MSPs often avoid selling compliance services due to their complexity and perceived liability. However, 'human risk' is a required part of most frameworks and is far more tangible and easier to sell than technical controls. It acts as a wedge, allowing MSPs to enter the lucrative compliance market with a simpler, more relatable offering.
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Startup founders often sell visionary upside, but the majority of customers—especially in enterprise—purchase products to avoid pain or reduce risk (e.g., missing revenue targets). GTM messaging should pivot from the "art of the possible" to risk mitigation to resonate more effectively with buyers.
uSecure initially underestimated how resource-constrained MSPs are. Their breakthrough came when they moved beyond simple PDF guides and built a white-labeled sales prospecting tool. This tool helped partners automatically build a data-driven business case for their own clients, proving uSecure understood their challenges and driving scale.
Traditional ICP scores reflect who *you* want to sell to (e.g., wallet size), which is useless for reps. Instead, sort your entire market based on the quantifiable size of their pain (e.g., projected fines). This gives reps a clear, actionable, and customer-centric reason for outreach.
Founders often over-prioritize non-revenue tasks like getting compliance certifications. Unless you are actively losing deals because you lack SOC 2 or ISO, you should delay it. View compliance as a task to be completed only when it becomes a direct blocker to sales, not as a box to check early on.
The most reliable markets are those where customers are legally obligated to buy. By offering services that help companies comply with regulations like the EU AI Act, you tap into a non-discretionary budget. The sales conversation shifts from "if" they will buy to "who" they will buy from.
Don't overlook seemingly "boring" industries like cybersecurity or compliance. These sectors often have massive, non-negotiable budgets and fewer competitors than glamorous, consumer-facing markets. Solving complex, high-stakes problems for large companies is a direct path to significant revenue.
Enterprises are comfortable buying services. Sell a service engagement first, powered by your technology on the back end, to get your foot in the door. This builds trust and bypasses procurement hurdles associated with new software. Later, you can transition them to a SaaS product model.
Buyers aren't just buying a product; they're buying a process and an outcome. Counteract decision paralysis by clearly mapping out the step-by-step journey *after* the contract is signed, including onboarding and training. This reduces the buyer's emotional risk and makes the decision easier.
To escape price comparisons in a commoditized market, shift the conversation from cost to risk. Use industry statistics to highlight the expensive, unforeseen problems that occur with cheaper alternatives. Position your higher-priced service as the logical choice to avoid those costly failures.
