This year marks ILER Networking & Computing’s 30th year in business. Yet we contemplated shutting our doors after one of our biggest, most long-standing clients, who’d been with us since 2008, decided not to renew their contract near the end of 2023. It wasn’t because we were doing a bad job – they were trying to make their numbers look better to position themselves for a sale. It was a massive blow because that one contract accounted for approximately 20% of our annual income. We had to scale back staff and figure out how to recover.
From Hesitation To Fully Unlocking The Power Of Marketing
In 2008, I was a thriving break-fix business doing large programming projects for Sherwin-Williams, Charles Schwab and Progressive Insurance. Things were going well until the recession hit. Inspired by my brother’s success with TMT, I took the plunge into the MSP world by investing in the Toolkit and purchasing the Million-Dollar Managed Services Blueprint, which introduced me to the MSP model. Despite having grown to six employees and moving from our basement to an office, we made the decision to drop out of the TMT community to implement marketing on our own.
In 2024, my daughter, our marketing specialist, started looking at the marketing materials from Robin again and urged us to reengage with TMT. Although reluctant at first, I realized my earlier hesitation had prevented us from fully implementing the Toolkit 16 years ago. Reflecting on the potential revenue we missed out on, I decided not to make THAT mistake again.
Learning The Hard Way: 16 Years, 4 Missteps And Strategies For Success
Thanks to TMT, we’ve provided excellent services and retained clients long-term, including our first MSP clients. The contracts, client engagement and sales strategies we’ve built our business on came from Robin, helping us be the best MSP possible. However, I did make mistakes that stunted our growth.
Mistake #1: I thought I was a marketing expert. Initially, I was hesitant to fully adopt the Toolkit’s recommendations. I thought some campaigns seemed a bit corny (for lack of a better word), so I altered them to fit my idea of a more “polished image.” BIG mistake, as this approach limited our results. I came to realize that my expertise lies in IT, not marketing. Having learned that valuable lesson, we have since maintained our brand identity while closely adhering to the provided content and following the suggested procedures and outreach methods. We’ve committed to implementing the marketing templates, scripts and campaigns exactly as TMT prescribes, regardless of any initial reservations we might have about their style or approach.
Mistake #2: I didn’t track my numbers. Without tracking results, you can’t really know if something is working. Now I diligently measure and analyze our numbers, tying marketing efforts to tangible business outcomes. Knowing the numbers provides a powerful incentive to keep moving forward when I’m doubting myself. We use these to identify the most effective campaigns and maximize the profitability of our marketing investments.
Mistake #3: I didn’t LISTEN FIRST to the prospect’s problems. In the past, when someone engaged with our marketing, I would tell them all about our business, which isn’t how to close a client. Now, we identify their problem FIRST, based on the ad or report they engage with or what they tell us. During follow-up, we reiterate the problem, address their pain points and demonstrate how we can solve it without unnecessary details. For instance, with the FTC Safeguards Rule, the client doesn’t care about our cloud backup’s geographical diversity – they care about how we can help them become compliant and avoid fines or jail time.
Mistake #4: I didn’t dedicate the time to implement the Toolkit. I expected to get top results without putting in adequate, sustained effort. I now realize you’ve got to put the work in and give it a chance to gain traction and show its full potential. That’s why, in February 2024, we fully committed to the Accelerators Club for two years to observe its impact. Attending the live events yielded unexpectedly significant rewards as well. My daughter and I attended Rapid Implementation, and, for the first time, the incredible Annual IT Sales and Marketing Bootcamp. Next up, we’re attending the Roadshow. Through these events, we’re discovering new tools we now recommend to clients to improve their security, compliance and information management. Additionally, we hired a sales development representative (SDR) to help fill our pipeline with profitable leads.
