how to prospect, pitch & sell managed network services ... · how to prospect, pitch & sell...

How to Prospect, Pitch & Sell Managed Network Services with Auvik 1

Nanook’s step-by-step guide:

How to Prospect, Pitch & Sell Managed Network Services with Auvik


Table of ContentsAbout this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

ProspectIdentifying the ideal prospect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Finding prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Contacting prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Qualifying prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

PitchPitching the value of managed network services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Resources that make it easier to sell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Conducting a network assessment with Auvik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Presenting the network assessment and Auvik demo . . . . . . . . . . .21

SellTalking about price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Handling objections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Closing the deal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Bringing it all togetherUsing a funnel to plan, track, and boost results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31


About this guide

About Auvik

Network management has traditionally been a huge time suck for MSPs—and it hasn’t scaled well . This guide is designed to help you change that outcome .

We’ll take you beyond broad marketing and sales tips to specific strategies and tactics for selling managed network services with Auvik, from prospecting to customizing your pitch to closing the deal .

Simply put, our aim here is to help you generate more revenue and greater profit margins. Ready? Let’s go.

Auvik is network management for MSPs . We help you manage network infrastructure like you manage endpoints and servers today, giving you instant insight into client networks, and automating complex and time-consuming network tasks .

Made for an MSP environment, Auvik lets you see and manage all your clients from a single dashboard . Simply install an Auvik collector on any network that needs to be managed . Auvik does the rest, from automated mapping, inventory, and configuration backup to alerting and statistics . Within 15 minutes, you can start making smart recommendations for improvements to your client’s network .

Auvik also integrates with popular third-party tools such as ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Continuum, Autotask PSA, and Slack for a smooth fit into existing workflows.


Identifying the Ideal ProspectNot all prospects are created equal, and it can be just as important to say no to the wrong prospect as it is to say yes to the right one . And since all of your marketing and sales tactics will be based on your target prospect, it’s important that you establish a clear understanding of this profile upfront. So how do you know which prospects to target and focus your energy on?

Assuming you’re using Auvik, you can paint the ideal prospect profile for managed network services with three broad brush strokes:

1. They have a sufficiently large network (i.e., >15 endpoints with managed network equipment—switches, routers, firewalls).

2. Their network has some complexity (e.g., their business has multiple locations, there’s a significant and growing number of people using the network, there are multiple network infrastructure devices such as access points, switches, firewalls, etc.).

3. Their cost of downtime is high (i.e., the cost of your managed network services is far less than their total cost in lost revenue, lost productivity, physical cost of repairs or replacements, cost of lost data, and intangible costs like damage to their reputation if their network goes down).

Note: The ideal managed network services prospect doesn’t necessarily need to meet all three of these criteria . That said, they should meet the first at a minimum.

You may have already determined your ideal client profile, with criteria for specific industries, size of business, specific roles within the company, and so on. Combine that with the criteria above and you’ve got your own custom profile to target clients and prospects who would be an excellent fit for this service.

Prospect

What we’ve found: Many of our MSP partners who initially sell managed network services as an add-on or optional service end up changing their approach with future prospects . Instead of making managed network services optional, they bundle it into their overall managed services program .


Finding Prospects1. Start by looking at your existing clients

• Make a list of clients who fit in one or more of the three primary targeting criteria.

• Use your existing support tickets to identify clients who have been adversely affected by network issues.

• Take a look at the business applications your existing clients are running and the data they have stored in the cloud . If they use the cloud extensively, there’s a good case for you to present managed network services as a way to monitor their access to the cloud more proactively .

• Run an Auvik network assessment for every client not currently protected by managed network services —you’ll get access to information you can use to upsell your clients .

Note: Many clients naturally assume you’ve been offering managed network services all along, so you’ll need to be careful when positioning this service to existing clients . This is especially true for your less tech-savvy clients who might have assumed “managing their IT” meant managing their entire network—not just endpoints and servers. We’ll get into some specific scenarios and tips in the Pitching the value of managed network services section of this guide to help you position the value of this service to your existing clients .

2. Branch out to discover net-new opportunities

There are a ton of different ways to attract prospects, but don’t feel like you have to tackle too much at once. Focus on one or two to start, test and refine, and then diversify your approach. Not putting all your eggs in one basket is a good thing, but don’t take on more than you know you can handle and sustain with the resources you’re able to dedicate to these efforts.

Whether in person, online, or otherwise, remember the goal in this phase: connect, build trust and credibility, and be helpful and informative in exchange for their time .

Prospect


Some ideas to get you started...

Reward your existing clients

• Establish a referral program for your managed network services and market the program to your existing clients, giving them an incentive to recommend you (e.g., a free month of service, a gift card, etc.).

Leverage other businesses

• Pair up with other businesses that complement your services and target the same types of clients, so you can market to each other’s client base . You may even look for opportunities to deliver a combined service offering, although this isn’t necessary (e.g., connect with a local printer or office supply company to offer a compelling package).

Attend local business networking events

• Local Chamber of Commerce and BNI (Business Network International) chapter events are a great way to build connections with other business owners who may be willing and able to refer you to their customers or clients . (This is a two-way street, so be open to doing the same for others when it makes sense).

• Although networking is the primary goal of these events, you may also find opportunities to talk to your new connections about their managed network service needs too .

Attend relevant trade shows and conferences

• People attend trade shows and conferences for a reason—they want to learn and they’re eager to find out how they can improve their business . So what events do your ideal managed network services prospects hang out at? Consider events that focus on business growth or efficiencies with cloud-based services, or those centered around business-critical services, or franchise events. Better yet, ask your existing clients what they attend throughout the year and consider those .

