Many managed service providers (MSPs) know they need to grow their accounts. But, actually doing it can feel risky, especially when the topic is something as complex as cybersecurity.
To dig into why that hesitation exists and how MSPs can push past it, we sat down with Christopher Jones, National Vice President Partner Channel, Americas at GTT and Channel Futures’ 2024 Channel Influencer of the Year. Our conversation covered why selling cybersecurity makes many MSPs uncomfortable, how to shift from reactive to proactive growth, and what MSPs can do to better protect and expand client relationships.
Feeling Anxious About Selling Cybersecurity? You’re Not Alone.
Cybersecurity is a major opportunity, but for many MSPs, it can also trigger hesitation.
“Cybersecurity as a solution needed by customers is never going away,” Christopher Jones said. “To an MSP, if they’re looking at their core business and maybe it’s not including cybersecurity right now, getting into that could create fear around not being skilled enough or capable enough to do it.”
Jones explained that the complexity of cybersecurity adds to the discomfort. “There are so many different cybersecurity solutions and suppliers. It’s like layer after layer after layer. It’s almost like peeling an onion back.”
This uncertainty leads many MSPs to avoid the topic altogether. “People know they need to talk about it but they are scared of it because there are so many different layers of solutions out there and they aren’t sure if they’re representing it right,” added Jones.
Balancing the Rewards & Risks of Cybersecurity Services
“Everyone knows cybersecurity is important, but everyone is afraid of it when I think of the sellers out talking to customers because they are worried about positioning a solution and then their customer still being breached or there still being an attack,” Jones said.
He added that, compared to the past, technology failures are more public and carry heavier financial consequences that steer many MSPs away from offering cybersecurity services.
“Even though cybersecurity is such a growth area, it’s that risk connected to that negative situation that could scare a lot of people away. They might say, ‘You know what, I’ll stick to the lane I know really well.’ The problem is the lane they know really well is likely going to be absorbed.”
Open The Conversation to Deepen Client Relationships
Avoiding growth conversations might feel easier in the moment, but it can put your client relationships at risk.
“Research would suggest that there are seven partners connected to every single customer,” Jones explained. “ If an MSP or partner isn’t having a conversation with the customer about cybersecurity, there is going to be another partner in the technology space that is.”
In other words, silence opens the door for someone else to step in.
“Eventually those partners are going to go through a consolidation where an enterprise is going to say, ‘I don’t want to work with all those partners, let me pick one or two partners to work with,’” explained Jones. “Which means someone is going to be on the out and someone is going to be on the in.”
Jones believes the solution is deeper relationships. “From a retention perspective, the more solutions or services you sell to a customer, the more retentive your relationship with the customer is going to be. If you only have one service or solution it’s easy to replace you. If you have four or five services, it’s harder to replace you.”
“Even though cybersecurity is such a growth area, it’s that risk connected to that negative situation that could scare a lot of people away. They might say, ‘You know what, I’ll stick to the lane I know really well.’ The problem is the lane they know really well is likely going to be absorbed.”
Bundling: A Win-Win Strategy
According to Jones, bundling services is one of the most effective ways for MSPs to increase revenue while delivering more value to clients. “If you only sell one thing it’s easy for someone to come in and undercut you and it’s harder for you to raise your price. If you are selling four or five things, you can blend each individual component together and the revenue you are selling to that customer is far greater.”
This approach isn’t just a growth tactic, it’s a smart positioning move. “Chances are you can save that customer money on four distinct services when you bundle it together into one,” said Jones. “I think it’s the economics of how you position yourself with a customer. You can save the customer money by growing your revenue with the customer if you get deeper and wider with the customer.”
This deeper engagement also allows you to displace other providers. “You are potentially now taking services away from another service or supplier to that customer,” added Jones.
Strong Vendor Partnerships Mean Less Guesswork
With the right vendors, selling cybersecurity becomes more manageable. With the wrong vendors, selling cybersecurity can lead to confusion and damage to the MSP’s reputation.
“What partners need to do is figure out who they want to work with that can help make all the various solutions easier and more understandable and more packageable in terms of how you price, propose, contract, implement.”
Jones stressed the importance of not assuming you know what the supplier means when they say things. Despite often using the same language, not all partner programs or contracts mean the same thing even if they use the same language.
“As MSPs look at other vendors and suppliers to work with, they need to realize that not all vendors may operate like the vendor or supplier they’re used to working with,” said Jones. “One of the things I’ve learned after spending 20 years in indirect, is that we all use the same words, but they mean different things depending on what motion you’re talking about.”
“Everyone is talking right now about wanting to go to market through a partner or an MSP. I think the MSP needs to make sure that the technology provider they’re going to work with understands what that means.”
Cybersecurity Vendor Red Flags
When asked about the biggest red flag that MSPs should look for when selecting vendors, Jones spoke about understanding the channel experience of the supplier’s leadership team. “You need to know who’s making the strategic decisions for the company and what is their experience in the indirect space. Have they worked in indirect roles for a long time, have they worked in an indirect adjacent role, or have they never worked in an indirect role?”
That experience matters, because how a vendor understands and supports the channel can make or break the partnership.
“Everyone is talking right now about wanting to go to market through a partner or an MSP. I think the MSP needs to make sure that the technology provider they’re going to work with understands what that means,” said Jones. “It’s making sure they’re working with suppliers that they can trust and that understand this market motion. When it works it works really really well and when it doesn’t it creates problems for people all over the place.”
Jones encourages MSPs to be cautious of short-term incentives and really prioritize long-term alignment. “If a supplier isn’t thinking about the future, that’s a problem. An MSP that’s selling to a customer is not just thinking about this year. They’re thinking about a long-term relationship and a long-term payback.”
Conclusion: Taking the First Confident Step
Growing accounts isn’t about pushing more. It’s about showing up with solutions that make sense for your clients.
Avoiding conversations around services like cybersecurity might feel safer, but it can leave room for competitors to step in. Having proactive conversations, bundling services and choosing reliable vendors helps build stronger relationships and makes it harder for someone else to replace you.
Want to be part of that conversation? Reach out. Let’s make cybersecurity marketing better – together.
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