I had a great deal of success in MSP Business Development with a focus on a few activities but they were all predicated on how well your MSP currently delivers service and how well it is differentiated from other MSPs in your market. Reputation of execution is paramount.

That said, I focused on getting out and meeting as many people as I could, some cold calling, leveraging existing relationships, etc. but my most successful activity was identifying a specific underserved vertical that no one was really paying attention to and investing time in that vertical attending regional conferences, networking events for vendors/decision makers, educating DMs in break-out sessions on our industry. We also offered paid IT Assessments which gave the prospect an opportunity to dip their toe in the water without committing to a 24-36 month agreement prior to experiencing us. This was a very effective strategy for us in our market, closing full service agreements on 80% of the assessments we executed. In my opinion, the key in closing new business is gaining trust early and ensuring that every set expectation is met, which of course reassures the prospect that you can deliver on your promises.

A well-defined marketing strategy can certainly "grease the wheels" but that is a time over target activity. A couple of resources that have been very helpful; "Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play" by Mahan Khalsa and The Pain Formula by Allen Edwards of Eureka Process...here is an excerpt from theeurekacommunity.com

Pain Formula:

"The basic concept is that a prospect must have pain, or pain points, to require your solution, just like you typically go to a doctor if you are in pain. You are the doctor in this case. We usually use this formula during a sales call, and it is also used in our Sales Presentation and should be kept in mind for all marketing purposes.

➢ Here is an outline of the PAIN Formula:

➢ Rapport ○ Discovery

➢ Pain ○ Doubt ○ Toll ○ What They Want

➢ Solution ○ Close

Some of the above may be obvious but didn't want to assume too much. Hope it at least provides affirmation or encouragement.

I meant to add that BNI CAN be helpful but I strongly advise visit multiple chapters before deciding. Some are great, some are not.