• You’ll have a captive audience at these events, so be prepared to have conversations, hand out supporting materials, and offer a raffle to capture contact information for your new contacts so you can follow up after the event .

Prospect


Host Lunch & Learns at a local restaurant

• This approach is a great soft-sell technique—giving something to the prospect before asking for their business in return .

• Think about common network-related questions or issues that come up during your typical discovery sessions, and host a lunch for a targeted group of local business owners to shed some light on the topic . For example, many businesses are considering cloud-based applications but they might not understand, or know how to mitigate, the network risk that comes with running these applications in the cloud . You can choose a topic that highlights these issues: “Does the cloud help or hurt businesses? Learn how to mitigate network risk for your business .”

• Whatever the topic, it’s important to bring up the key opportunities and challenges, potential impacts to their business, and best practices to mitigate network risk—highlight what they can do on their own and how you can help. Give examples of how you’ve helped clients avoid significant losses due to network issues.

• You can promote the lunch through local business groups, targeted social media ads, email (if you’ve created a prospect list), and so on.

Advertise through associations, trade organizations, and related publications

• If you’re targeting specific industries, make sure your advertising is targeted too. Let’s say you’re targeting a medical practitioner—find out which publications they read and consider placing ads or articles in those magazines that highlight the value of reliable networks to their practice .

• You can also reach out to local medical associations to understand what kinds of marketing opportunities exist (perhaps an email newsletter feature article, digital ads, etc.).

Visit job sites to identify growing organizations

• Look for companies undergoing rapid growth (they’re hiring a lot). With rapid growth comes potential network infrastructure challenges that you can address .

• Even better, look for companies hiring for multiple IT roles . There could be an opportunity to position your services and expertise as a way to reduce their required headcount .

Prospect


Don’t underestimate the power of your website

• Sometimes prospects will find you before you find them, and your website may be the first impression you make—make it the right one . If web design isn’t your thing, it’s well worth the investment in professional web design services to ensure your site makes the right impression . Although you’re not selling web design services, prospects will expect a professional-looking and easy-to-navigate site from you .

• Help prospects find you by optimizing the content on your site for search engines. Make it easy for clients to understand what you do and how you can help them, and use language they’d use when searching for the types of managed services you offer, so you can improve your chances of appearing in their search engine results page. Need help with SEO? Check out the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide from Google .

• Consider sharing IT and network-specific tips and advice for businesses via weekly blog posts. These posts will provide useful information to your prospects, position you as an expert, and help with your SEO efforts too.

• Lastly, make it easy for them to contact you. Your phone number and email address or contact form should be easy to find on each page, and a dedicated Contact page should be visible in the main menu.

Retarget your website visitors on other popular websites and social networks

• Not all people who visit your website will contact you on their first visit, but you can create a “retargeting campaign” that serves online ads to these visitors on other sites and social networks they visit . There are plenty of vendors you can engage to set up these online ads and campaigns, but you can also do this yourself using online ad platforms, like Facebook Ads and Google Ads .

Prospect

https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7451184?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/facebook-ads-pixel

https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3210317?co=ADWORDS.IsAWNCustomer%3Dfalse&hl=en


Use social media to discover prospects and connect in ways that engage and build trust

• There are endless ways you can use social media to your advantage, both through organic (unpaid) and paid (ad) strategies. It can also be one of the more time consuming strategies to actively manage, so match your approach to the resources available to you. (It’s okay to have a narrow focus and do that really well.)

• Since LinkedIn is the most business-focused site, let’s start here with an example for discovering new prospects. LinkedIn has excellent search and targeting capabilities, allowing you to identify companies of a certain size, operating in certain industries or locations, and the specific people at these companies you should be speaking with. You can use the search feature to find businesses that fit your ideal managed network services profile and then view and follow their company page to learn more about them. Look for their website link in their company profile description to further your research and find their contact information, and then reach out to introduce yourself with a call or email. Better yet, see if you’re connected with anyone at the company and request a personal introduction to the person you’d like to speak with .

• To engage new prospects and build trust, consider joining LinkedIn and / or Facebook groups that your target businesses may participate in (search for local business groups, associations, etc. related to the industries you’re targeting). This is not the time to pitch your managed network services though. This is the time to give—offer helpful information, either links to your blog (or other helpful resources) or a simple text-based post related to what this audience is interested in (with a network twist!), and ask questions to get conversations started . It’s a longer term game plan, but over time you’ll establish yourself as an IT expert these connections can trust and turn to as their needs evolve . And that’s when you can get down to business .

Prospect

Note: You’ll need a premium LinkedIn account to message people who aren’t currently a connection directly from within the LinkedIn platform.


Contacting ProspectsTo email or call, that is the question. Successful strategies for that first touch often incorporate a combination of both, taking advantage of the pros and reducing the cons that come with each approach .

So what kind of cold call or email will managed network services prospects actually respond to? Let’s start with a few guidelines to structure your messages in an effective (and repeatable!) way and then we’ll get into some examples .

Email

1. Subject line

It needs to grab their attention and hit their inbox, so be catchy but to the point and avoid spam triggers .

2. Opening

The whole point is to understand their pain points and find a way to add value for their business, so start by talking about them—not you .

3. Connection

Your opening explains why you’re reaching out, so now you can make the connection to tell them why they’ll want to hear you out (why they should care).

4. Action

Ask them to take the next step and be both direct and specific. For example,

“What works better for a 15-minute call on Tuesday morning, 9 a.m. or 10 a.m.?”