Cracking The Code To Doubling MRR In 6 Months (And A Profitable Pipeline Of High-Value Clients)
Before Rapid Implementation, revenue had dipped down to $1.3 million. Ninety days following Rapid, we’d already added $312,000 annually, which included project work and two new major clients. Within six months, our MRR had nearly doubled, up from $40,136 to $77,636. Plus, our estimated revenue for 2024 is already $1,648,000.
Six game-changing tactics that are maximizing our growth:
- Customer relationship management (CRM) that integrates with the Toolkit. Implementing TMT’s Marketing Automation Platform (MAP) has been crucial for tracking and managing our leads. The system integrates with and automates the Toolkit campaigns and provides valuable insights into the quality of the leads and their engagement. Proper tracking also allows us to follow up and nurture leads in a timely manner, which ultimately can convert them into clients.
- Educational direct response marketing. Before, we mishandled our leads because we were giving away valuable free content without capturing their contact information. That meant there was no way to follow up on leads. We also put everything on our home page, so we didn’t know where leads came from or which campaigns were working. Now we have different landing pages for each free report. We’ve tied the forms to the MAP so we can track our leads and follow up.
- Diligent long-term follow-up. Perseverance pays off. A key Toolkit concept we’ve been implementing since 2008 is to consistently follow up, as companies may be under contract and unable to change immediately. By making them aware of our services and following up, we build goodwill. This approach has led to two companies switching to us since we joined the Accelerators Club and a $50K network revamp project from a client whose IT provider lost two weeks of data. Another lead is eager to sign with us when their contract ends in December. We offer free web meetings or in-person consultations for engaged qualified prospects. If they don’t respond or are hot leads, we drop off information with items such as Crumble Cookies, candy jars with our logo or succulent plants with catchy notes to remind them of our services and check in on their needs.
- Trust-based marketing. Robin says, “Nothing is more powerful than trust-based marketing,” so we focus on building celebrity, authority and trust within our market. To establish trust with new clients, we prioritize high-impact projects. For instance, we upgraded a client’s home office equipment to commercial grade, resolving guest complaints. This boosted their confidence in our company. I’ve begun writing articles for local publications, hosting webinars and speaking at events to enhance my authority and celebrity.
- Consistently targeting better quality customers. You can’t market occasionally or target randomly and expect to get results. Even though we don’t have the budget yet to send out as many as we’d like, we still send out targeted prospect letters every week. We started by sending 25 letters a week. Now we are up to sending 60 each week.
- Packaging and pricing for profitability. The quarterly sessions on packaging and pricing with Will Nobles were eye-opening, giving us the confidence to make changes for 2025. We’ve realized that our 24/7 unlimited support needs limits to maintain profitability. We will also raise our prices and start offering three-year contracts alongside our one-year contracts.
Marketing Campaigns That Helped Us Bounce Back From A 20% Loss In Revenue
Based on feedback during Rapid Implementation, we modified campaigns with positive results:
- Aspirin Campaign…With A Twist: We kept the letter and added an 8½ x 11 glossy flyer about FTC Safeguards Rule compliance that targeted accounting and CPA firms. Our headline: “Your firm is required to be FTC Safeguard Compliant,” with a photo of hands in handcuffs. A QR code links to a landing page for a free nine-step compliance guide in exchange for their contact information.
- Godfather Campaign – Iler-Style: We focused on cyber security, offering a free network assessment with a $100 guarantee if we find fewer than three vulnerabilities. We changed the photo to a nefarious-looking figure in a hood to emphasize real cyberthreats.
- Robinized Website: We redesigned our website to direct clients to campaign-specific landing pages. Prospects fill out information before receiving free reports or brochures.
- Local Ads: We are placing ads in local city magazines, with QR codes linking to website offers like free network assessments.
My biggest lesson learned:
Instead of shelving the Toolkit or doing it only halfway, implement it completely, without modification. Without investing time and effort to perfect your marketing, you’re making life harder for yourself. Even if things are okay now, your house of cards will eventually topple. It took me 16 years, but I’ve discovered that going all in, investing the time and doing the work is the easiest way forward.
