--- title: "Mastering MSP Deals: The Road to MRR – Intelisys" canonicalUrl: "https://intelisys.com/mastering-msp-deals-the-road-to-mrr/" excerpt: "According to an informal survey we recently conducted during a webinar, only 20% of Intelisys Sales Partners are regularly selling Managed Service Providers (MSPs). That means 80% are missing out on one of the most lucrative product categories in the Intelisys portfolio. The beauty of MSPs is that they can bring considerable MRR – even […]" datePublished: "2024-09-06T21:03:05-04:00" dateModified: "2026-06-17T10:12:20-04:00" --- - Mastering MSP Deals: The Road to MRR – Intelisys ** # Mastering MSP Deals: The Road to MRR * September 6, 2024 ![](https://intelisys.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BLOG-PostWebinar_Header-July24.png) According to an informal survey we recently conducted during a webinar, only 20% of Intelisys Sales Partners are regularly selling Managed Service Providers (MSPs). That means 80% are missing out on one of the most lucrative product categories in the Intelisys portfolio. The beauty of MSPs is that they can bring considerable MRR – even when the customer is a smaller business.  By mastering MSP deals, you can significantly raise your potential future earnings.  ## An introduction to MSPs Let’s start with a basic definition. A Managed Service Provider (MSP) actively administrates a service and delivers support on an ongoing basis. It’s basically the opposite of a “plug-and-play” product. An MSP remains hands-on – hence the MRR for both the provider and the Sales Partner. With an MSP, the administration can occur in a few different settings: - On the customer’s premises - In the MSP’s data center - In a third-party data center “MSP” is a general term, and it applies to a wide variety of solutions in the Intelisys portfolio. That’s why we’ll explain the different forms that an MSP solution can take – and help you identify opportunities for MSP deals with your customers.  ## Categories of MSP Solutions There are multiple MSP solution sets that you can offer customers, including: - Help Desk** – This could include both on-site help desk support and remote help desk support or even staff augmentation. - **Endpoints** – Along with desktops and servers, endpoint support could assist with deployment, configuration, and management of mobile phones, tablets, and even IoT devices.  - **Systems** – Windows deployment services, Active Directory services, and cloud services (Microsoft 365 management, for example) give Sales Partners a great entry point for MSP deals. - **Networking** – This could involve physical deployment, configuration, management, and support for routers, switches, firewalls, wireless access points, and public internet carriers. This also includes low voltage cabling throughout a customer’s facilities. - **Applications** – MSPs can handle a company’s support tickets for SaaS products like AutoCAD or Office 365.  - **Cybersecurity** – Lots of companies are switching to managed security service providers (MSSPs), which provide a full menu of traditional security solutions (including managed detection and response, security awareness training, email security gateways, and password management). - **Cloud Computing** – An MSP can move a customer’s server environment into their private cloud (relieving the customer of the need to maintain a data center) or maintain systems in another provider’s private cloud. - **Support** – An MSP can remain on stand-by for a customer’s admin team, ready to deploy new equipment, implement new applications, or troubleshoot issues when the need arises. ## Managed services vs pro services A traditional MSP is, by definition, a managed service. But many MSP deals also tie in pro services that your customers will find valuable. By combining managed services and pro services, you can simultaneously meet a wide variety of your customers’ needs. Here are some of the pro services that often align with MSPs: - **Implementations** – This could involve new software, new cybersecurity procedures, or even just new workflows.  - **Migrations** – MSPs can help a company move from one system to another (for example, from an on-premise system to a cloud-based system). - **App Dev** – An MSP could develop an application as a pro service on the front end, and then continue to manage the application on the back end.  - **Deployment** – From applications to physical equipment, MSPs can help with establishing new workflows and lifecycle management. - **Low-Voltage Cabling** – Even in the era of wifi and Bluetooth, physical cable connections are often optimal, and MSPs can help install them. ## Cracking the Code: How to Land MSP Deals To land MSP deals, you need to start by understanding your customers’ needs and preferences. Below, we’ll break down some specific points to consider. ### Customers who want to outsource or replace their IT MSPs are especially attractive for businesses that are shifting their IT infrastructure. For example, there’s a current trend in which companies use an MSP to escalate their help desk into a second or third tier. As a Sales Partner, you can identify companies that are eager to make these sorts of changes – and then pitch MSPs accordingly.  ### One MSP for everything vs multiple point solutions As you work through MSP deals, you’ll find there’s a common choice that companies face: whether to use a single MSP in several areas or use multiple point solutions. For example, a single MSP could provide both managed Office 365 and Microsoft Licensing – at which point the customer has to decide whether they want the “two-in-one” solution, or if it would be better to get the managed Office 365 and the Microsoft Licensing from two different providers. There are benefits and drawbacks to both options. An all-in-one solution simplifies workflows, while the point solutions give a company flexibility to work with specialists in various fields (and change providers more easily if a problem comes up).  As a Sales Partner, you can manage these conversations differently depending on the customer, basing your suggestions on their needs and preferences. ### The presale process Here’s the insider playbook for closing an MSP deal: - **Step 1: Understand the customer’s needs.** Start out by gaining a full understanding of the company’s infrastructure, business model, and goals. Identify key stakeholders, and ask about their processes and workflows. You should also make note of any potential roadblocks – including stakeholders who could argue for rejection. - **Step 2: Know the path forward.** During discovery calls, share what you’ve learned about the company and suggest a path forward. Then, you can build a supplier list, introduce suppliers, and schedule meetings. Be prepared for revisions to any tentative deals, especially around scope or pricing.  ## Get Focused on MSP Deals MSP deals are lucrative for Sales Partners, giving you MRR that many other solutions don’t provide. Yes, these deals involve a larger sales cycle – but even smaller IT companies can end up spending a lot. For support with MSP-related sales, reach out to your SE. ## Learn more with Intelisys University Check out the full recording of our webinar on this topic, available in Intelisys University Learning.  [*PrevPreviousThe Art of TEM ](https://intelisys.com/the-art-of-tem/) [NextUnderstanding Healthcare CX**Next](https://intelisys.com/understanding-healthcare-cx/) ## Related Posts [** VIEW ALL POSTS](https://intelisys.com/follow-us/) ### [5 Insights from the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)](https://intelisys.com/insights-verizon-data-breach-investigations-report/) This year’s DBIR hits at a moment of change in the larger security conversation. 2025 was all about securing network infrastructure, but despite those efforts, it’s become clear that preventing [Read More »](https://intelisys.com/insights-verizon-data-breach-investigations-report/) ### [Connectivity, Security, and AI: A Unified System for Distributed Banking](https://intelisys.com/connectivity-security-ai-banking/) The modern banking system is built on trust. 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