Get started with these 4 Sample Email Scripts to Wow Your Managed Network Services Prospects .

Prospect

Tip: Do a search for common spam triggers to see if your email’s at risk .

https://www.auvik.com/download/sample-email-scripts-to-wow-your-prospects/


Phone

1. Opener Use the prospect’s name, share your name, and tell them where you’re from (your company name).

“Hi Ernie, it’s Bert calling from Sesame MSP Co.”

2. ReasonStating a reason can double your chances of success, and it helps you stay in control of the conversation .

“The reason I’m calling today is because I noticed on your website that you’re hiring for new IT resources. I work with several companies in [industry name] who now see hefty cost savings by outsourcing their IT needs to our team.”

3. ValueGive a quick summary of the value of your services and keep it short, like a tweet .

“We keep networks running, so you can make costly downtime a thing of the past.”

4. Key questionsThis isn’t the discovery call (that’s the next step), so ask only what you need to confirm that this prospect meets your minimum qualifying requirements (remember our three targeting criteria from earlier in this guide). Listening is key here. This is your opportunity to have a meaningful first conversation.

5. Use case or client storyMake managed network services relevant by sharing success stories or typical ways similar businesses benefit from this service . You want them to feel like they’re part of a group of smart, capable business people who make good decisions .

“One of my [industry name] clients was in a situation similar to yours. They were hiring for several IT roles to manage hardware, software, and network infrastructure but struggled to find candidates with the depth of experience they wanted (and at the salary they were willing to pay). They looked into outsourcing their IT needs and were referred to us by another local business we support. After running a cost analysis and realizing the scope of work we’re able to provide, they decided to give us a try. Within the first week we discovered [insert example] and proactively upgraded the system to avoid an interruption that could have cost them $20K in just one hour if left unfixed … let alone a significant cost savings as far as the overhead expenses they would have invested with those additional FTEs.”

Prospect


6. Tailored bridgeBe as targeted as possible to their needs or pain points, helping them to understand the next logical step toward the success you’re describing .

“It sounds like [your goals for next year] are [focused on growth]. Have you thought about your company’s additional network risks as you grow and adopt more cloud-based tools?”

7. Ask for next stepYour ultimate goal is to set a meeting to better understand their specific needs—so sell the meeting, not the service. Be direct and specific in your ask.

“Ernie, I’d like to schedule a call to understand more about your growth plans and goals before you take your next interview to see if there’s a good fit here? Does Thursday morning at 10 a.m. work for you?”

Setting yourself up for success Contacting prospects can be challenging, but a solid routine, keeping accurate contact records you can reference, and documenting processes can save you a lot of time and boost your results . Keep these tips in mind to stay on track with your outreach efforts:

• Develop a daily sales routine where you prioritize and schedule specific activities in your calendar (e.g., make sales calls from 8-9 a.m. each morning, send sales emails from 5-6 p.m. each day).

• Develop a cadence for “working” an opportunity (e.g., 8 reach outs within 2 weeks, including a mix of calls and emails). Be professionally persistent in your follow up.

• Log all activities in your CRM or PSA.

• Always determine a next step after you reach out .

• Try different times of day—business owners are often in the office early and late in the day, so these can be the best times to reach them .

• If you get no response after those 8 reach outs, abandon the opportunity for now, but you’ll want to work it again in the future so make a note to follow up after a certain amount of time. (e.g., in 1 month, 4 months, 1 year).

Prospect

Get started with these 4 Sample Phone Scripts to Wow Your Managed Network Services Prospects .

https://www.auvik.com/download/sample-phone-scripts-to-wow-your-prospects/


Qualifying ProspectsThis is hands down the most important aspect of prospecting . The better you qualify your prospects, the easier it will be to demonstrate the value you can bring to their business—and you’ll waste less time on unproductive discussions .

While some qualifying questions can be answered by researching the prospect’s website, having a discovery meeting allows you to ask direct questions and probe further to evaluate the opportunity . The intent here is NOT to sell—it’s to understand their business and the importance of the network to their business, so you can determine if there would be value for them in a managed network service (and at what level). Just as a doctor wouldn’t write you a prescription without first asking about your symptoms, take the time to understand the prospect’s situation so you can determine if you’re the right provider to prescribe the solution .

Before diving in to your list of qualifying questions, be sure to set the stage for your discussion with the prospect . People will buy the way you sell before they buy what you sell, so be clear on the purpose of your meeting (why you’re there), the process (what will happen during the meeting), and the payoff (what’s in it for them). And for good measure, tell them roughly how long it’ll take. For example:

“The purpose of this meeting is to have an open discussion around your current IT setup, challenges, and needs moving forward. I’ll ask questions about your business, IT infrastructure, continuity plans, and resources, and at the end of this meeting—which will likely run about 30 minutes—we’ll be able to figure out if it makes sense to continue on with a more thorough overview of how we can help you manage and address your IT challenges and opportunities. Sound good?”

Having set the stage, you can now use the following questions to uncover the details you need to properly qualify prospects .

Ask them to tell you about their business:

• What products and /or services do you offer?

• How does the business operate?

• How do you service your customers? What role does IT play in delivering value to your customers?

• How big is your team? What are the IT needs of your team? What types of technology do your teams interact with daily, and on what types of devices?

• Are there any other IT needs or considerations we haven’t discussed?

Prospect


Usage and network-specific questions:

• Can you describe your IT network?

• Do you have more than one business location?

• Do you use cloud-based software (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft 365) and / or do you store any data in the cloud?

• How are you currently documenting, monitoring, backing up and managing your network? Do you know if this includes your network infrastructure (e.g., switches, routers, firewalls)?

