An undisturbed prospect never buys. Before anyone signs, they must agree to five things in order: that they have a need, which solution fits it, that you are the right source, the terms, and a reason to buy now. Most MSP sales stall at the first one, because the prospect does not believe their problem is urgent enough to justify the pain of switching providers. You build that belief two ways: through discovery questions that surface their problems in their own words, and through an assessment that proves the risks exist. Neither is fearmongering, as long as it is true.
An undisturbed prospect NEVER buys.
Every salesperson and marketer should be required to recite that statement out loud before they meet with a prospect or attempt to design a marketing campaign.
It's also step 3 of the seven steps to close an MSP sale, and the one most salespeople rush past.
Far too often, marketing campaigns and sales pitches are weak and toothless attempts to get a prospect to make a decision when there hasn't been an AGREEMENT that the prospect has a problem they MUST SOLVE. Without it, you won't get a decision. It is "square one" on the game of marketing and selling.
Buyers who are not in "pain," or who do not have a perceived need for a product or service, are very difficult to convert into buyers. Not impossible, but very difficult.
With some products and services, you need to make them aware of a problem they didn't even know they had. That's why I recommend cybersecurity assessments and other audits to "prove the need."
The Company That Invented A Problem
Listerine was invented in 1879 and originally sold as a surgical antiseptic to hospitals in big, multi-gallon drums.
But the success of the company didn't come until the early 1920s, when Gerard Lambert, the son of one of the company's founders, found the term "halitosis" in a medical journal and decided to package and promote Listerine as a cure for bad breath.
Bad breath wasn't something people thought of as a social problem UNTIL Listerine's brilliant advertising strategy pointed out that your bad breath may be the reason you're without any friends or romantic partners.
The decision to market it as a cure for bad breath took the company from $115,000 in sales to $8 million.
The same goes for anything YOU sell, particularly managed services, cybersecurity and disaster recovery solutions. Many people don't think they have a problem.
The 5 Agreements A Prospect Must Make, In Order
As a refresher, and for the newbies around here, here are the five sequential agreements a prospect must concur with before they will make any buying decision:
- Have an awareness of a NEED. A problem to solve, or a desire to fulfill.
- Pick the SOLUTION to the need.
- Pick the SOURCE of the solution.
- Accept the TERMS of the solution. Price, time frame, approach, commitment.
- Find a reason to BUY NOW.
If a prospect doesn't have a known problem to solve, or a desire to solve it, they aren't going to engage with you, much less book an appointment and sit a sales meeting.
Awareness Is Not Enough
But let's say a prospect DOES have an awareness of a need, and they DO meet with you to get a quote on taking over their IT or helping them with a project.
It's still critical for you to BUILD THE NEED and drive a wedge between the incumbent MSP and the prospect, or you won't win the deal.
In fact, the majority of the prospects you get in front of won't give you a definitive "YES!" or a hard "NO" when asked to buy. Most will give you a "maybe" in the form of a stall, delay or "think it over" objection.
They'll say, "It sounds good. Let me talk it over with __________ first." Or, "Looks good. Let me think this over and get back to you."
When you hear that, one of two things is true. Either they lack the certainty to move ahead because you haven't established sufficient trust, credibility and value, OR they simply aren't in enough pain to change anything right now.
Why Prospects Back Out At The Last Minute
Remember, switching IT providers is painful for many prospects. They will walk right up to the line of the decision, then back off last-minute, staying with the MSP they have.
They simply see the pain of switching as greater than the benefit they'll get from leaving.
That is the real competition in most MSP sales. Not another MSP. Staying put.
How To Initiate The Pain Train
There are two ways to do it, and you should use both.
1. Do Proper Discovery, And Document It Word For Word
Ask good, diagnostic questions that reveal problems, frustrations and needs.
BE SURE TO DOCUMENT WHAT THEY SAY EXACTLY AS THEY SAY IT.
In fact, after the discovery meeting, you should verbally articulate back what they said were the issues and problems they're frustrated by, the problems they see in their way and any concerns they have. Doing so helps clarify it in your mind while also demonstrating that you're listening to what they said.
This is also one of the reasons preparing properly for the closing meeting matters so much. Their exact words are what you will hand back to them when you present.
2. Run An Assessment That Proves The Problem
The second way to uncover pain is to conduct some type of assessment that will reveal problems, risks, failures and losses.
