July 29, 2025 • 14 mins
Building meaningful relationships in business isn't just nice to have—it's essential for growth and sustainability. When we make connections with people, we open doors to unexpected opportunities, friendships, and partnerships that transcend immediate business needs.
The MSP industry has been stuck in a price-focused mindset for too long. We need to shift toward being prescriptive advisors, similar to how doctors diagnose and treat patients. Your customers don't just pick the "white pill" from a selection of medications—they trust their doctor's expertise. Similarly, MSPs should diagnose business technology problems and prescribe comprehensive solutions. This approach positions you as a trusted advisor rather than a commodity service provider.
Going beyond technical solutions creates even more value. Sharing your own business improvement methodologies—whether it's implementing Traction or other operational systems—helps clients optimize their entire operation. This makes you "sticky" as a partner and ensures that as they grow, they'll need more of your services. The relationships become mutually beneficial: their success fuels yours.
The same collaborative approach should extend to vendor relationships. Before rushing to complain on social media when problems arise, reach out directly to company representatives. Every negative post creates ripple effects that can't be undone, potentially harming your reputation and the vendor's business. Remember that vendor relationships should be 50-50 partnerships where both sides contribute to improvement.
Our MSP community stands apart in its willingness to support each other despite competition. When we attend industry events with intentional networking plans, we create connections that often yield surprising benefits. Sometimes the person you meet at a vendor booth might become your next employee, partner, or even liver donor—you simply never know!
Ready to transform your approach to business relationships? Focus on building authentic connections, providing prescriptive value, and engaging positively with the broader ecosystem. Your business—and our entire community—will be stronger for it.
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Hi, I’m Marc Thomas, Founder and CEO of Current TEK Solutions and CYBER GUARDIANS. If you or someone you know could benefit from our cutting-edge IT and cybersecurity services, we’d love to help. Reach out to us today to learn how we can secure and elevate your business. https://www.currentTEKsolutions.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Make relationships and connections, because you
never know, that person could beyour next liver donor.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I mean you just don't know right.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Make connections with people and, by the way, you
don't have to make connectionswith people you don't connect
with.
That's fine.
But I mean, you don't know, youcould hit it off with someone
and become best friends.
You could hit it off withsomebody and you know they know
someone that can connect you upwith something that you need
down the line.
And, and you know they knowsomeone that can connect you up
(00:31):
with something that you needdown the line.
And again, it's not about whatyou need, but I'm just saying
don't pass up on opportunitiesto meet great people.
Value instead of price right,that's the best way to do it is.
You know, obviously.
You know, when I talk to peopletoo, it's always about it seems
like it's always price.
Hey, it's this price thing,this price, price.
I can't match their price.
We got to get away from that.
We got to start talking aboutvalue.
Where's the value?
And why are we not talking morelike doctors do?
(00:53):
Why are we not being moreprescriptive?
That's the piece that we'remissing.
You know, and you know folkslike Matt Lee and Paul Redding
out in the space.
Those guys talk about this, butI don't think enough people are
listening.
You know, my doctor doesn'tcome to me and you know my
doctor comes to me and says hey,you got high blood pressure,
you're overweight, you gotdiabetes, and, you know, shows
(01:15):
me my pills and I don't go.
Hmm, I just want the white one.
So why do we allow?
Why does them?
Why do MSPs let their customersdo that to us?
Right, it's because we werealways born to just take the
sale, take the money.
We need it, we need thecustomers, we need the customers
.
And we got to break away fromthat.
We got to start to be moreprescriptive and explain like a
(01:36):
doctor here's what's wrong withyour business, which, by the way
, is the second most importantthing other than their health.
Right, because it feeds theirfamily.
It does so.
It's the same idea, dear I saidI dear the same idea as a doctor
we can tell, we can do a scanand we can tell them what's
wrong with their network and howto fix it.
(01:56):
And here's your prescriptive.
This has nothing to do withtech talk that says these are
the things that we're going todo to fix your business.
Here's your business problems.
