the most supportive I know.”
Sales Tips for MSPs
Many people have a stereotypical view of sales, says Richard. People think they have to persuade somebody to buy what they’re selling. “I read The Go Giver, and it helped me change my attitude to sales. If I can help someone, that’s great. And if I can’t, then someone else will.
“Before that, my sales process was non-existent. Every time I went to meet a prospect, I was reinventing the wheel every time, and I was nervous. But I decided to grab the bull by the horns and find a way to become comfortable with sales.
I did some training with the Sandler Sales Institute, which is what you could call ‘consultative selling.’ So, it’s about listening, asking pertinent questions and looking for a solution. Taking a helpful rather than persuasive approach is always better received by prospects.”
How to Get Better at Marketing
Richard’s best advice on marketing for MSPs? “Whichever technique you use, do it consistently. So many MSPs tell me their marketing is failing, but that’s because they’ve tried several approaches at once, and dropped them quite quickly.
“But marketing is a joined-up approach, and you can’t do things in isolation. So when I ran my MSP, I did a lot of networking. And that worked, because people do business with people they know, like and trust. So long as you go to make connections rather than to give a hard sell, you’ll do well.”
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Mentioned in This Episode
- Blog: Life Lessons From My Father
- Book: Michael E. Gerber: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
- Richard’s Book: The IT Owner’s Survival Guide
- MSP tool platform: SuperOps
- White-label IT support: Uptime Solutions
- Tubblog mental health resources
- MSP community: CompTIA
- MSP community: The Tech Tribe
- MSP peer group: ConnectWise Evolve
- Author: Karl Palachuck
- Podcast: Interview with Erick Simpson
- MSP expert: Harry Brelsford
- Podcast: Interview with Raja Pagadala
- Book: David Allen: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
- MSP revenue platform: Zomentum
- The Sandler Selling System
- Robin Robbins – lumpy mail
- MSP Marketing Expert: Paul Green
- CEO Coach: Andrew Moon
- Tech news site: ZDNet
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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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