https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2020 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2020 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Digital Service Providers
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • CHANNEL PARTNERS ONLINE
 Channel Futures

From the Industry


Positioning Your MSP as an Outsourced CIO

  • Written by MAXfocus Guest Blog 1
  • June 26, 2014
Many MSPs position themselves as trusted advisors, but have they already earned their customers' trust? A better positioning statement is being a virtual or outsourced CIO. As a virtual CIO you are placing yourself within the customer's team, rather than as an external advisor.

I’ve been on something of a crusade of late against the phrase “Trusted Advisor.” It flared up again recently at Autotask Community Live, where I had the opportunity to be on a panel with several other channel executives.   I’m certainly not the first to discuss this idea, and am certain I won’t be the last.

The idea of the Trusted Advisor is a positioning statement. The intention is for the MSP or Solution Provider to build trust and provide advice to the organization in an ongoing capacity.  

Be a Virtual CIO instead

The statement of being an organization’s Chief Information Officer (or virtual CIO, or outsourced CIO, or any varied number of derivatives) is, in my mind, a stronger statement. The CIO is a much clearer role, with well-defined responsibilities, but a broader reach than a simple advisor.

Spanning technology, policy, and business, this type of role is a deeper engagement. Additionally, it has the advantage of placing the Solution Provider within the customer’s team, rather than as an external advisor. It’s a positioning statement that clearly defines the engagement.

However, when engaging with a new prospect, all the prospect has is an organization’s marketing. It is during this initial engagement that trust is earned by making promises – in marketing, for instance – and then proving those promises are true through actions. This is often the power of the network assessment – the promise of information and insight which is then executed on, the act of which builds trust and proves expertise. 

Trust — earned not bought

In the course of the discussion, an important point was raised. Trust is not something that can be sold. Instead, it must be earned. This is a bold and powerful statement and something that must be examined in the context of positioning. It is not enough to state one’s position if the reality behind that statement is not true.   

Marketing and positioning should not be dismissed as irrelevant in favor of execution alone. Customers start by being educated; through marketing and positioning, on an organization. Then move into the process of building trust through a series of engagements together. The more authentic and genuine this process is, the stronger the long term relationship will be, and the more the Solution Provider will be able to deepen and expand the relationship. This process of moving from being strangers, to acquaintances, to colleagues, to “trusted advisor” and then beyond to teammate (such as CIO) is best achieved by a genuine alignment between positioning, marketing, sales, and execution.  

Executing the details

To dismiss the power of this as irrelevant is dangerous. While it is tempting to offer advice to focus on raw execution, this alone will not drive business growth. If you have a fantastic business with flawless execution, and no one knows about it, the business will not grow. Instead, some practical guidance is powerful and necessary.

  • Create a simple, genuine position statement.  Define who it is you are, and why you do what you do as an organization. This does not (and should not) have to be flowy, superfluous wording.  Instead, it should be a simple, easy to communicate — and easy to execute on – statement of who, what and why.
  • Ensure your communications, from marketing to sales to technical; reflect this genuine version of your organization. If your communications are not genuine, they lose power and are quickly identified as false, particularly in a world of powerful social media.
  • Execute. While often implied, the act of doing, by making good on your promises and keeping your position in alignment with your business causes the rest to happen.  

By being this genuine in your style, communication and engagement, you will naturally build trust. I believe that the statement around CIO is stronger, bolder, and clearer than Trusted Advisor, and thus I have been recommending it.  Because trust is earned and not sold, a promise to be the CIO – focusing on business outcomes, engaging at a C-level, and delivering higher value – is a genuine, simple position statement, and leads to greater success. 

Dave Sobel, Director of Partner Community at GFI MAX, is responsible for fostering the growth and success of GFI MAX Partners. As Director of Partner Community, he helps promote collaboration, education and innovation among GFI MAX Partners and among the industry as a whole, ensures they have access to business, technology and market resources, and are utilizing the MAX Platform to achieve positive growth, enhance their offerings and become best-in-class solution providers.

