Managed services providers (MSPs) selling backup and disaster recovery (BDR) understand the importance of initial customer relationships, but should MSPs enhance these relationships by becoming partners and pursuing a closer relationship for growth, prosperity, and loyalty?

Disaster recovery (DR) and businesss continuity (BC) solutions vendor Datto tackled this issue in one of its blog posts, stressing the importance of forging lasting sales relationship with customers. By leveraging this approach, MSPs can turn first time buyers into repeat customers through communication, understanding, and educating.

Communication

Communication is important for any healthy personal relationship, and it works the same way in a professional partnership.

Inform your customers of company plans by updating your company blog, posting to your company's website, or tweeting through your Twitter account. Position your company as a source of knowledge in the industry by providing insight, not just your solutions.

Find out what your customers need from you. After selling a solution, reach back out to see if there are any problems. Establish a communication schedule to keep your company in the minds of your customers.

Understand

Your customers connected with you because you provide services they need, but always take that a step further. Learn their business objectives and more about their wants. Understand your customers, and you'll be able to tailor additional services and products to fit their demands.

Educate

Stay up-to-date with technology and various trends in the BDR industry because your customers are running their businesses. Be aware of customer technology, and how it may affect your services or offerings.

Remember: You're the expert. If your customers can't rely on you for your expertise, they'll rely on somebody else.