Business continuity and disaster recovery questions:

• When you think about your business objectives for the next year, does your IT infrastructure support these objectives today, or does it need to evolve to fit your business needs?

• What would the impact or cost of a network outage look like for your business?

• Do you have backups of all of your network device configurations?

Resource and management questions:

• Do you have an internal IT team?

• If not, how are you currently managing the company’s IT needs?

• If yes, does your team have network management expertise, to work with switches, routers, and firewalls?

• What tools are you using to monitor and manage your IT network?

• Is your firmware up to date? Do you have a way to easily identify when firmware updates are required?

• Is your hardware still under warranty? Do your current systems indicate the warranty status for your devices?

• How are you typically notified when there’s an issue with the company network?

• Or do you have an existing MSP?

• If yes, are you happy with the level of service you’re receiving?

• If yes, does your MSP provide you with complete network services, including proactive monitoring and management of your network infrastructure (switches, routers, firewalls)? If yes, prompt them to ask their MSP to describe how they’re doing this .

• Who is ultimately responsible for making sure your company’s IT resources are meeting the needs of the business? Do they also make your IT decisions?

Prospect


Pitching the Value of Managed Network ServicesGot a minute? That’s all you need to start positioning the value of managed network services with qualified prospects:

With software applications and data now in the cloud, networks are the gateway to everything your employees need to do their jobs. Network devices like switches, routers, and firewalls form that vital connection between your business and the cloud—and if a problem causes the network to go down, your business grinds to a halt . That interruption means lost productivity, and of course, lost revenue .

With our managed network services, your network will just work, kind of like electricity—silently and reliably functioning in the background, powering your business to do what it does best .

Rely on us to:

• Spot potential issues before they affect your network

• Ensure your network is designed to support your current and evolving business needs

• Reduce network risk with real-time network configuration backups

• And much more

In this section, you’ll learn about five ways you can offer and position managed network services .

Pitch


1. For new and existing managed services clients (full service)• New full-service prospects

Managed network services can be offered as part of your standard managed services contract, or it can be offered as a separate and additional managed service. The “standard” pitch on the previous page works well with this group .

• Existing full-service clients We’ve learned that selling managed network services to this group involves more of a “why now?” approach, because they’re often under the impression that you’re already monitoring and managing their network . Address the objection before it happens by adjusting your pitch to talk about their growing reliance on the cloud and the impact it can have on their operations in the event of an outage .

“As business critical applications and data move to the cloud, the network is becoming even more critical to daily business operations. [If you already know some of the applications they’re using, you can get them thinking of how this applies specifically to them—”Just think of the potential impact if (application), for example, was suddenly not available to your team for the next four hours.”] That’s why we’ve invested in additional systems and are now offering enhanced network monitoring and management (our Managed Network Services solution) to mitigate the increased risk that comes with increased exposure to the cloud.

We’ve reviewed our client base to identify situations where there’s an increased network risk due to the growing use of and reliance on cloud-based storage and systems, and we believe your business could benefit from this enhanced protection. We’re committed to keeping your network running smoothly, and this new offering allows us to do just that—spot potential issues before they affect your network to avoid lost productivity (and lost revenue!).”

2. For existing managed services clients (endpoint / server only)• Managed network services can be offered as a new, separate, and additional managed service. The “standard”

pitch at the beginning of this section works well with this group .

Pitch


3. For new and existing co-managed services clients• You’ll want to adjust your positioning with existing co-managed services clients based on what’s currently

included in the contract with your client .

• Outside of contract-specific adjustments, you can use the “standard” pitch as your starting point and tailor with one or more of the following ideas as they fit:

• Many companies choose to outsource the monitoring and management of their network because it’s incredibly manual and difficult. It can also be challenging to find, develop, and retain employees with these skills—and they’re often one of the most expensive IT resources . We make managing your network easy, efficient, and affordable.

• Internal IT resources can be used for day-to-day IT tasks, but we can help your tier 1 (on-premise) support be more efficient by stepping in to resolve more complex network issues before they escalate to senior internal resources—many issues can be addressed with our services before that hand-off.

• You no longer need to worry about network access and information residing with one person .

• Your network monitoring and management becomes our responsibility—one less thing for you to worry about .

Pitch


4. For project services clients• The value of managed network services for this group is quite different. Rather than positioning this as a service

you can sell, it’s more of a tool you can use to truly differentiate your project work—because you’ll begin with a complete understanding of their network . In other words, it helps to position your unique and in-depth expertise .

• With a quick network assessment at the onset of a request, for example, you’ll have access to the following details to help you tailor your project-based proposal and minimize the surprises you may otherwise encounter during the project:

• Device inventory

• Firmware / software inventory

• Network map

• IP address utilization

• Internet bandwidth utilization

• Network device utilization

• Network device credential audit (e.g., SNMP and login audit)

• Network misconfigurations

• Network performance metrics

• Backup of network device configurations

5. For break-fix clients• Auvik is the most efficient way to manage network infrastructure, enabling you to quickly diagnose issues for

clients who call you in an emergency . Similar to your project-based clients, managed network services helps to position your overall expertise and ability to resolve problems rapidly .

• After you’ve fixed the issue, you’ve got a perfect opportunity to try to convert the break-fix client to the managed services model by presenting the ongoing benefits of a managed network service program —and how this could have been proactively addressed without any (or very little) downtime.

Pitch


Resources that make it easier to sellDon’t worry . When you’re part of the pack, we’ve got your back .

Go to the Auvik partner portal and visit the Resource Library page for a range of resources you can use when marketing Auvik-supported managed network services to your clients and prospects . Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find there.

