Introduction

So, you're a managed service IT provider, and you're struggling to attract as many clients as you'd like. It's understandable, given the highly competitive nature of the IT industry. With countless providers in the market, it can be challenging to make your business stand out. But don't lose hope! This article will provide you with valuable insights and strategies to help you grow your pipeline and attract more clients.

In this guide, we will cover:

• Positioning: Finding your unique place in the market,

• Outbound: Understanding what you can do to generate demand via email,

• Social Marketing: Using platforms like LinkedIn to create brand awareness,

• White Glove Service: Making buying from you significantly easier than competitors.

Let’s get into it!

Positioning Your IT Provider Business

Before diving into lead generation strategies, it's crucial to define your positioning in the market. This involves identifying your target audience and niche. Are you targeting small businesses in a specific industry, or are you catering to larger enterprises with diverse IT needs? By narrowing your focus, you can tailor your services to meet the demands of your target market.

For example, consider specialising in providing managed IT services for healthcare organisations. This positioning instantly makes your offering more appealing to potential clients in the healthcare industry, as they will value your deep understanding of their specific challenges e.g. perhaps slower to adopt or understand technology compared to others, and regulatory requirements e.g. strict GDPR & HIPAA compliance.

The Caveat…

A lot of these ideas are caveated on the assumption that you’ve exhausted any referrals that might be available to you. If you’ve not tried this avenue out yet, I would highly recommend going back out to ex-colleagues, past companies and friends & family as it’ll be significantly easier to convince them of your value.

But assuming you’ve done this already, here are a few ideas to begin building a stronger pipeline:

Cold Outbound

When it comes to outbound lead generation, the key is to provide value. Craft well-researched emails that offer insights or solutions to potential clients' pain points. Avoid generic mass emails that lack personalisation. Instead, take the time to understand their business and explain why your IT services are relevant to them specifically.

For instance, imagine you're reaching out to a potential client in the finance industry. Tailor your message to showcase your understanding of the complex data security and compliance requirements unique to their sector. Explain how your IT services are designed to address these challenges effectively. Highlighting this demonstrates your ability to provide specialised solutions, setting you apart from generic IT providers.

Don't be like this person…

Doing this at scale is hard, but try to avoid using AI to write and send emails. It’s tempting but the reason most people don’t reply to cold emails is because it lacks an understanding of their unique needs.

Sending more emails of lower quality will simply mean a poor open and response rate. Instead, use AI to research your accounts. A tool like Clay or Wordware might be helpful for setting this up.

Social Marketing

Social media is a powerful and cheap way to promote any business, but managed service providers often neglect to use it. Whilst it might not appear like a viable channel because of the lack of engagement posts receive, it’s important to remember that these are glamour metrics i.e. metrics that don’t truly reflect how successful you are.

Instead, remind yourself that most users of platforms like LinkedIn are unlikely to engage - but might still read or share your article with colleagues. Try to consistently showcase your expertise and past successes on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Share case studies, client testimonials, and insights into your problem-solving process.

If you're just starting and don't have an extensive portfolio, consider engaging with industry trends and share your thoughts to establish yourself as a thought leader. Remember, social media is a conversation starter, and many leads may come from those who view your content but don't engage directly.

Targeted Advertising

Because managed service IT contracts typically target larger businesses, one option to generate interest is targeted advertising. By this, we mean running advertising campaigns on platforms like LinkedIn designed to only show to a particular organisation that you know is going out to contract soon.

This is typically something companies who use account-based marketing (ABM) do but it can work really well when you’re targeting larger teams. Here's an example from a performance marketing agency:

To do this is more straightforward than it sounds. LinkedIn requires a minimum audience size of 300 - an audience size that’s a lot smaller than some of the larger contracts MS IT teams cover. Create your campaign, set the company target to the prospect you’re interested in, the department to IT and purchasing. Put together some creative materials and set it live!

White Glove Service

If you’re reading this, we assume that you’re struggling with your pipeline and have some extra time to go further than you ordinarily would. So when potential clients show interest, we’d recommend trying to impress them with an easy and clear buying experience.

Beyond the standard responses you’d need to send, try sharing specific case studies that resonate with their challenge or record a quick assessment video that identifies areas where your services can make a difference. Maybe share articles or thought leadership pieces that speak to what they’re trying to achieve. Each case is unique but there are many ways you can go above and beyond to demonstrate you care about them as a prospective customer.

We’d also plug whomso as a good product for providing this standout buying experience. Not only can you include all of the examples of content we’ve listed above, you can do so in a branded page that can be shared with other stakeholders internally - something email chains often make confusing!

Summary

Attracting clients as a managed service IT provider can be challenging, but with the right strategies, you can grow your pipeline. Effective positioning, outbound lead generation, social media marketing, and exceptional white-glove service will set you apart from the competition and establish your business as a reliable partner.

If you’re still struggling then drop me an email at alex@whom.so and we can talk more about how to improve your funnel!