I recommend using a good tool such as Galactic, Vonahi or RapidFire Tools to conduct this audit. Some clients use more than one. Others use all three.
But no matter what tool you pick, you need to make sure you can use it to demonstrate the need and drive the urgency to hire you now.
DO NOT just hand them a report. Walk them through it, explaining the risks and consequences if the problems are not resolved.
"But I Don't Want To Fearmonger"
As long as you're not dishonest, and not telling them lies about the risks they are facing and the consequences of a ransomware attack, compliance violation, data corruption, loss and extended downtime, you're not fearmongering.
The definition of fearmongering is intentionally trying to make people afraid of something when it's not necessary, reasonable or truthful.
Telling a business owner the truth about a real vulnerability in their environment is not that. It's your job.
How To Present The Pain In The Closing Meeting
When you are in the Prescribe and Close meeting, I would suggest having at least one slide, or document, that summarizes THEIR pain points from discovery, followed by a handful of slides, charts or data points that reveal the risks and failures in their environment.
Do NOT bury them in a detailed, multipage document where they can get lost, such as what's provided by the assessment tools. Pull out a couple of SUMMARY charts to show their score and vulnerabilities.
Keep it high-level, but be sure to drive home why it's important for them to get those issues resolved.
Notice the order. Their words first, then your evidence. You are not telling them they have a problem. You are reminding them that they told you they have one, and then showing them it is worse than they thought.
The Bottom Line
An undisturbed prospect never buys.
If they don't agree they have a problem, nothing you say about your services matters. If they agree but aren't in enough pain, they'll stall until the moment passes and stay with the MSP they already have.
So build the need. Ask the questions, write down their exact words, run the assessment, and walk them through what it found. Then present their pain back to them before you present anything else.
Once they genuinely agree they have a problem they must solve, the next question in their head is why you, and that's where your differentiation has to carry the argument.
If you want your team trained to build the need properly, that is exactly what my MSP sales training is built for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won't my MSP prospects buy?
Usually because they do not believe they have a problem urgent enough to solve. An undisturbed prospect never buys. Before anyone signs, they have to agree they have a need, and most MSP sales stall right there. Even prospects who know they have an issue will often stall, because switching IT providers is painful and they judge the pain of switching to be greater than the benefit of leaving.
What are the five agreements a prospect makes before buying?
In order: an awareness of a need, which is a problem to solve or a desire to fulfill; choosing the solution to that need; choosing the source of the solution; accepting the terms, meaning price, time frame, approach and commitment; and finding a reason to buy now. If the first one is missing, the prospect will not engage with you at all, let alone book a meeting.
What does "an undisturbed prospect never buys" mean?
That people do not make decisions to change anything unless they agree they have a problem they must solve. Marketing and sales pitches that skip this step are weak attempts to get a decision out of someone who has not yet accepted they need one. Establishing that agreement is square one of both marketing and selling.
How do I uncover an MSP prospect's pain points?
Ask diagnostic questions that reveal their problems, frustrations and needs, and document their answers exactly as they say them. After the meeting, repeat back to them the issues they described, the obstacles they see and the concerns they raised. That clarifies it for you and proves to them that you were listening.
Is talking about cyber risks with prospects fearmongering?
Not if it is true. Fearmongering means intentionally trying to make people afraid of something when it is not necessary, reasonable or truthful. Being honest with a prospect about real risks, such as ransomware, compliance violations, data corruption or extended downtime, is not fearmongering. It is part of the job.
How do you create urgency in MSP sales?
By building the need before you ask for a decision. Do proper discovery and document the prospect's problems, frustrations and needs exactly as they say them. Then run an assessment that reveals the problems, risks, failures and losses in their environment. Do not just hand them the report. Walk them through it, explaining the risks and consequences if the problems are not resolved, so the reason to hire you now is clear.
Should I give the prospect the full assessment report?
No. Do not just hand them a report. Walk them through the findings and explain the risks and consequences if the problems are not fixed. In the closing meeting, avoid the detailed multipage output that assessment tools produce, because prospects get lost in it. Pull out a couple of summary charts showing their score and vulnerabilities, and keep it high level.
Why do prospects back out right before signing?
Because switching IT providers is painful, and many prospects walk right up to the decision and then retreat to the MSP they already have. When a prospect stalls with "let me think it over," either you have not established enough trust, credibility and value, or they are not in enough pain yet to change. Both are solved earlier in the process, not at the close.