When Sales and Marketing Align: The Power of Targeted Messaging

The lines between sales and marketing are becoming more blurred. If a managed service provider expects to generate leads, not just in quantity but consistently, both departments must be in alignment and work as a single, unified machine. 

Sure, if the sales gods are smiling down upon you, some marketing efforts might bestow random leads on you with a little luck. But creating a system with any predictability (and scalability) is a different story. When sales and marketing work together using a clear strategy and targeted messaging, that’s where we see real business transformation take place.

Let’s be honest, traditionally sales and marketing people have often had different personality types. Heck, I’ve even worked with some companies where those departments seemed downright adversarial with each other. Such a shame. 
And if you are thinking; “Marketing generates leads, and sales closes the deals”, I’ve got news for you - that’s a gross oversimplification. You probably already know this if you’ve seen Marketing deliver leads that can’t convert, or if you’ve seen Sales team members struggle to effectively communicate the value of your MSPs services. Two important pieces of your machine are out-of-syc.

If your sales and marketing teams are not in alignment, your MSP lead generation will never, ever, reach its full potential.

There’s many places we could start, but today let’s talk marketing messaging.

If I ask “What client do you enjoy working with the most?”, I would bet that almost instantly a few people come to mind. Odds are that these are the clients that help you better understand your ideal customer profile (ICP). Note that a fully hashed-out ICP is more than just a handful of demographics, so a small time investment in this now will save you countless wasted marketing dollars.

We could discuss at length why broad sweeping messages like 
“Your one-stop shop for all your IT needs”, will not work out for you.

These kinds of messages, beyond tossing you into a pool with 100 other local MSPs, simply do not resonate with the problem that your ideal client is facing at the time they need help.

If you really want to create messaging that works, first fully develop your ICP. The team at Feel-Good MSP is more than willing to help you.

Then start thinking about;

The problems they typically face
Considering your ICP verticals and demographics, what are the greatest concerns of your prospects? Is it compliance, downtime, cloud migration, or disaster recovery?

The results they want to achieve
Consider the outcomes they often strive for such as better productivity, strategic decision-making capability, support whenever they need it, and enhanced team collaboration.

How they will live their best life
When your prospect imagines a best-case scenario, what does that look like? Maybe they have achieved work-life balance, they feel more confident in planning for the future, or maybe the team has higher morale, or their work better aligns with their personal values.

When your messaging reflects your prospects' deeper feelings and desires, it will naturally resonate and make your MSP lead-generation efforts more effective.

While building a cohesive sales and marketing strategy takes time, and certainly comes quicker with an expert in your corner, there are a few steps you can take right now that can make a difference.

• Amplify What’s Already Working: Take a closer look at any current lead sources that are working and double down on them. For example, if referrals are your primary source of MSP sales leads, consider implementing a more structured referral program.
• Leverage Vertical Marketing: There are industries that you’re already serving successfully, so why not tailor marketing efforts to target one specifically? Adding specificity to your messaging can dramatically affect conversion rates.
• Audit Your Website: Check that your website has messaging that speaks directly to your ideal clients and clear calls to action. A generic website is a common bottleneck for lead conversion.

For lasting success, and scalability we must align the MSP sales process with marketing efforts. Here’s how:

• Qualify Leads Early: The marketing team must take efforts to screen leads based on the ICP so that sales team members are only spending time on high-potential prospects.
• Warm-Up Leads: Effective marketing should help nurture leads with content like case studies, testimonials, and webinars that speak directly to their needs and lay the groundwork for the sales conversation.
• Messaging Consistency : Marketing messages should maintain a cohesive and consistent tone from the beginning to the end, also reflected in their sales conversations, creating a feeling of trust and credibility for the prospect.

When sales and marketing are in alignment, the benefits are greater than the sum of the parts. The entire sales process moves more smoothly, higher-quality leads are developed, and the improved experience affects retention as well. Most of all, it creates a more predictable flow of leads allowing you to scale.

Is your MSP struggling with lead generation? Now is the time to get your sales and marketing teams on the same page and your leads coming in organically. 
Our team is here to help.

Check out the recent MSP Sales Podcast (Episode 8) with Tim from Rialto Marketing for a deeper discussion on the topic of sales and marketing alignment, available wherever you stream your podcasts.