Get Back to Basics with Backup

Clients may assume that a cloud provider or solution provider is already backing up their data.

They may have purchased an off-the-rack backup solution on their own.

They may not understand the risk they face by not backing up their data.

Train your sales team. Ensure your team’s confidence in explaining the value of backup and data recovery and craft a solution that will meet the client’s needs. It will be easier to demonstrate your company’s expertise that way. Leverage any vertical market knowledge or regional expertise to tie backup to specific regulatory or compliance requirements.

Sell reliability and peace of mind. Backup is not just a commodity service, although clients may view it that way. A properly designed backup strategy is a critical component of business continuity and reliability, particularly as ransomware and other cyberattacks continue to expand.

Use real-world examples to demonstrate the value of backup. These can include market data on the cost of data loss and downtime, along with examples of companies that suffered the consequences of not backing up their data. Conversely, you could also provide examples of clients or other companies that were able to save the day using backup and data recovery. The point is to illustrate the potential costs involved in data loss.

Explain the need for backup in a cloud environment. With so many applications and services moving to the cloud, clients may assume several other vendors already back up their data. Show them that this is not generally the case and how cloud backup provides a powerful complement to the data retention practices of their cloud application providers (which are often governed by time or storage limits).

Offer a limited number of easy-to-understand solutions. Having too many backup systems available increases the management overhead for the MSP without adding much value for the client.

Upsell or cross-sell backup to existing clients as part of a package. For example, backup can be bundled with email protection, antivirus, cloud data protection and other services. Handling critical business data for these clients can help keep them more tightly committed to your business relationship.

Implement flexible pricing strategies based on client needs. SMBs are price-conscious when investing in these types of services, so be prepared to get creative regarding pricing structures and bundling.