Pitch

4 Sample Email Scripts to Wow your Managed

Network Services Prospects

How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment

with Auvik

4 Sample Phone Scripts to Wow your Managed

Network Services Prospects

Network Assessment Report Template

Features & Benefits Overview: Network

Management Powered by Auvik

Auvik Web Assets Package (for use on your website—includes

Auvik logo, brand guide, screenshots, value proposition copy, etc.)

Network Management & MonitoringPOWERED BY AUVIK

A deep understanding of your network

In minutes, Auvik gives us:• A complete and accurate map of your network, including gear that’s been hidden away or forgotten and all sorts of rogue devices

(IoT, IP cameras, unmanaged switches, etc.). No device left behind!• Acompleteprofileforeverydevice,includingmake,model,serialnumber,firmwareversion,andotherkeydata.• Detailsonhoweverythingonyournetworkisconnectedandconfiguredacrossallofyourlocations.• A list of all the IP addresses you’re currently using and which devices are using them.

All of this data and visualization is maintained in real-time so if we ever need to troubleshoot, we know exactly what we’re dealing with.

Vigilant monitoring of your network

As soon as it powers on, Auvik:• Implements 24/7 monitoring and alerting tuned to network best practices.• Tracks usage and health statistics on your network, which we can see in real-time. • Starts building and storing historic performance data, which we can use for analysis, troubleshooting, and forecasting.

WiththedatawegetfromAuvik,we’llalwayshaveafingeronthepulseofyourITenvironment.

Quick resolution of network issues

Always on and always connected, Auvik allows us to:• Instantly tap into network evidence to isolate issues in minutes instead of hours.• Expertlyanalyzedeviceconfigurationssowecanmakeinformedrecommendationsforkeepingyournetworkrunningsmoothly.• Automaticallycaptureandmonitornetworkdeviceconfigurationsandmakebackupswheneverthere’sachange.• Instantlyrestoreanyconfigurationfromyourversionhistory.

WithAuvik’spowerfultroubleshootingandconfigurationmanagementcapabilities,we’reabletoresolveproblemsfastandimprovethe stability of your network. And we’ll never miss a network device backup. Ever.

Off-site management

With Auvik, we can also:• Securely manage your network devices from anywhere directly from our Auvik dashboard.• Manage network device credentials safely so they’ll never be lost or exposed.

Simply put, you deserve the very best. That’s why we use Auvik.

Questions?Let’s talk. Better yet, let us show you what we can do with Auvik.

https://partner.auvik.com

https://partner.auvik.com/prm/English/s/assets




https://www.auvik.com/download/how-to-slam-dunk-a-network-assessment-with-auvik/






https://www.auvik.com/download/network-assessment-report-template/


https://www.auvik.com/wp-content/themes/auvik/downloads/Features-Benefits-Overview_Network-Management-Monitoring-powered-by-Auvik.pdf




https://www.auvik.com/download/auvik-web-assets-package/


Conducting a network assessment with AuvikAfter qualifying the prospect and positioning the value of managed network services, offer to do an automated network assessment with Auvik. By identifying their specific network risks and issues (and for larger co-managed prospects, assessing their level of compliance with their—or your—network security standards), you’ll be able to customize your proposal and solidify the value of managed network services as part of their overall program—with tangible proof .

The key word above is “automated .” With Auvik, you can scan the prospect’s entire IT environment in a fraction of the time it would take to conduct a manual assessment. It’s also significantly less intrusive for the prospect, as it runs seamlessly in the background without interrupting their operations . Although it only takes 15 minutes to set up and start getting actionable data, we recommend having the collector gather data for at least one week to get a better picture of their network performance .

Network assessments not only help you position and ultimately sell managed network services, but they can also provide you with an opportunity to generate upfront revenue by charging a fee for this tailored audit .

Read our How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment with Auvik guide for step-by-step instructions and best practices, so you can make the most of this telling review—from installing the Auvik collector and gathering data to exporting information and creating your own custom report .

Pitch

Bonus tip: Use the Auvik network assessment for your broader prospecting efforts as well. Gaining a full sense of the IT environment you’re walking into can help you quote your services in all areas more accurately. For example, you don’t want to find out after you size the agreement that there are a dozen extra devices . Your margins are now at risk because you’re the one who has to deal with the omission .




Presenting the network assessment and Auvik demoThere’s truth to the saying that “seeing is believing .” You can leverage Auvik’s intuitive visualizations to help prospects make sense of the findings in your assessment and show them how quickly you can identify and solve hidden issues before they impact their business . In other words, show and tell, so you can sell .

The goal here is to educate the prospect, using their specific network assessment results to lay the foundation for the recommendations in your proposal—and be prepared to talk about the price of your services during this phase (see next section for details).

Important: If you’ve already installed an Auvik collector for the prospect during the network assessment, be sure to verify the prospect’s instance is still active on your account before the demo . You can never be too prepared .

Need to polish your Auvik demo skills? We’re happy to help. If you’d like to run through a practice demo with us or simply talk through some ideas to refresh and refine your approach, please reach out to your Auvik partner success manager .

In the meantime, watch how our technical sales director walks through the key features and benefits of Auvik’s network management system in our Auvik Sales Demo Video . It’s a great place to start if you’re still crafting your approach .

Pitch

Tip: Be sure to pepper in some client stories throughout your demo . Giving real-world examples can help prospects recognize how common those seemingly uncommon issues are and how you much you can save their business from costly downtime—the more you can quantify, the better .

https://youtu.be/roHeRJqCOt0


Talking about priceBefore we start talking about price, consider your motivation for using Auvik.