These are your businessoutcomes, this is how we're
going to fix you and when.
You can do that, coupled withdoing some other things that are
not technical.
One thing that I started to dowas every time I found a way to
(02:16):
fix my business internally, Iwould show my customers how to
do that same thing Traction,anything that I was doing.
I would talk to my customersabout that and they would be
like, wait a minute, this hasnothing to do with technology.
No, I want to help you Rightand if I help them, be better
businesses and they grew.
That helped me.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So it's not like it's not helping.
So doing things that are notall about the tech and helping
them be better, first of all, itmakes you a hell of a lot more
sticky because now you're anadvisor to them.
You're not just some tech guyor girl out there fixing their
tech stuff.
You are showing them how to bebetter in their business.
So if you can find ways thatyou're doing, you're learning
(02:55):
and working on your business todo that with the business owners
you work with as your customers, it only makes that
relationship that much morestronger.
And if you make them better andthey're not going out of
business because of somethingcrazy and they've actually found
a way to double and tripletheir business, well, when that
happens, who do they need fortechnology?
Well, of course it's you.
(03:15):
So taking that business approachand that prescriptive approach
works light years ahead of justgoing at it and trying to sell,
sell, sell and you know how thatmodel works out.
Right.
Then you end up with 10, 12really bad customers that you
can't get rid of.
Your culture gets crushed andculture is everything in your
business, your culture, yourpeople have to believe and row
(03:38):
in the same direction you are.
So, yeah, it's been a littlewhile since I was actually
running, actually running an msp, and I just keep coming up with
these new ideas and I alwayssay to myself, oh, maybe I'll go
back and do it, and then I thenI think about all the security
crap you guys gotta do.
I'll stay over here and justhelp, right well, because it's a
(03:59):
total different game.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
right, it's right.
I mean, there's so much moreinvolved and it is only getting
more complex, complex and morethings we have to do, and let
alone talk about all the changewith the vendors we deal with
and the things that they'reimplementing, it becomes a lot
Well there you go and, mark, youjust hit it on the head.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
The other part of this is most MSPs like to
complain about the vendors,right, and it's so funny because
it's this trickle effect.
So, as MSPs, we complain aboutour customers and we complain
about the vendors, the twopeople we rely on the most right
.
And we complain, complain,complain, complain.
But what are we actually doingas MSPs to fix that?
(04:41):
Well, the first one is what Isaid be more prescriptive.
Make the connections with yourcustomers and show value and
they'll do more, they'll buymore and it'll be more natural.
You're not trying to push asale, but for those same reasons
, why do you act like yourvendors are supposed to kiss
your butt and fall all over youfor your little bit of business?
You got to help.
(05:01):
It's a 50-50 relationship.
Be a part of their pack.
And if you're a part of theirpack and you're giving them
stuff and they're not doinganything with it, then you have
a legitimate gripe if they'renot doing that.
But I got to be honest.
Lately I've been seeing vendorsdoing more with their packs
than ever before.
People who are on thoseadvisory boards are bringing
back feedback, real feedback,and the vendors do seem to be
(05:25):
more open to the change that'scoming right from the MSPs.
So be a part of that change.
Don't sit and complain If yourvendor's not doing what they're
supposed to do.
First of all, don't go right tosocial media and stop blasting
off.
That's the worst thing you cando, and remember I was at PAX 8
dealing with that very thingwhere people would just go out
to social.
And then I got to be honest,mark, 98% of the time it was the
(05:49):
MSP, not Pax8.
It was the weirdest thing.
Now there are those times whereit would be some stupid Pax8
thing, but Pax8 would step upand fix it right.
So how is that a problem?
And I say that there's a lot ofvendors doing that now, because
nobody's perfect, everybody'sgoing to have problems.
So why are you going to goright to social media the minute
that something bad happens?
That's the part that I don'tlike.
(06:10):
It's like and I actually madeone of my members well, I said
this to one of my members.
I said, mark, go to the kitchentable, grab a tube of
toothpaste and squirt it allover the table and then try
getting that toothpaste backinto the tube.
