How to Build a Booming MSP Program with Dinara Bakirova

The market for managed services continues to accelerate, but many software vendors are missing out on this huge opportunity. If you’re wondering what it takes to create a game-changing MSP program, this episode is for you.

Dinara Bakirova, Director of Partner Experience at Lookout, shares the most important ingredients to their successful MSP program that is generating new partnerships and new revenue streams. You’ll hear the challenges and the new opportunities created while building and launching their MSP program.

Key Takeaways

Here are the top 10 ingredients in Dinara’s blueprint for a successful MSP program:

1. Start with a Clear Strategy: Before launching an MSP (Managed Service Provider) program, it’s essential to gather internal stakeholders and evaluate existing systems and processes. This ensures that you have a solid foundation and understand what adjustments need to be made.
2. Investment is Key: Significant investment in resources, systems, and processes is crucial for launching and scaling an MSP program successfully. This helps in dealing with the anticipated influx of partners and allows for the effective delivery of promised services.
3. Flexible Commercial Models: Offering flexible payment options, such as annual subscriptions and pay-as-you-go models, caters to different MSP needs and market demands. It’s essential to balance existing business models with new consumption-based models to avoid disrupting ongoing operations.
4. Enablement Programs: Creating a dedicated MSP enablement program is pivotal. This includes online training modules, in-house labs, and NFR (Not For Resale) licenses for hands-on experience. Effective enablement simplifies MSPs’ onboarding and helps them support and resell the product better.
5. Autonomous Provisioning: MSPs value the ability to manage their tenants easily. Building a provisioning portal with automation capabilities is crucial. This empowers MSPs to handle client management independently, reducing manual intervention and increasing efficiency.
6. Dedicated Support: Establishing dedicated MSP support roles, such as strategic engineers and partner managers, ensures that MSPs receive specialized assistance. This dedicated support helps address specific technical and operational challenges faced by MSPs.
7. Scalable Systems: Implementing scalable systems and processes is necessary to accommodate growth. This includes having a robust finance platform, partner enablement systems, and support mechanisms that can handle the evolving demands of an expanding MSP base.
8. Direct and Indirect Engagement Rules: Clear rules of engagement for both direct and indirect MSPs are essential. This helps in managing the relationship between sales reps, MSPs, and distributors like Pax8, ensuring transparency and minimizing conflicts.
9. Iterative Improvement: Continually evolving systems and business processes is crucial, even for companies that have been channel-first from the start. Adapting to new technologies like AI and responding to market trends helps maintain a competitive edge and meet partner expectations.
10. Customer-Centric Approach: Always consider the perspective of the end-users and partners. Judging your program’s success by the ease of use and satisfaction of your MSPs ultimately leads to better customer experiences and stronger partnerships.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Connect with Dinara on LinkedIn
• Hear from Dan Tomaszewski on How to Power Up MSPs
• Listen to Tony Beller’s 10 Tips for Building a SaaS MSP Channel
• Try Impartner Partner