The Truth: MSPs Cannot Differentiate. Want to Stand Out? Pick Up a Pencil
At IT Expo in Fort Lauderdale, there were plenty of empty breakout sessions—except for one. The room packed wall-to-wall, with people standing in the aisles, was about one thing: how to differentiate your MSP.
Every MSP wants to know the secret to standing out—the one thing that will prevent them from being seen as just another IT provider fighting for scraps in a race to the bottom.
Here’s what everyone gets wrong: it isn’t about selling harder or looking different, or using a clever technique. In fact, the entire concept of the MSP, how we understand it is structurally designed to keep you from standing out.
We’ve created the MSP to be infrastructure, we pick the absolute most boring part of every business and try really hard to get people to care.
They don’t.
They won’t.
So what do you need to do?
Become a Business Solutions Partner.
The MSP industry has spent the last two decades training itself to be resellers, not consultants.
The default playbook is:
• Sell the stack.
• Push the latest tools.
• Talk speeds and feeds.
• Hope the client signs off on more managed services.
And yet, clients aren’t looking for another IT provider to shove a security bundle at them. They want a partner who understands their business and solves problems that they care about?
Now how do you do this? What is the secret technique that will give you access to client needs?
Differentiation isn’t about what you sell. It’s about how well you listen.
The Most Powerful MSP BSP Tool (and It’s Not What You Think)
In a recent conversation with Adam Walter of Humanize IT, he made a bold claim:
The most valuable tool for MSPs isn’t a firewall, RMM, or sales funnel—it’s a pencil.
Why?
Because the real game-changer isn’t in the tech stack MSPs are selling—it’s in how well they understand their clients’ business.
Think about it. When did you last walk into a client meeting with no agenda, grab a pencil, and just start sketching out their challenges? Not your services. Not your latest upsell. Their problems.
It’s through listening that you make the shift from reseller to Business Solution Partner. Understand and Fix What’s Broken
The industry has trained MSPs to see clients as transactions, and in return, clients have started seeing MSPs as just another vendor. Another line item to be negotiated. Another replaceable service.
That’s what’s broken.
And the MSPs who win? They’re the ones who take a step back and actually listen.
Listening is the Differentiator
How you get high-value clients
In our conversation, Adam told a story about an MSP struggling to land high-value clients. The MSP was constantly pitching their services—talking about security, compliance, the importance of backups—but no one was biting.
Then, they switched their approach.
Instead of pushing their services, they started asking questions:
• What’s your biggest frustration with technology right now?
• What’s slowing down your business?
• Where do you want to be in five years?
And they just listened.
The result? The same MSP, selling the same services, started closing bigger deals—because they weren’t just selling IT anymore. They were solving problems.
The Pencil Test: Are You Actually Helping Your Clients?
Do you want to shift from MSP to BSP? Try this:
1. Walk into your next client meeting with zero agenda.
2. Bring nothing but a pencil and a blank sheet of paper.
3. Ask the client about their business—not their IT.
4. Start sketching out their challenges. Not your solutions—their challenges.
If you can map out their pain points before you even mention a product or service, you’re already miles ahead of the competition.
Because the MSPs who win aren’t the ones pitching the best stack. They’re the ones who understand their clients better than anyone else.
Real Differentiation Starts With Being Human
Most MSPs are stuck in “how do I get clients to buy from me?” mode—pushing sales instead of focusing on what their clients actually need.
But here’s the truth:
✅ Clients don’t want a sales pitch. They want a partner who listens.
✅ They don’t want another vendor. They want someone who understands their business.
✅ They don’t care about speeds and feeds. They care about solving real problems.
Differentiation isn’t about your stack. It’s about your ability to connect.
The MSPs who build deep, lasting relationships with clients aren’t the ones memorizing a better pitch. They’re the ones who show up, grab a pencil, and say:
“Tell me what’s not working. Let’s figure this out together.”
That’s how you stand out.