That's what typing on socialmedia is like.
You can't take it back.
It doesn't matter what you do,it's out there.
(06:31):
Whether you delete it, there'sno way to fix it.
So why would you do that muchdamage right out of the gate
before you've talked to someonefrom the company or tried to
push for help inside there?
And I get it.
If you've gone everywhere, allthe way up to the CEO, and
you're getting blown off, sure,go to social media and tell your
story.
I get that.
But that's what's happening mostof the time.
(06:53):
Most of the time, msps getangry and they just start typing
away and boom, and it's outthere.
And when I talk to them theywould say, yeah, man, I'm sorry,
I was having a bad day.
I'm like, yeah, but your badday just basically compounded
and went out into the world andmade a whole bunch of other bad
days.
And, by the way, whether thatwas a real problem or not,
somebody who was just startingout and was looking at Pax8 to
(07:15):
maybe try to use them might havenot made that decision because
of your bad remark on it.
It wasn't really meant to dothat.
What is what you say?
And it's not what it meant todo, but it did that, it has that
effect Right, and that's forall vendors.
I'm just telling you myexperience with doing this was,
if you have, if you havechampions out in the space like
(07:35):
Pax8Now, you don't think Rob Rayresponds to every post that
gets.
Every time someone posts, robRay says hey man, let's connect
and talk about this.
Hey man, let's connect and talkabout this.
You have somebody.
Reach out to the Rob Rays.
Reach out to Tracy Arisco atHuntress or Becky Teal at
Huntress, you know.
Reach out to Shane atThreatLock.
Write this.
Every one of these companies,larry Maderat and FEMA, like
(07:57):
there's all these companies.
I could go on and on.
I have the Super Ops hat behindme Juan and Nancy at Super Ops.
There are champions at almostevery one of these vendors.
Go to them first.
You don't need to go to socialand cause this negative romping,
and that's what happens.
You say it, then someone elsesays it.
Then there's the people thatout there.
That that's what they live for.
(08:17):
They jump on and start sayingbad things.
That's the one thing we reallyneed to stop.
Mark is the negativity.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Well, that negativity , and not when we talk about the
vendor aspect, but let's justtalk about life in general,
right, right, Everything we'retouching, doing I mean, there's
so much negativity.
So, and we're in this thing nowwhere everyone goes, first
thing you need to do is go tosocial media.
It doesn't matter if they're onan airline, right, have a delay
(08:48):
or whatever it is, you know, nomatter what restaurant,
instantly.
People.
And we had a recent experience,I think it was last week, if I
remember correctly you know, weuse a, obviously a c-sat
mechanism with our tickets, whenthey're when they're completed,
and and we had one come back asso-so instantly.
So I'm picking a phone, like,wait a second, this is coming
from a client that has nevergiven us anything in two years,
but today gives us a so-so right, pick a phone, hey, what's
(09:11):
going on, you having a bad day.
You know like, yeah, well,customers, this customers that
employees, this like yeah, itsounds horrendous.
Right, like, what did we do?
Right, you know like, well, youknow, really it was, and then
it, you know that kind of aspectis they going hey, I want the
feedback.
But if you have an issue, callme.
Right, happy to talk throughwith you.
(09:33):
When you hit that, thatinstantly went to our website
and now show dropped.
Our score shows it.
You know, like you don't knowwho's going to see that next.
Right, like going and hey, atleast get the opportunity to
talk about it.
We want that feedback, yeah,yeah, oh, I had no idea I can
take it back.
Well, it's not about the takeback or let's fix the problem.
The problem is it looks likethere was some communication
(09:55):
misunderstanding, whatever.
Um, we can fix that.
You know, we'll walk youthrough what we did.
Um, but yeah, like out throughsocial or put those things out
there.
It's out there.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Right, like and you know what it's.
It's uh, it ties into you know.
So, from a vendor perspective,if you're an MSP out there, what
you should be doing is tryingto find ways to make those
vendors better.
They're your partner, they'reworking on stuff that that
directly relates to what you'redoing for your customers, right?