Tags: Cloud Service Providers Digital Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs From the Industry

Related


  • Ransomware and malware
    Help Your Customers Mitigate Malware: Viruses, Worms, and Trojans…Oh My!
    With the right antivirus protection, your customers can better detect and prevent the spread of malware.
  • SMB cybersecurity
    SMBs’ Cybersecurity Risk Awareness Is Rising
    The majority of SMBs would switch MSPs for the right cybersecurity support.
  • cloud data
    Your Cloud Data Is Protected, But Is It Portable?
    Why flexibility and containerization are the new must-haves for cloud data.
  • office 365
    How to Improve First Call Resolution with Microsoft Office 365 Service Tickets
    Here are some tools and strategies for improving the rate of FCR with Office 365 service tickets.

One comment

  1. Avatar rguchee July 3, 2014 @ 6:00 pm
    Reply

    Very well stated Dave! We
    Very well stated Dave! We are on a path of defining what our vCIO looks like and how we communicate. You added to our conversation.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • 2021 Trends: Set the Stage for a Successful 2021
  • Top 4 Benefits of an RMM System
  • Rethink Endpoint Protection in 2021
  • 2020: The Year of the Triple

Galleries

View all

New, Changing Partner Programs: AWS, Tech Data, Avaya, Verizon

January 11, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

The Importance of Being Security-Centric

January 22, 2021

Cyberattacks: Threat Hunters Conquer Unpredictability with 3 Measures

January 21, 2021

The Right Data Migration Tool Helps Schools Move to Cloud During COVID Crisis

January 19, 2021

Webinars

View all

Who’s Behind the Mask? Hacker Personas Explained

January 26, 2021

Your Network Perimeter Has Changed

February 18, 2021

How Managed Hosting Providers Thrive with the Alternative Cloud

February 24, 2021

White Papers

View all

Why Subscription Business Model

January 15, 2021

The Ultimate MSP Guide to Sales Efficiency

January 14, 2021

Eight Reasons Why MSPs Need IT Industry-Specific Sales Tools

January 14, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Virtual

March 2, 2021 - March 4, 2021

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

FASTCHAT: How SOAR Eliminates Security Challenges and Elevates Service Provider Revenues

January 6, 2021

Happy Holidays from Channel Partners & Channel Futures!

December 21, 2020

FASTCHAT: How Old, Unpatched Technologies Are Creating New Security Threats for MSPs and Their Customers

December 3, 2020

Twitter

ChannelFutures

.@exabeam, @VulcanCyber, @ntti3, @Vectra_AI, @Lookout and @valtixinc give high marks to @POTUS' federal… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

Judge sides with @AWScloud against #Parler; @SADAsystems gets AI-centric board member; @EnsonoIT, @navisite get… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

2021 may be the year of the #security-centric #MSP @BarracudaMSP #remoteworking #ITsecurity #dataprotection #RMM… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

Adding #AIOps and #AI-driven WANs will help IT administrators move forward, says @MistSystems.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

Microsoft taps @tybryson as corporate VP @msuspartner group @julwhite heading to SAP, @anderson to @Qualtrics.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

#MSPs can inject predictability into #threathunting @Sophos #cybersecurity #ransomware dlvr.it/Rr4ffV https://t.co/Bztc2Yxwvc

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@RiskBased report shows decrease in #databreaches, jump in exposed records in 2020. dlvr.it/Rr4fcW https://t.co/PYiDMiJFbt

January 22, 2021
ChannelFutures

Legal experts say @VMware's #lawsuit against @nutanix's new CEO holds little weight. dlvr.it/Rr48FJ https://t.co/oLxPhgvgAt

January 21, 2021

MSSP Insider

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Channel Partners Online

Want more? Find more channel news and analysis on our sister site, Channel Partners.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Online
  • Channel Partners Events
  • MSP 501
  • MSSP Insider
  • IoT World Today
  • Webhostingtalk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X