Imagine you’re trying to train an elephant. You give it commands, try to push it in the right direction and nothing happens. Frustrating, right?
That’s exactly what happened in 1903 when a Dallas circus bought an elephant from a famous trainer. The trainer swore it was the smartest animal he had ever worked with, yet when the new owner tried to get it to move, the elephant wouldn’t budge. After days of frustration, the owner called the trainer, convinced he had been sold a deaf or dumb animal. The trainer asked a simple question:
“Are you speaking to her in German?”
Turns out, the elephant only understood German commands. The moment the circus owner spoke in German, the elephant sprang to life, obeying every instruction. Your prospects are doing the same thing.
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They’re telling you exactly what they want, but you’re speaking a different language. If you don’t understand their language—their pain points, desires and decision-making process—you’ll never close the sale.
This is a concept I’ve taught at our past IT Sales And Marketing Boot Camp—and it’s one of the biggest reasons MSPs struggle to grow.
Why Your MSP Sales Pitch Isn’t Working
Most MSPs sell based on logic and facts:
- “We provide 24/7 IT support.”
- “We monitor your network for threats.”
- “We offer cybersecurity solutions.”
These are all great features, but here’s the hard truth: nobody buys based on logic alone.
Your customers buy on emotion—how they feel about you, your company and whether they trust you to solve their problems. When I’ve interviewed decision-makers who chose one MSP over another, their reasons are rarely about price or technical ability. Instead, they say things like:
- “I just felt like they understood what we needed.”
- “They really seemed to care.”
- “They just got it.”
Your job isn’t to educate prospects on what an MSP does. Your job is to sell them on the outcome they want—less stress, fewer IT headaches, a more secure and profitable business.
How To Speak Your Prospect’s Language (And Close More Sales)
Just like the elephant trainer, you need to adjust the way you communicate. Here’s how:
1. Focus on Their Problems, Not Your Services
Prospects don’t care about your RMM tools or firewall settings. What they do care about is:
- Not losing thousands of dollars to downtime.
- Keeping their business out of the headlines for a cyberattack.
- Avoiding IT headaches that drain their time and energy.
Use this in your marketing. Instead of saying, “We provide cybersecurity services,” say:
“What would happen if a hacker got into your system? Could your business recover? If you’re not 100% sure, let’s talk.” That’s a conversation they want to have.
2. Stop Selling Services—Start Selling Outcomes
People don’t buy IT support. They buy peace of mind. Instead of listing off all the technical things you do, paint a picture of what their life will look like after working with you.
Example: “We offer 24/7 support.” vs “You’ll never have to worry about IT issues ruining your workday again.” See the difference?
3. Position Yourself As The Only Logical Choice
If a prospect is comparing three different MSPs and the only differentiator is price, you will lose. You need to create an irresistible marketing message, use emotional triggers to build trust and overcome objections before they even come up.
The MSPs who master these techniques don’t just sell more—they close bigger deals with better clients who are willing to pay premium prices.
The Bottom Line: Your Clients Are Speaking—Are You Listening?
Just like the elephant in the story, your prospects are telling you exactly what they want. You just need to listen, adjust and speak their language.
If you’re tired of struggling to sell, tired of prospects ghosting you and tired of competing on price, it’s time to change how you communicate. When you stop speaking your language and start speaking theirs, you’ll see a dramatic shift in your ability to close high-value MSP deals.