So have the same respect for it.
(10:27):
You don't like it when yourcustomers do it to you but then
you go and do it to your vendor,right?
It doesn't make sense.
So I've been saying this a lotlately too If you haven't talked
to a vendor even in threemonths, go talk to them, have a
conversation.
It doesn't mean you're going tobuy their solution, but damn, if
you don't know what they'redoing now, you could miss out on
(10:49):
something very good.
So you know, people always sayvendors, vendors, vendors, blah,
blah, blah.
Yeah, do I think you shouldchange your stack out all the
time?
No, do I think you shouldchange your stack over price?
No, but there is so muchchanging out in the world and
there's so many things that aregoing on and you should be
(11:12):
taking the time to hear outevery vendor that is relevant to
what you do.
And if you haven't talked tothem in three months, go have a
conversation.
Why are people so afraid ofconversation, mark?
I mean it doesn't make sense tome that people are getting
nervous about stopping andtalking to a vendor.
Listen, if I walk up to a boothas an MSP and they immediately
pitch me, I'm like you can say,thanks, have a nice day.
That's okay, but that's nothappening all the time.
(11:33):
And if you walk up to a booth,how do you know that you don't
have a conversation with someoneat that booth that turns out to
be your next employee or yournext employer, like?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
whatever, very true, the relationship aspect.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Right, make relationships and connections
because you never know thatperson aspect.
Right, make relationships andconnections because you never
know that person could be yournext liver donor.
I mean you just don't know right, Make connections with people
and, by the way, you don't haveto make connections with people
you don't connect with, that'sfine.
But I mean, you don't know, youcould hit it off with someone
and become best friends.
You could hit it off withsomebody and you know they know
(12:07):
someone that can connect you upwith something that you need
down the line.
And again, it's not about whatyou need, but I'm just saying
don't pass up on opportunitiesto meet great people and and
know great people.
I I talked to the competitionat every company I was ever at,
including my msp, and peopleused to think I was crazy
because remember, back in theday, it was that castle
mentality I can't give up my, Ican't give up my secret sauce or
(12:30):
they're going to steal my stuff.
And it's like no, what we callit nowadays and Bob Coppedge
coined the phrase it's co-oppetition.
It's not competition.
You know it's what it's.
We're friendly, we help eachother.
There's plenty of business togo around and we should be
connecting with the vendorsespecially, and also other MSPs.
When you go to an event, youshould be meeting other MSPs.
(12:52):
You should put it on a plan.
You should write a plan anytimeyou go to an event.
By the way, you know whathappens when you go to an event
Ah, you end up over here, youend up over there, you're at a
bar somewhere over here, andthat's all cool if you have a
plan.
But you should always write aplan going to an event.
(13:13):
If I hit these things, all therest of the stuff is gravy.
I'm going to be okay and I'vemade some great connections over
the years.
People always talk to me aboutoh, you know everybody.
Well, yeah, because I took thetime to do it.
I stopped at a conversation,had a conversation with people,
then I got to make my owndecision.
Let them make their owndecision of whether or not they
like me, right, and you can moveon.
But these relationships are soimportant and I got to be honest
(13:38):
.
I think our community, as crazyand messed up as it is, it's
still the best community in theworld.
I don't see communities pullingtogether the way we do.
You know, we have a friend inneed.
We come together as a communityand pull and pull together and
make stuff happen and it's.
That part is really cool.
But you can't do that if youhaven't made those connections
(13:58):
if you're not connecting withpeople.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Hi, I'm Mark Thomas, founder and CEO of Current Tech
Solutions and CyberGuardians.
We know business owners likeyou want to focus on growing
your company, not worrying aboutIT problems or security threats
.
That's where we come in.
Our team uses AI to protectyour business from cyber risks
and keep everything runningsmoothly.
If you're ready for peace ofmind and a stronger future,
(14:24):
reach out to us today.
Let's secure and elevate yourbusiness together.
Oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Make relationships and connections, because you
never know, that person could beyour next liver donor.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I mean you just don't know right.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Make connections with people and, by the way, you
don't have to make connectionswith people you don't connect
with.
That's fine.
But I mean, you don't know, youcould hit it off with someone
and become best friends.
You could hit it off withsomebody and you know they know
someone that can connect you upwith something that you need
down the line.
And, and you know they knowsomeone that can connect you up
(00:31):
with something that you needdown the line.
And again, it's not about whatyou need, but I'm just saying
don't pass up on opportunitiesto meet great people.
Value instead of price right,that's the best way to do it is.
You know, obviously.
You know, when I talk to peopletoo, it's always about it seems
like it's always price.
Hey, it's this price thing,this price, price.
I can't match their price.
We got to get away from that.
We got to start talking aboutvalue.
Where's the value?
And why are we not talking morelike doctors do?
(00:53):
Why are we not being moreprescriptive?
That's the piece that we'remissing.
You know, and you know folkslike Matt Lee and Paul Redding
out in the space.
Those guys talk about this, butI don't think enough people are
listening.
You know, my doctor doesn'tcome to me and you know my
doctor comes to me and says hey,you got high blood pressure,
you're overweight, you gotdiabetes, and, you know, shows
(01:15):
me my pills and I don't go.
Hmm, I just want the white one.
So why do we allow?
Why does them?
Why do MSPs let their customersdo that to us?
Right, it's because we werealways born to just take the
sale, take the money.
We need it, we need thecustomers, we need the customers
.
And we got to break away fromthat.
We got to start to be moreprescriptive and explain like a
(01:36):
doctor here's what's wrong withyour business, which, by the way
, is the second most importantthing other than their health.
Right, because it feeds theirfamily.
It does so.
It's the same idea, dear I saidI dear the same idea as a doctor
we can tell, we can do a scanand we can tell them what's
wrong with their network and howto fix it.
(01:56):
And here's your prescriptive.
This has nothing to do withtech talk that says these are
the things that we're going todo to fix your business.
Here's your business problems.
These are your businessoutcomes, this is how we're
going to fix you and when.
You can do that, coupled withdoing some other things that are
not technical.
One thing that I started to dowas every time I found a way to
(02:16):
fix my business internally, Iwould show my customers how to
do that same thing Traction,anything that I was doing.
I would talk to my customersabout that and they would be
like, wait a minute, this hasnothing to do with technology.
No, I want to help you Rightand if I help them, be better
businesses and they grew.
That helped me.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So it's not like it's not helping.
So doing things that are notall about the tech and helping
them be better, first of all, itmakes you a hell of a lot more
sticky because now you're anadvisor to them.
You're not just some tech guyor girl out there fixing their
tech stuff.
You are showing them how to bebetter in their business.
So if you can find ways thatyou're doing, you're learning
(02:55):
and working on your business todo that with the business owners
you work with as your customers, it only makes that
relationship that much morestronger.
And if you make them better andthey're not going out of
business because of somethingcrazy and they've actually found
a way to double and tripletheir business, well, when that
happens, who do they need fortechnology?
Well, of course it's you.
(03:15):
So taking that business approachand that prescriptive approach
works light years ahead of justgoing at it and trying to sell,
sell, sell and you know how thatmodel works out.
Right.
Then you end up with 10, 12really bad customers that you
can't get rid of.
Your culture gets crushed andculture is everything in your
business, your culture, yourpeople have to believe and row
(03:38):
in the same direction you are.
So, yeah, it's been a littlewhile since I was actually
running, actually running an msp, and I just keep coming up with
these new ideas and I alwayssay to myself, oh, maybe I'll go
back and do it, and then I thenI think about all the security
crap you guys gotta do.
I'll stay over here and justhelp, right well, because it's a
(03:59):
total different game.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
right, it's right.
I mean, there's so much moreinvolved and it is only getting
more complex, complex and morethings we have to do, and let
alone talk about all the changewith the vendors we deal with
and the things that they'reimplementing, it becomes a lot
Well there you go and, mark, youjust hit it on the head.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
The other part of this is most MSPs like to
complain about the vendors,right, and it's so funny because
it's this trickle effect.