Are you using Auvik to add efficiency to your current managed services practice? If yes, and you’re seeing the efficiency that Auvik delivers, you don’t necessarily need to charge extra for managed network services or Auvik . Feel free to skip this section .

If you’d like to add managed network services as an additional revenue stream, keep reading .

The “easy” wayThere are a number of ways that MSPs can price managed network services . The easiest and most straightforward way is to add an additional monthly fee to your existing managed services contract . This can be bundled into your existing monthly fee or you can list it separately as a managed network services line item . Breaking it out will ensure your prospects understand the difference between your managed service offering and that of another MSP. In other words, you can use managed network services as a differentiator.

Most of our partners base their managed network services monthly fee on the number of network devices (switches, routers, firewalls, wireless access points and controllers) that will be proactively monitored and managed—and Auvik makes it easy for you to identify and count all of these devices .

So what if the easiest and most straightforward way doesn’t work for your business? The information below is meant to provide you with ideas you can use for pricing your managed network services in whatever business model you’ve decided works best for you .

Sell


Pricing within a managed services business modelManaged services are typically billed as monthly recurring service fees . The amount of these fees can be based on:

• A monthly minimum contract size (some MSPs mandate a minimum monthly fee before they will bring on a new client)

• The number of users / seats / devices at the client’s company (per user pricing can differ for onsite vs. remote workers)

• The complexity of the environment (e.g., device types, number of locations, applications being used)

• Services required (e.g., network management and monitoring, server and endpoint monitoring, patching, backup, AV, etc.)

• Whether or not there’s an internal IT help desk

• Where you’re based (competitive rates will influence what you can charge but remember, charging the lowest rates is often not the best strategy)

Adding managed network services to a managed service quote can either come in the form of an increased per user fee, a per network device fee (as we mentioned above), or an additional all-encompassing flat fee.

Some MSPs choose to bundle their managed services fees in predefined packages, using a good—better—best approach . If you’ve broken out your managed services in this way, you could consider adding managed network services into the packages as follows:

Sell


Sell

Good (Network monitoring)

Incremental$20 per user/month

most popular

Best (Unlimited onsite)

Incremental $50 per user/month

Better (Unlimited remote)

Incremental $30 per user/month

• Proactive monitoring of switches, routers, firewalls, wireless access controllers, wireless access points

• Network device configuration backup

• User management

• Quarterly network security analysis

• SNMP audit • Login audit

• Annual hardware review

• Support billed for time and materials


• Network device configuration backup and restore

• User management




• Preventative maintenance • Firmware / software upgrades

• Remediation of network issues

• Quarterly CIO consulting

• Unlimited remote support

• Quarterly network health review

• IP address utilization • Internet bandwidth utilization • Network device utilization

• 2 onsite visits


• Network device configuration backup and restore

• User management




• Preventative maintenance • Firmware / software upgrades

• Remediation of network issues

• Quarterly CIO consulting

• Unlimited onsite support

• Quarterly network health review

• IP address utilization • Internet bandwidth utilization • Network device utilization

• Quarterly documentation update • Device inventory • Firmware / software inventory • Network map

If you want to learn more about anchoring and good—better—best pricing, Jamie Warner of eNerds and Invarosoft recommends reading Monetizing Innovation by Madhavan Ramanujam .


What we’ve seen when pricing within a managed services model

• Incremental per seat prices range from:

• $10 per user/month to $50 per user/month

• Per network device pricing ranges from:

• $20-$100 per switch/month • $20-$100 per wireless access controller/month

• $20-$100 per router/month • $0-$20 per wireless access point/month

• $20-$100 per firewall/month • $0-$20 per printer/month

Pricing within a project / hourly business modelProject and hourly fees are typically based on:

• An estimate or actual number of hours it takes to complete a project (make sure you’re clear with the client about who’s responsible for paying or eating any additional hours if the project ends up taking longer than expected or if the scope of the project changes)

• The complexity of the environment (e.g., device types, number of locations, applications being used), situation and work to be done

• The level of expertise of the tech who will be working on the project

• Time of day (business hours, after hours, overnight, holidays)

• Where you’re based (competitive rates will influence what you can charge but remember, charging the lowest rates is often not the best strategy)

With Auvik, you’ve invested in a system that enables you to troubleshoot and complete projects for clients in less time—that doesn’t mean you should be penalized (paid less) for being more efficient. You can (and should) increase your hourly rate to reflect the investments you’re making to deliver the best service and results for your clients .

What we’ve seen when pricing within a project or hourly model

• Hourly rates range from $100 to $200/hr

Sell


Other pricing considerations

1. Complete a network assessment before putting together a proposal for a prospect, so you know what you’re getting into . After you’ve prepared the network assessment, break the proposal into three parts:

• Project work to correct any immediate issues

• A monthly fee for ongoing managed services

• An onboarding fee (e.g., 1-1.5 times your quoted monthly managed services fee or an estimate based on an hourly / daily fee) to cover the cost of getting things up and running

2. Develop a spreadsheet that you can use as a pricing calculator . Think about the variables you want to build into your calculator, build the spreadsheet and then run through a few scenarios to make sure it does what you want it to .

3. Make sure your proposal has an expiry date. The quoted pricing should only apply for a specific range of growth and for a specific time period because you’ll want to renegotiate at some point.

4. To avoid cash flow issues, have clients pay monthly in advance and give them an incentive to pay through automated electronic payment (e.g., ACH, EFT, credit card).

