I'm a VAR and I'm scared sh^&%$##@-less!

I took a call from a friend of mine earlier today while I was staring at my laptop noodling through my next blog topic. He described some email campaigns he was doing for his traditional VAR/MSP business that were getting terrible results.

He went on to describe it this way,

A traditional local/regional VAR trying to scale their new RMM (Remote Management and Monitoring) MSP business by finding net-new customers. First, stop the presses!!! A good old traditional VAR starting an RMM MSP business now??? Hello, cloud!!!

Sorry, I digress. He then described the email campaigns - short and sweet version,

- an RMM MSP value prop - we do it better, faster, cheaper etc. - boring!!!

- outreach to less than 1,000 non-segmented email addresses - huh!!!

- the same message to the same companies and personas - oh yeah, that's gonna work!!!

- a CTA of let's chat - no one wants to chat!!!

After giving me more details on the terrible results after all the hard work, he then told me "We need to increase the TAM and find customers that are in pain". In other words like my first ever sales job selling PBX's - cold calling to find the PBX that failed that same day when I called into them or waiting for the next thunderstorm hoping some PBX's would get struck by lightning.

I told him "Yes it would be nice to find those customers" but that's a numbers game you can't win.

I suggested to him, that at a bare minimum, he needs to,

"Create a much simpler value prop/messaging delivering the message that you can help solve their business problems, each custom to very specific verticals and personas within those verticals and give them something (a give to get), share your blog, invite to you educational webinar etc "You gotta start a relationship!!!" and then nurture them with more educational content - they'll take a "chat session" if they like your value prop but on their time frame - not yours.

Why am I writing this? Because this happens millions of times every day - with the same terrible results.

Sorry all, marketing/lead gen is freakin hard today.

If you don't have a business-outcomes focused value prop (that someone actually gives a shit about) that's laser sharp focused to specific verticals and personas within those verticals, with remarkable content - then don't do a damn thing - it's a waste of your time, $ and will only increase your stress and hair loss................

Join our webinar series below - we discuss exactly this topic.

Btw, this is one of the big topics addressed in the Microsoft/IDC eBook "Modern Partner Series"

I'm a VAR and I'm scared sh^&%$##@-less!

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