Are you an MSP with a USP? Probably not. With all the MSPs I’ve talked to I’ll say that less than 1% have a USP.
Do you need one? Yes. Let me explain why.
As you know, the MSP industry is highly competitive. Everyone that thinks they know computers can throw up a website and call themselves an MSP these days, it’s sad, but true. However, put yourself in your prospect’s shoes. If they need IT services, they will probably google “IT services in X city” and they will find many MSPs with very little differentiation. Who will your prospect choose to call? It’s a roll of the dice.
So, what do you do? First, let’s clarify what a USP is. A USP is a unique selling proposition or point that explains to your prospects why they should buy from you instead of your competitor. Many MSPs think that a USP is a cliched slogan like “#1 IT Service Provider in X city”, however, it is not. A USP is the foundation of a marketing strategy. It forms the foundations for the creation of your website, ads, keywords, audiences, podcast, and more. I can tell you from years of experience that if you want to be a successful MSP you must have a clear USP.
So how do you create one?
Start by answering these 5 questions:
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors?
- Why do your clients like you?
- What makes you better than your competitors?
- What do you offer that your competitors don’t?
- What problems do you solve for your clients?
A USP can be a few words, or it can be a paragraph. It defines what makes you different, unique and desirable. Use the answers to these questions to start. A final note is that a USP should be difficult to deliver. If it were easy, everyone would do it. It has to have real teeth and be so far ahead of everyone else that it makes it almost impossible to compete.
Take a look at these famous USPs.
Dominoes started as a small pizza company in Michigan and developed a USP of “We GUARANTEE – Fresh hot pizza, delivered in 30 minutes or less or it’s free!”, backed the USP and grew to a billion-dollar company.
FedEx developed the USP “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight”, backed the USP and went from being a small courier service based in Tennessee to one of the largest companies in the world.
As you can see, the right USP works.
If you want to learn more about how to grow your MSP, Cloud Services For MSPs can help. Give me a call or join our complementary Cloud Academy at CloudServicesForMSPs.com.