So, as MSPs, we complain aboutour customers and we complain
about the vendors, the twopeople we rely on the most right
.
And we complain, complain,complain, complain.
But what are we actually doingas MSPs to fix that?
(04:41):
Well, the first one is what Isaid be more prescriptive.
Make the connections with yourcustomers and show value and
they'll do more, they'll buymore and it'll be more natural.
You're not trying to push asale, but for those same reasons
, why do you act like yourvendors are supposed to kiss
your butt and fall all over youfor your little bit of business?
You got to help.
(05:01):
It's a 50-50 relationship.
Be a part of their pack.
And if you're a part of theirpack and you're giving them
stuff and they're not doinganything with it, then you have
a legitimate gripe if they'renot doing that.
But I got to be honest.
Lately I've been seeing vendorsdoing more with their packs
than ever before.
People who are on thoseadvisory boards are bringing
back feedback, real feedback,and the vendors do seem to be
(05:25):
more open to the change that'scoming right from the MSPs.
So be a part of that change.
Don't sit and complain If yourvendor's not doing what they're
supposed to do.
First of all, don't go right tosocial media and stop blasting
off.
That's the worst thing you cando, and remember I was at PAX 8
dealing with that very thingwhere people would just go out
to social.
And then I got to be honest,mark, 98% of the time it was the
(05:49):
MSP, not Pax8.
It was the weirdest thing.
Now there are those times whereit would be some stupid Pax8
thing, but Pax8 would step upand fix it right.
So how is that a problem?
And I say that there's a lot ofvendors doing that now, because
nobody's perfect, everybody'sgoing to have problems.
So why are you going to goright to social media the minute
that something bad happens?
That's the part that I don'tlike.
(06:10):
It's like and I actually madeone of my members well, I said
this to one of my members.
I said, mark, go to the kitchentable, grab a tube of
toothpaste and squirt it allover the table and then try
getting that toothpaste backinto the tube.
That's what typing on socialmedia is like.
You can't take it back.
It doesn't matter what you do,it's out there.
(06:31):
Whether you delete it, there'sno way to fix it.
So why would you do that muchdamage right out of the gate
before you've talked to someonefrom the company or tried to
push for help inside there?
And I get it.
If you've gone everywhere, allthe way up to the CEO, and
you're getting blown off, sure,go to social media and tell your
story.
I get that.
But that's what's happening mostof the time.
(06:53):
Most of the time, msps getangry and they just start typing
away and boom, and it's outthere.
And when I talk to them theywould say, yeah, man, I'm sorry,
I was having a bad day.
I'm like, yeah, but your badday just basically compounded
and went out into the world andmade a whole bunch of other bad
days.
And, by the way, whether thatwas a real problem or not,
somebody who was just startingout and was looking at Pax8 to
(07:15):
maybe try to use them might havenot made that decision because
of your bad remark on it.
It wasn't really meant to dothat.
What is what you say?
And it's not what it meant todo, but it did that, it has that
effect Right, and that's forall vendors.
I'm just telling you myexperience with doing this was,
if you have, if you havechampions out in the space like
(07:35):
Pax8Now, you don't think Rob Rayresponds to every post that
gets.
Every time someone posts, robRay says hey man, let's connect
and talk about this.
Hey man, let's connect and talkabout this.
You have somebody.
Reach out to the Rob Rays.
Reach out to Tracy Arisco atHuntress or Becky Teal at
Huntress, you know.
Reach out to Shane atThreatLock.
Write this.
Every one of these companies,larry Maderat and FEMA, like
(07:57):
there's all these companies.
I could go on and on.
I have the Super Ops hat behindme Juan and Nancy at Super Ops.
There are champions at almostevery one of these vendors.
Go to them first.
You don't need to go to socialand cause this negative romping,
and that's what happens.
You say it, then someone elsesays it.
Then there's the people thatout there.
That that's what they live for.
