By EVault Guest Blog 2

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To meet this need, some are looking into ways to increase their MRR, but others say that they aren’t sure what the best opportunities are. History: Sell product and go to next sale. Today: Sell ongoing service.

Part of the problem is that many IT solutions involve a product sale upfront but offer little in the way of monthly, ongoing revenue. The key is to look for solutions that give you the opportunity to provide ongoing service to your customers. are low on hardware and high on service. Cloud-based disaster recovery is one service that is becoming more and more in demand. As your customers’ data and systems become more critical to business operations, they want to ensure that a fast and easy restore either onsite or from a remote location far from the event is possible in the event of a disaster. As their trusted advisor, you can offer them the solutions that will give them piece of mind while simultaneously increasing your own MRR.

Making the Switch from Tape Backup

As businesses begin to recognize the tremendous cost of being out of commission in the event of a disaster, they are narrowing their Recovery Time Objective (RTO) windows. In order meet the demand for faster recovery,the most advanced data backup and recovery solutions are required. Old-fashioned technologies such as tape backup put companies at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to maintaining business continuity in the face of the disaster. Not only that, but valuable time, resources and manpower are spent in the process of backing up to tape.  And tape is a solution that ultimately won’t meet most customers’ needs in a time of a crisis.

Even better, opting to pay for cloud backup services on a monthly basis will ultimately cost your customers less than investing in the hardware necessary for tape backup. But what about your business? While your customers are saving money by switching to the cloud, you’re getting the benefit of generating a monthly recurring revenue stream. The bottom line?  It’s a more financially beneficial relationship for everyone.

Not All MRR is Created Equal

Even within the category of cloud DR, there are solutions that yield more revenue than others. One great way to increase MRR is to work with a vendor that provides a range of service level agreements (SLAs). For some of your customers, being out of commission for 48 or 24 hours is acceptable. But in all likelihood, many of your customers will opt for a solution that guarantees a full system restore on a shorter timeline. A range of SLAs does two things to increase your revenue. First of all, you can expand your customer base by accommodating many types of businesses with many different needs. Secondly, you can earn a premium monthly fee with those customers that require the highest SLAs.

Finding a Vendor that Serves Your Customers — And You

To provide your customers with premium SLAs, you need a vendor that’s equipped  with a failproof cloud, 5-star technology and an excellent customer service record. DR is more than just backup – it involves replicating entire systems so that a bare metal restore is possible within hours. DR also requires a team that is on deck and prepared to activate in the event of a disaster. Choose a vendor who is committed to supporting you both during the implementation process and when you really need need them to help you recover your customer’s data. Essentially, your vendor should be ready to act as an extension of your technical team.

Choose a Vendor That Empowers You

Working with a vendor who has your best interests in mind is key. Not only should they provide you with an award-winning, quality service for your customers, but your overall business success should be a priority for them. That means that while they offer the solution and top-of-the-line customer service, you should still be autonomous in the key ways that will help your business grow. Your vendor works behind the scenes, but you’re the hero in the eyes of your customer.

You should be able to work directly with your customers to set the price, add an advanced solution and bundle the solution in a way that works best for them. Your vendor should give you both the support and freedom you need to make the most from the cloud DR solution you offer to each customer.

Finally, your vendor should be true partner during the sales process. That means working in the trenches with your field teams, offering quality sales and marketing support, and of course, helping by delivering leads.

Be an Expert, Be a Hero

While your vendor supports you in many ways, you’re on the front line identifying the customers who would most benefit from a cloud DR solution. Learn as much as you can about the problems and the solutions so that you can effectively sell cloud-based DR and build up your customer base. Not only will your MRR continue to grow, so will your relationship with your customers. That means more business, more referrals and more revenue down the line. For more information about how EVault can help you increase your MRR with a cloud-based DR service, contact us today.

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