Most MSPs set lofty growth goals — more MRR, more clients, more revenue — but don’t have a clear, executable plan to get there. That’s like saying, “I want to make a million dollars,” but having no strategy beyond vague marketing activities. In this post, we’ll show you how to do what we call backwards math. A proven way to reverse engineer your sales and marketing goals so that hitting them becomes inevitable, not accidental.
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Section 1: Why Most MSP Growth Plans Fail
Many IT business owners fall into the trap of the “underpants gnome” approach from South Park:
- Step 1: Do random marketing stuff
- Step 2: ???
- Step 3: Profit
This is exactly how many MSPs operate. They execute tactics without connecting them to a real pipeline strategy. Instead of relying on vague hope, you need a formula that tells you:
- How many raw leads you need
- How many appointments those turn into
- How many paying clients result
Section 2: The Backwards Math Formula (Based on Real MSP Data)
Here’s the reverse-engineered path from a raw lead to a managed services client, based on real metrics from our members:
- 58% of raw leads are typically qualified
- 65% of qualified leads will book a first-time appointment (FTA)
- 35% of FTAs become paying clients
- Average new client MRR is $2,200–$3,000/month
So if your goal is 1 new MRR client/month:
- You need ~3 FTAs/month
- You need ~5 qualified leads/month
- You need ~8–9 raw leads/month
Assuming a 2% response rate from your prospecting:
- You need a list of ~4,000 qualified businesses
- You need to actively prospect ~330/month
And that’s just to get one client/month.
Section 3: Why Referrals Alone Aren’t Enough
Referrals often close at the highest rate — sometimes 95% — but you likely can’t generate enough of them to hit your goals consistently. You need to supplement referrals with:
- Paid ads
- Cold outreach
- Re-engagement campaigns to old lists
- Event marketing
- Strategic partnerships
And remember: each of these channels will produce leads with different qualification rates.
Section 4: Weekly Sales & Marketing Cadence for Execution
Big goals can feel overwhelming. That’s why I recommend breaking everything down into weekly mini-goals:
- 1 FTA per week
- 1 qualified lead per week
- 2 raw leads per week
Hold a weekly sales and marketing meeting to:
- Review lead gen and appointment numbers
- Set tactical priorities to hit that week’s goal
- Make adjustments based on actual performance
This process keeps your team focused, accountable, and constantly improving.
Conclusion: Numbers, Not Wishes
Growth isn’t a mystery. With this backwards math model, you can set clear, predictable goals and then hit them with confidence. Stop guessing. Start tracking. And build the kind of MSP growth plan that actually works.
