Out of all the telecom terms out there, the one I like emphasizing more than any other is the acronym of MSP: Managed Service Provider. The reason why is that being an MSP means you do far, far more than just pass tools from a vendor to an end-user — instead, it means you’re someone who provides high-value services and IT management.
This definition, in other words, shifts the focus from products to services. And the reason this is so important is because with that change, you have the power to own your customer and build a successful business.
When I say “owning your customer,” what I mean is actually pretty simple: to “own your customer” is to have a strong, confident hold over the clients you do business with. When it comes to communications technology, you’re their first call in the morning, and their last call at night. If you “own your customer,” your company is key to your customer’s success, to the point that they’d be worried if you looked as if you were going out of business.
If that kind of situation sounds impossible or too good to be true, then frankly, this advice is all the more important for you to hear. Because the fact is, now it’s not enough to do business by simply selling products to a customer like before. Now, what’s most crucial to your company’s success is to build relationships with your customers and constantly prove your value to them.
After all, thanks to globalization, competition is everywhere now, and businesses have more options than ever before when it comes to getting their technology. So, if some other provider comes along offering phones at a better price, what’s stopping your customers from choosing them over you? Time and time again, I’ve seen UCC businesses watch their customer base slip away, complaining the whole time that there was nothing they could do to stop it — even though the last time they talked to any of their customers was months ago!
This is why the concept of owning your customer is so important. When you constantly show your clients why you’re valuable to their business — namely, by managing their IT services and bringing them new products — you prove to them that they don’t need to switch providers, even if they’re offering a lower price.c
But the only way to gain that hold over your customers is to maintain a relationship with them, not just sell them a new set of phones every so often. It’s being there for your customers right when they need you that will make your value come through clearly. And it’s only by clearly and constantly communicating your value that will convince your customers not to ditch you and go over to some other guys’ cheap solution.
Your success depends on you not just selling to your customers, but out and out owning them. Give them all the attention they deserve, and you’ll be able to keep a better hold on them and your business alike.
Does that sound like a lot of hard work? In reality, it is — but it’s either that or watch your business die out.
For more tips over managing your business and implementing software, subscribe to receive our magazine for free!