Sell


Handling objectionsObjections can (and will) happen at any time throughout your sales process. You’re asking them to spend their hard-earned money, so it’s to be expected that they’ll be cautious and question whether what you’re offering is really worth it .

The key to handling any objection is to identify exactly why they’re concerned . It may not be what you expect, so don’t assume—ask questions to clarify the issue before you respond . Fortunately, many objections are quite common, so you can have a plan in place to address them when asked . You can even weave your responses to these objections throughout your pitch, before they come up, to beat them to the punch .

“It’s too expensive.”

It’s important to differentiate between “no budget” (I see the value, but I don’t have cash flow) and “too expensive” (I don’t see the value). Although your responses will differ, the goal in either situation is to move from a price-based conversation to a value-based conversation .

If no budget, reframe the predictability of managed network services.

• Ask them where they’d normally get budget for unexpected expenses, like if the internet went down and it was determined that a firewall needed to be rebuilt.

• Then ask what their loss in revenue would be like if business operations were halted for [the number of hours it would likely take you to rebuild that firewall] and they weren’t able to take any orders, respond to customers, etc .

• Ask what other costs to the business are involved when employees are unable to do their work during this downtime . Get them to provide actual numbers if possible, so they can start to think about and quantify the bigger impact to their budget without managed network services, including the potential impact on their customers .

• Building on this, explain how managed services can actually save them money in comparison to a fee-for-service setup when something breaks. They may assume the break-fix model is cheaper because they’re only paying when something goes wrong, but they likely haven’t factored in how erratic and how expensive the costs can be—especially for those emergency calls during off hours or holidays—or if they can’t get ahold of anyone .

• End by reiterating how difficult it would be to stick to a defined budget if you don’t know how much or how often you’ll need to pay for services ad hoc, let alone the cost of downtime while waiting for the issue to be fixed. With managed network services, there’s a predictable monthly cost, which makes it easier to plan for and stay within budget .

Sell


If too expensive (no value), ask questions that lead back to the value of managed network services conversation. Think of the pain points you can relieve and what that’s worth to them.

• Drill deeper by recalling the risks you found in the assessment and showed during the demo, and then share a non-network example to reiterate how not seeing something is a false sense of security—it’s dangerous and costly . For example:

“If you had a big hole in your bathroom wall, chances are you’d fix it, right? Now what if you had a crack in your home’s foundation that you couldn’t see. It worsened over time without being noticed until the inevitable rainfall hit and the basement flooded. Now, you need to not only fix the crack, but also pay for a significantly larger renovation to replace your floors and restore your antique table and other furnishings. Now let’s suppose you were able to see that crack and you knew for certain the damage it would cause, would you have made it a priority to fix the crack before the flood? Well, that’s essentially what we can do for your network—spot hidden issues early on and fix them before they have a chance to negatively affect your business through lost productivity and revenue.”

• If they manage their IT internally, ask how much time they spend doing manual tasks (do some quick math to show them how much these tasks are costing them already), then ask them what impact automating these would have on their business (i.e., how they could reinvest their time in other high-impact business initiatives).

• If they don’t manage their IT, ask what their cost of downtime looks like if an outage were to last for an hour, 12 hours, 24 hours, or longer (or reiterate if already provided). Combine that with potential reputational risk to paint a true picture of the cost—with and without your offering. Tell relevant client stories if possible.

• You could even consider positioning it like a form of business continuity insurance, reducing the potential for downtime in exchange for a regular monthly payment . Get them to think of all the electronic records they store in the cloud and need access to at any given time—customer information, financials, business documentation, etc .—and whether or not their business could survive without it . Without the right protection in place (both proactive monitoring and real-time, automated configuration backups), a major outage could cause a delay they might not be able to recover from .

Sell


“It’s not the right time.”

• Ask why now is not the right time—find out exactly what is holding them back at the moment. You want to get to the root of the issue to figure out how you might be able to solve their time crunch.

• If you get to the root of the issue and also believe that a fully managed network service program doesn’t make sense just yet, you don’t need to end the conversation then and there . If the output of your network assessment showed some areas of concern or opportunities for improvement, you can suggest a one-time project to build that trust and offer some level of protection in the meantime.

• If you’re struggling to get more details, you can establish a time for you to follow up . Whether in a week, a month, or next quarter, you may need to give them a little space to think it through and wrap up some of the things that might be holding them back. But don’t leave it open ended—you need to close the loop to make the best use of your time and theirs (whether they proceed to purchase or not).

“I have an IT team already.”

• If they already have an IT team, consider a smaller scope to build trust and set the stage for future upsell opportunities .

• Consider packaging your offering as tools only + Tier 2 network escalation for more complex changes and major issues . For example:

“We’ve worked with clients who see savings and a boost in productivity by outsourcing a portion of their networking duties to our team, freeing up time for their internal team to focus on growth-oriented projects that need to be handled internally. They’ve shifted the more tedious and time-consuming networking tasks to us, as well as the more complex network issues that need deep expertise to fix, because they don’t need to be handled by someone from within their organization. Their IT staff appreciate having fewer distractions and feel valued because they get to focus on more important projects.”

• By demonstrating your value during this phase, you can then circle back during a quarterly or annual business review to pitch why it makes sense to broaden your scope of work .

Sell


Closing the dealYou’ve done a stellar job of targeting and qualifying prospects, relaying the value of managed network services with tailored network assessments and pricing discussions (they wouldn’t still be here if they didn’t see the value!), handling objections, and you’ve been establishing yourself as the expert all along the way. Now it’s time to seal the deal .

