When you sit down to plan your next marketing campaign, whether it’s an email blast, a blog post or a LinkedIn ad. Ask yourself this:
Are you trying to get leads, or are you trying to build trust?
Subscribe to the TMT YouTube channel here
If you’re like most MSPs or IT service providers, your focus is on filling the pipeline. And there’s nothing wrong with that… unless your marketing skips the step that matters most: TRUST.
The Hard Truth: Your Clients Don’t Know What “Good IT” Looks Like
Let’s be honest: most of your prospects and clients aren’t technical. They don’t know if your stack is better than your competitor’s. They don’t understand backup strategies, firewalls or MDM policies the way you do.
That means they don’t choose you based on your technical expertise, even if that’s what you’re most proud of. They choose you because they trust you. Or they don’t.
So when someone says, “That seems expensive,” they’re not necessarily objecting to price. They’re saying: “I don’t see the value… and I’m not sure I trust you enough to pay that.” Which brings us to a game-changing mindset shift: You’re not selling IT services and support. You’re selling and marketing trust.
Influence Isn’t A Dirty Word
As a leader or salesperson, your job is to influence others: to help them make decisions they wouldn’t make on their own, because they can’t see what you see.
That’s not manipulation. That’s leadership. But it only works when people believe:
- You know what you’re talking about…
- You have their best interests at heart…
- And you’re not trying to scam them.
When those boxes are checked, you gain what every MSP needs: influence.
The 3 Drivers of Influence: CAT
So how do you earn influence in your market?
Use the CAT framework: Celebrity. Authority. Trust. Let’s break each one down:
1. Authority
Being an authority means you have deep, specialized knowledge and people recognize it. You publish, speak and teach because that’s what experts do. If you’re not creating content that proves your expertise, you’re not building authority.
Examples for MSPs:
- Publish blog posts about the cost of downtime
- Speak at local business events
- Offer cyber-readiness assessments to verticals like legal or healthcare
2. Trust
Trust is the belief that you’ll do the right thing, even when no one’s looking. You can have all the technical chops in the world, but if clients sense you’re out for yourself, they’ll walk.
Build trust by:
- Sharing client success stories
- Making clear, no-BS recommendations (even when they don’t benefit you)
- Being consistent and responsive in your marketing and communications
3. Celebrity
Celebrity isn’t about being famous to the world. It’s about being well known in your niche. If your ideal clients don’t know who you are, you’re invisible.
How to grow it:
- Be the face of your company in your marketing
- Get quoted in industry publications
- Show up on video with confidence and consistency
How To Put CAT Into Practice
Ask this before you hit “send” on any campaign: “Does this help me become a trusted authority and raise my visibility (celebrity)?” Or does it make you look like a spammy, desperate marketer?
For example:
- Authority: Posting a LinkedIn article with real insight on ransomware risk.
- Low Trust: Sending cold emails with clickbait subject lines.
- Celebrity: Sharing a client case study with your face and voice.
- No Authority: Copy-pasting vendor content with no context.
Build the habit of evaluating every marketing move through the CAT lens.
Final Thought: The Path to Premium Clients Isn’t Technical. It’s Emotional.
Clients will pay more, stay longer and refer more business when they feel safe, heard and led by someone they trust.
So yes. Keep honing your skills, improving your tools and leveling up your tech stack. But also invest in building your influence. Get known. Be a trusted voice. Step into authority. And watch the difference it makes.
Need help implementing a marketing strategy? Schedule a FREE MSP marketing strategy session. In 60 minutes or less, we’ll show you how to get in front of more high-quality prospects who WANT your services and are ready to buy.
