If there is a recurring theme MSPs need to be aware of it is the demand by customers and their proxies (more on that below) for greater transparency. The demand for transparency and the most effective ways to demonstrate it are what will define the successful from unsuccessful MSPs.
Let's examine some of the reasons why MSPs are being asked for more transparency, and then turn to some easy solutions for meeting customer transparency requests.
What Are Customers Looking for in an MSP?
At a most basic level, customers want to be able to trust an MSP. The terms trusted advisor is not new within the IT channel and is frequently tossed around by MSPs claiming those two words as the best description of the relationship they have with their customers.
If you are a new customer or looking to engage an MSP, then what basis do you have to say you will have a "trusted advisor" before you've received any services from the MSP? That is one of the central motivators for customers seeking transparency from an MSP prior to engaging their services. Can I trust you? This is what customers and prospects are really asking.
A lot of the inbound requests for certification and audit we receive at MSPAlliance come from MSPs reacting to both existing and prospective clients. What this tells us is even existing customers supposedly experienced in the "trusted advisor" relationship are still asking the MSP for transparency. Why does this matter?
A managed services prospect looking for documentation or evidence of how an MSP operates makes sense. The prospect has no idea what to expect from the MSP because there is no historical record, no personal relationship. An existing client, however, is different because they do have personal experience from which they can draw.
So, why are more managed services clients asking their MSP for more documentation and transparency? The answer is simple. The client must be able to demonstrate what the MSP is doing to anyone who may ask them. Who would ask a client what their MSP is doing? There is a long list of people who would want this information: regulators, compliance officers, users or customers of the client, insurance companies, legal officers, are just a few of the legitimate requests for transparency documentation which could be made of an MSP.
Requests for transparency are not going away and it is up to MSPs to figure out how to comply with them in an effective way. So, let's turn our attention to ways of demonstrating that trusted relationship to those interested parties who would seek such information.
