Tactics for selling MSP backup services

Show clients what's at stake

To convince potential clients of the importance of backup recovery services, emphasize that SMBs are the target for ransomware, and they are easy targets because of this mentality. We need to show them how easy it is to be attacked. Implement a disaster demo kit so that you are able to control the narrative, and show them in real time how all it takes is one employee clicking on the wrong email and an entire business can become infected. Our in-house demo kit shows prospective clients how quickly real-world ransomware works and what it does to their files. We finalize the demo by showing them how, in minutes, we can restore and get their business back up and running by using a true continuity solution.

Sharing MSP backup stories

It's also important to share stories of SMBs that have experienced ransomware nightmares, as these are relatable. Work with your clients to put together case studies based on previous disasters and recovery efforts. By giving prospective clients a real-world example from a fellow business owner they are familiar with, it helps to drive the point home and show this issue is real.

Do not share personal details of victims' stories unless they have given you permission, but describe as much as you can.  One story that we share to demonstrate how dangerous untrained employees can be is of an employee and boss who fell for a phishing email. They believed the email, which was sent from a business partner asking for the employee's email and password, was suspicious. They called their business partner who was down the hall in the same corporate suite over to look at it. The business partner admitted that he did not send the email and asked for the employee to click on the link and fill out the information so they could see what was in the email attachment. Their email account was compromised, and the phishing emails were spread to all of their contacts. When they thought it couldn't get any worse, they discovered they were locked out of their Office 365 account for two days.

Effective MSP backup opens doors

If your MSP can create a model that conveys the dangers of ransomware, the fallibility of the everyday employee and the necessity of effective backup and disaster recovery services, more opportunities will open to sell your other services to these SMBs.

For more TechTarget content on related topics, see our article on the channel's effort to defend customers from ransomware threats and this expert column on pricing business continuity offerings.