When it comes to growing your MSP, there’s a lot of noise. Countless tools, endless tactics and flashy promises. But here’s the raw truth: if you’re not doing this one thing, all the other strategies don’t matter.
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Step 1: Track Your Leads…Properly
Before you go chasing high-level campaigns or hiring another sales rep, make sure you’re tracking your inbound leads. And doing it the right way.
That means:
- Answering your phone live (yes, no voicemail).
- Logging every call and inquiry into a CRM.
- Identifying where the lead came from — was it a referral? A webinar? An ad?
- Capturing whether the lead is qualified, what the next step is and if it converts.
This simple discipline gives you the clearest window into how your marketing and sales are actually performing. Without it? You’re flying blind.
The Tech Stack That Works (And What Doesn’t)
I recommend starting with a CRM and marketing automation platform…and not just any tool.
If you’re under $5 million in revenue, HubSpot or 6sense may be overkill. They’re excellent platforms but can be expensive and require significant setup and maintenance.
Instead, consider tools like:
- Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) – ideal for smaller MSPs.
- Go High Level – affordable and flexible, though still catching up on compliance/privacy.
- Your PSA tool – helpful, but not a substitute for proper CRM and marketing automation.
The goal is to build and maintain a marketing list that you can regularly email, nurture, and convert over time.
Who Answers The Phone Matters
The first impression matters more than you think.
In a national IT buyer survey that we conducted, the #1 thing customers look for in an MSP is responsiveness. More than cybersecurity credentials or certifications.
If a prospect calls and gets voicemail? Or worse, if the call is answered by a tech who isn’t trained in sales? You just blew the opportunity.
The call must be answered live, by a scripted salesperson who knows exactly how to handle that lead, not an engineer juggling tickets.
Know Your Numbers
Once you’ve got the CRM and phone system in place, start tracking these metrics:
- How many inbound leads do you get per week/month?
- How many are qualified?
- How many convert to appointments?
- How many of those close?
- What’s your average sale?
These metrics are your baseline. Without them, you can’t make data-driven decisions about what’s working in your marketing…and more importantly, what’s not.
Final Thought: Start With the Foundation
This isn’t advanced strategy. It’s foundational. And yet, most small MSPs aren’t doing it.
If you want to grow, you have to start here. Set up a CRM. Track every lead. Answer your phone like a pro. Build a list. Nurture it.
Get this right, and everything else — ads, referrals, webinars, SEO — starts working better.
