TruMethods’ yearly Schnizzfest got underway today as an estimated 300 IT service industry entrepreneurs and professionals are gathered in Philadelphia for three days of meetings, training exercises and demonstrations.

The consultancy’s 8^th annual member conference kicked off with software user group meetings and is scheduled to throttle into full gear Friday morning with a keynote by TruMethods founder Gary Pica.

Schnizzfest, the event webpage says, was conceived as a way for managed services providers (MSPs) worldwide to come together and work on improving their businesses “without the usual conference distractions.”

“We have training, we have software, we have peer groups; but were not really a training, software or peer groups company,” Pica told MSPmentor this week. “We’re really about showing MSPs…of raising their expectations of what’s possible.”

At the heart of TruMethods is myITprocess, an online platform designed to painstakingly walk MSPs through the process of developing their own standards and continuously working to align their businesses to meet those best practices.

The in-person interaction and live exercises at Schnizzfest offer a key opportunity to fine tune and reinforce the program’s concepts.

“This is our chance,” Pica said. “Really, what TruMethods is, is a framework.”

A key component teaches MSPs about the importance of certain roles within most well-run IT services firm. 

“We show them the relationship between those roles and revenues,” Pica said. “Having them understand that clearly is like math and science that shows them the cause and effect.

“It’s about having them open their eyes enough to see it and believe it. If they believe it, they’re going to get results.”

Other Schnizzfest speakers include Matthew Michalewicz, author of the book “Life in Half a Second: How to Achieve Success Before it’s Too Late,” which Pica described as his favorite book on success.

The event wraps up Saturday after a morning workshop based on the teachings of customer success consultant Lincoln Murphy.

“We’re going to walk them through the customer success process and all of the key elements of assembling a client success program: Evaluating client success potential, developing their ideal customer profile and showing them how to use that to increase their sales, how they can streamline their service delivery to meet those customers’ expectations and increase their profits,” Pica said.

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