4 Things You Need to Market (and Sell) Your Cloud Services

Written by Michael Brown 1
February 18, 2014

Cloud-based file sharing is becoming increasingly popular for businesses - but it's not a solution that sells itself. In this post, we show you four assets that can help you more effectively market and sell this solution.

The use of cloud-based file sharing for business has exploded over the past few years. But the rise in popularity has led many – including MSPs – to conclude that the solution practically sells itself. This of course couldn’t be further from the truth.

As with any new technology, no matter how beneficial it may be, it will not be adopted without strategic marketing. So what does an MSP need to help market and sell cloud-based file sharing (and services) to its target audience? A Superbowl commercial? Celebrity endorsements? A giant blimp?

Those options probably are not in the budget (if they are, kudos to you). If you’re looking for a few more practical approaches, I would suggest the following 4 items:

Case studies: Switching from a traditional, on-premise system to a cloud-based solution is not a decision businesses take lightly. They want to know that you’ve done this before with a high level of success and customer satisfaction. Enter the customer case study. If the technology is worth it, and if your services are up to par, getting a customer to agree to a case study will be relatively easy. Explain their business model, the challenges they faced and how you helped them overcome them. A fairly standard formula, but it can go a long way towards convincing a prospect that your product and service is the right decision.
Video tutorials: Seeing is believing. Thus, it always helps to have a few explainer videos to show to a prospective client how the technology works and what the main benefits are. Ideally, by the time your client has adopted a cloud-based file sharing solution, they are already familiar with the basic UI, features and other functionalities. Tech-minded business people tend to be more visual, so this is an asset you’ll definitely want in the arsenal.
FAQs: Tired of answering the same questions over and over again? Having a readily available list of frequently asked questions will not only save you time, but it will also highlight other questions your prospects might be forgetting to ask. By creating this asset, you’ll put yourself in the mind of the prospective buyer, and in doing so, you can begin to understand the specific pain point that your product and service will alleviate.
Cost Sheets: Not only should this document list your various price levels, it should also highlight the costs of the alternatives – whether they be a competitors’ price or the cost of purchasing and managing an on-premise system. If you are a cost-effective alternative, highlight the price. If you are a value-based alternative, highlight the features. In either case, make sure you eliminate ambiguity when it comes to cost.

These are just a few of the assets that can help you close new deals. What’s worked well for you in the sales process? Let us know!