Fourteen years ago, I, Gary Monck, partnered with a friend who owned a smaller MSP to establish CISPOINT. Like most of the people in the industry, we were great techs but knew little about marketing and growing a business. Running on referrals only, we would accidentally bump into a customer every now and then. Candidly, we were just a couple of engineers who couldn’t get out of our own way.
CISPOINT
Then the pandemic hit and everything got more difficult and complicated. It got to the point that no matter what I did, I was simply riding the same ol’ roller coaster – up and down, over and over again. Frustrated, I confided in one of our best long-term customers, Jacqui Magnes, about my struggles and told her I wasn’t sure what the future had in store for CISPOINT. That turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done!
The Very Next Day, Jacqui Made Plans To Purchase CISPOINT
Jacqui Magnes’ story:
In working with Gary for over a decade, I knew CISPOINT had solid roots and would be a very good investment. So, the following day, I told Gary I wanted to purchase his MSP and was ready to throw gasoline on the fire. I bought CISPOINT a year ago in January, became the CEO, and immediately gave it a rebrand and refresh.
CISPOINT
I knew that in order to grow, we needed the RIGHT marketing in place. Years ago, Gary had bought Robin’s Toolkit, but without the time or resources to put it to use; it just sat on the bookshelf gathering dust. I knew this time would be different. Both of us went through Robin’s Rapid Implementation program. Suddenly, everything changed.
The “Aha Moment” That Ratcheted Up Our MRR By $28,393!
It’s crazy how, year after year, you fall into a comfort zone of running your MSP just as you always had before. Same tools. Same pricing. Same results. That was us. Then we went to the TMT Roadshow, met with other MSP owners, and got smacked with a dose of reality – our pricing was WAY TOO LOW for the services and security we were providing!
In the past, Gary didn’t have regular technology business reviews with his clients. But at the Rapid Implementation Workshop, Gary and I learned how to do TBRs the RIGHT way. We used the TBR campaign that’s built into Keap, which automatically sends clients invitations to our upcoming meeting and keeps prompting them until they schedule an appointment. During the workshop, we booked so many appointments, we earned some stars. WIN!
During each TBR, Gary and I sat with the client and laid it all out for them. We told them, “This is what you had, this is what you currently have and this is what you need.” We were able to get their buy-in because we were providing significantly more value, including greater security and better tools, to justify the rate increase.
By running the TBR campaign and having regular TBRs with all our clients, we increased our current customer rates to industry levels, added many new projects, and even signed several clients to three-year deals. This resulted in an MRR increase of $28,393! All told, including projects and sales, we added $279,223.66 in revenue just through this single campaign.
New To The Aspirin Campaign, We Already Scored One Appointment And A Referral
Because neither Gary nor I had ever done a direct mail campaign before, we dipped our toe into Robin’s Aspirin campaign. First, we learned the process, including following up with phone calls, e-mails, and LinkedIn connections. Next, we started by mailing out 25 letters per week. Currently, we are sending 75 a week. Our goal is to hit that mark between 125 and 150 per week.
This campaign is already paying off! By sending the Aspirin letter and following up through LinkedIn connections, we recently received a referral. Plus, we have an appointment next week for the campaign. (Fingers crossed!) That prospect even commented that she liked our marketing. Clearly, the lumpy mailers are getting attention.
By Introducing A Slew Of Drip Marketing, We Remain Top Of Mind
Now that Gary and I were generating leads, the next critical marketing system we needed to set up was drip marketing. From the Prospect Hopper, we’re utilizing the monthly mail-out postcards, which we are sending to both clients and prospects. Also, to provide a regular drip of educational marketing, we hit their inbox by e-mailing the weekly Cyber Security Tips campaign. Finally, we are now posting a ton on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Our followers have INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY on all of those platforms!
Can We Get A Testimonial From Every Single One Of Our Clients? Watch Us
While we have a 5-star rating on our Google reviews, most of those reviews are admittedly pretty old. Thankfully, while at the Rapid Implementation Workshop, we ran the Testimonial campaign, where Gary and I ask clients for awesome written testimonials in a way that makes it a no-brainer. Immediately, we added seven NEW testimonials before leaving the workshop.
Today, we are aggressively focused on boosting our credibility and proof of performance by growing our testimonial book and adding to our Google reviews.
Just Call Us Sponges – We’re Soaking Up Everything TMT Has To Offer
For a company that used to do zero marketing, we’ve implemented a ton of it so far. We’ve revised our website, created a new lead generation magnet (our IT Buyer’s Guide), and developed a solid “4 Big Reasons To Choose CISPOINT,” and we’re just getting started. We expect to soon be placed into an Accountability Group within Accelerators Club. That should open our eyes to a ton of new ideas. We are continuing to add to our marketing plan, including sponsoring trade shows for CPAs and tax preparers, creating the components for our Shock-And-Awe box, adding another direct mail campaign and even creating our very own Ultimate MSP Sales Playbook.
A Little Advice From A Pair Of Geniuses
Jacqui’s Advice: It’s okay to ask for help.
Believe me, we’ve asked for and received our share of help when it comes to implementing our marketing. Yes, even family members can stuff envelopes, scribble mailing addresses and apply stamps. Most of us know HOW to get something done. The trick is learning WHO is going to help you get it done.
Gary’s Advice: Get involved. Be vocal.
From day one of Jacqui purchasing CISPOINT, our goal was to make a huge splash in marketing so our clients and prospects couldn’t help but notice us. We made it a point to never be quiet, but rather to be vocal, ask questions, and stay hungry to learn. In every accountability call, we always spoke about our wins, our struggles, and where we could improve. By putting ourselves out there, we attracted all the help we needed.
From Stuck To Awestruck, We Added 6 Team Members And $431,934 In Revenue!
Gary’s wrap-up:
Less than a year and a half ago, I was stuck. We had three employees and zero marketing. And CISPOINT was barely growing. We needed lightning in a bottle. Little did I know that one phone call later, lightning would strike when Jacqui purchased my MSP.
Since Jacqui acquired CISPOINT, and we finally had the opportunity to embrace TMT, we have gone from three employees to a team of NINE, with an actual marketing department. As for growth, we added TWO NEW CLIENTS for $5,672 in MRR and $22,721 in MRR from price increases. From projects, we added $279,823, plus an additional $9,000 in break-fix work. Our total revenue, which includes price increases, adjustments, new clients and multiyear agreements, is an amazing $431,934!
And the best part – I am no longer drowning in tech work. Rather, I’m now the marketing manager, and I get to play a bigger role in transforming our MSP into the vision I always dreamed it would become.
To access all the campaign examples mentioned by this month’s Marketing Genius Of The Month, go to the Dashboard under the Marketing Strategy Brief resource and access them there.
