Client or Prospect … How About Both? The Thin Line of MSP Sales

469753685Client or prospect, target or customer? Which is it? Would you believe both?

In the ever-expanding universe of the MSP model, once very delineated parts of the staffing industry are now not so much. For staffing firms committed to driving their growth and revenue by becoming approved suppliers to MSP firms — which are clients and as well as prospects — has all but disappeared. At once, they are both.

It seems a rather common sense scenario. Your firm supports several MSP firms in one, three, five or any number of programs. But those MSPs manage many more programs than your firm supports. While driving your revenue by increasing your fill share, you also drive the MSP’s revenue and support its client: a beautiful winning trifecta!

So how do you become active in more of its programs? Two words: create value!

Why does an MSP onboard a new supplier? Tantamount to onboarding, there is a need, and timing is all! But how does your firm become the next new onboarded supplier? Being in other programs is not enough. The programs you are in is the beginning of the value chain you will need to create consistently to prove your worth, meet a need and above all, add high impact value that will benefit the MSP and the client. So how do you do that? Much of it is sales 101, on the front end. That said, you will need to show how you are delivering at every step of the way.

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Value. Create a value proposition that not only resonates, but is realistic, supported by data and has application to the program you are pursuing. There needs to be a link, a common thread of value that the MSP or client doesn’t just see, but feels.

Your value proposition is best crafted with real time data from scorecards, references, anything that demonstrates your value is real and it will enhance a program. Anecdotal evidence from MSP staff, client hiring managers or your own placed employees will certainly help. Data though, does rule!

The target. Be certain to identify the right buyers. In fact, there may be no more important factor than knowing who is who, who will decide to onboard your firm. Understand how each buyer will personally “win” by onboarding you: what is their personal outcome, how do they benefit? Next, what is the business “win” that propels them and their firm to create value for their customer? Know Thy Buyers!

Connect. Finally, stay connected at a professional pace and distance by sharing industry news, your own company’s milestones and anything else that connects what your value story may be for that account, tied to what you are sending or communicating. Avoid silo emails connected only to you, your firm or any other matter; avoid mass emails. Connect all communications to the person, the MSP, the client and tie it back to your very real value story. All else smacks of mass, impersonalized marketing and that is the least likely tactic to begin the recognition of your value story.

As we pursue building our portfolio with our MSP partners and in the throes of a near incessant harangue of “we are optimizing,” we augment our chances by knowing the value that is needed to distinguish your firm from the pack and expertly identifying the right buyers and why, both personally and professionally onboarding your firm is a win for them. Add to that a consistent value related persistence that balances pace and distance, well, now that might just be your recipe for success.

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Joe Palestina

Joe Palestina
Joe Palestina is VP, client development, at Aditi Staffing. He can be reached at Joep (at) aditistaffing (dot) com.

Joe Palestina

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