Closing is about setting next steps and gaining agreement to take action . Really, you’ve been closing throughout this whole process, working toward the sale . It’s critical that you be direct at this point, so set clear expectations, ask if they’re ready to get started, and work with the key decision makers to address any questions and concerns they may have . And always leave a good impression—no matter what .

Sample closing questions that prompt action:

• When would you be looking to get started on this program?

• Ready to move forward? I can leave the agreement with you and follow up on [date] to tie up any loose ends before we get this up and running .

• If you agree to the program we discussed, I can have it up and running by [date]. How does that sound?

• Unless you have any more questions, I think we’re ready to get started. I can have this set up by [date] if you sign the paperwork by [date]. Sound good?

Although it’s beyond the scope of this guide, don’t forget that closing the deal is not the end of the sales process . With managed services, you’ll need to provide exceptional service on an ongoing basis, paving the way to a loyal client base and repeat or up-sell business opportunities .

Sell


Using a funnel to plan, track, and boost resultsWe’ve now covered a sequence of tactics to help you effectively prospect, pitch, and sell managed network services. But before you hit the road running, let’s take a minute to bring that all together into a strategic framework you can use to plan, track, and optimize results .

While there’s no magic formula for success, building and using a marketing & sales funnel comes pretty darn close .

So what exactly is it?

Simply put, it’s a visual representation of the stages (steps) your prospects take on their journey to becoming your client. It’s called a funnel because there are a lot of people who take the first step (enter the top of the funnel) but some of them drop out along the way and the size of this group narrows.

And how exactly does it help?

Not only will you be able to see where prospects might be getting stuck or losing interest, you’ll also be able to:

• Better understand what prospects need at each stage

• Clearly see how you’re tracking to your marketing and sales goals

• Forecast future revenue more accurately

In this section, you’ll see how the tactics we’ve covered in this guide fit within a funnel framework, what you should measure (at a minimum), and a practical example to bring this concept to life.


An overview of the funnel: From the top down

Prospect

Qualify

Network Assessment

Demo

Pricing Discussion

Close (Won/Lost)

Potential clients are drawn into the Prospect stage through marketing campaigns, word of mouth referrals, client-driven research (e.g., a Google search for local IT services), and when you directly call or email a prospect you’re targeting . The goal is to connect, be helpful and informative, and build trust and credibility in exchange for their time .

Prospects enter this stage after providing their contact information and agreeing to a discovery call . It’s in this stage that you’ll research their business and ask them about their unique needs and challenges . The intent here is NOT to sell—it’s to understand if they’re the right fit for your managed network services .

Once qualified, you can offer to do an automated network assessment with Auvik. It’s highly likely that you’ll find some risks and issues the prospect is unaware of—and it will help you customize your proposal and effectively position the value of managed network services as part of their overall program. (Bonus! You can also generate upfront revenue by charging a fee for this review.)

You can then help prospects make sense of their network assessment with an Auvik demo . The goal here is to educate and lay the foundation for the recommendations in your proposal. Look at performance and alerts to show them how quickly you can identify and solve hidden issues before they impact their business .

The good news? They wouldn’t have come this far if they didn’t see some value in your offering. The challenge? Every dollar counts, and you’re asking them to spend more money—expect to encounter price objections . The goal here is to educate and sell the service .

The funnel is designed to help you close right from the start—from targeted prospecting strategies and qualifying buyers to tailored network assessments and pricing discussions—by building a relationship, establishing yourself as the expert, and relaying the value of managed network services as part of their overall program . In this final phase, your goal is to convert the prospect to a client.


Like the saying goes, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” You’ll want to use the data in your funnel to track your results, so you can forecast and better understand if your efforts are paying off (or not)—and then optimize .

While there’s plenty more you can track and question as you dig into your funnel data, these key metrics are a great place to start:

• Number of new prospects per month

• Number of prospects that move from one stage to the next per month

• Monthly conversion rates from one stage to the next (# of prospects in the next stage / # of prospects in the previous stage)

• Sales cycle length (how long it takes on average to move from Prospect to Closed-Won)

Last but not least: Measure, measure, measure!

So how does this help you forecast? If you have the above metrics handy and you’ve determined your average contract value (ACV), you can work backwards from the Closed-Won stage to figure out how many new opportunities you need each month to hit your revenue targets .


Let’s assume the sales cycle length is 45 days and the average contract value is $1,000/month. The number of prospects and related conversion rates for each stage look like this:

Prospect Qualify Assessment Demo Pricing Close

# 10 9 7 7 4 2

% 90 .0% 77 .8% 100% 57 .1% 50%

Using this as your benchmark, you can better forecast your monthly recurring revenue and track against your goals .

In this example, if you add 10 new prospects in one month, you’ll get ~2 new clients ~45 days later, worth $1,000 x 2 /month or $24,000/year. And you’ll know you need to start working prospects an average of 45 days before you can expect to achieve your revenue target .

The beauty in this scenario is the “recurring” part . With managed network services set up on a monthly contract, revenue keeps coming in . So if you start working 10 new prospects each month, your monthly recurring revenue should increase by $2,000 each month—in January you’re making $2,000, in February $4,000, in March $6,000, and so on .

And with Auvik, we also make your business more efficient so you’ll see increased revenue + increased efficiency for existing services! INCREDIBLE.

An example to put things in perspective


You’re now armed with the strategies, tactics, and practical examples you need to effectively prospect, pitch, and sell managed network services with Auvik .

So get going . . .

Own the network

Questions? We’re here to help.

success@auvik .com

North America: 1-866-59-AUVIK (28845) x 300 EMEA: +44-800-368-7578 x 300

how to prospect, pitch & sell managed network services ... · how to prospect, pitch & sell...

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