(08:17):
They jump on and start sayingbad things.
That's the one thing we reallyneed to stop.
Mark is the negativity.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Well, that negativity , and not when we talk about the
vendor aspect, but let's justtalk about life in general,
right, right, Everything we'retouching, doing I mean, there's
so much negativity.
So, and we're in this thing nowwhere everyone goes, first
thing you need to do is go tosocial media.
It doesn't matter if they're onan airline, right, have a delay
(08:48):
or whatever it is, you know, nomatter what restaurant,
instantly.
People.
And we had a recent experience,I think it was last week, if I
remember correctly you know, weuse a, obviously a c-sat
mechanism with our tickets, whenthey're when they're completed,
and and we had one come back asso-so instantly.
So I'm picking a phone, like,wait a second, this is coming
from a client that has nevergiven us anything in two years,
but today gives us a so-so right, pick a phone, hey, what's
(09:11):
going on, you having a bad day.
You know like, yeah, well,customers, this customers that
employees, this like yeah, itsounds horrendous.
Right, like, what did we do?
Right, you know like, well, youknow, really it was, and then
it, you know that kind of aspectis they going hey, I want the
feedback.
But if you have an issue, callme.
Right, happy to talk throughwith you.
(09:33):
When you hit that, thatinstantly went to our website
and now show dropped.
Our score shows it.
You know, like you don't knowwho's going to see that next.
Right, like going and hey, atleast get the opportunity to
talk about it.
We want that feedback, yeah,yeah, oh, I had no idea I can
take it back.
Well, it's not about the takeback or let's fix the problem.
The problem is it looks likethere was some communication
(09:55):
misunderstanding, whatever.
Um, we can fix that.
You know, we'll walk youthrough what we did.
Um, but yeah, like out throughsocial or put those things out
there.
It's out there.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Right, like and you know what it's.
It's uh, it ties into you know.
So, from a vendor perspective,if you're an MSP out there, what
you should be doing is tryingto find ways to make those
vendors better.
They're your partner, they'reworking on stuff that that
directly relates to what you'redoing for your customers, right?
So have the same respect for it.
(10:27):
You don't like it when yourcustomers do it to you but then
you go and do it to your vendor,right?
It doesn't make sense.
So I've been saying this a lotlately too If you haven't talked
to a vendor even in threemonths, go talk to them, have a
conversation.
It doesn't mean you're going tobuy their solution, but damn, if
you don't know what they'redoing now, you could miss out on
(10:49):
something very good.
So you know, people always sayvendors, vendors, vendors, blah,
blah, blah.
Yeah, do I think you shouldchange your stack out all the
time?
No, do I think you shouldchange your stack over price?
No, but there is so muchchanging out in the world and
there's so many things that aregoing on and you should be
(11:12):
taking the time to hear outevery vendor that is relevant to
what you do.
And if you haven't talked tothem in three months, go have a
conversation.
Why are people so afraid ofconversation, mark?
I mean it doesn't make sense tome that people are getting
nervous about stopping andtalking to a vendor.
Listen, if I walk up to a boothas an MSP and they immediately
pitch me, I'm like you can say,thanks, have a nice day.
That's okay, but that's nothappening all the time.
(11:33):
And if you walk up to a booth,how do you know that you don't
have a conversation with someoneat that booth that turns out to
be your next employee or yournext employer, like?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
whatever, very true, the relationship aspect.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Right, make relationships and connections
because you never know thatperson aspect.
Right, make relationships andconnections because you never
know that person could be yournext liver donor.
I mean you just don't know right, Make connections with people
and, by the way, you don't haveto make connections with people
you don't connect with, that'sfine.
But I mean, you don't know, youcould hit it off with someone
and become best friends.
You could hit it off withsomebody and you know they know
(12:07):
someone that can connect you upwith something that you need
down the line.
And again, it's not about whatyou need, but I'm just saying
don't pass up on opportunitiesto meet great people and and
know great people.
I I talked to the competitionat every company I was ever at,
including my msp, and peopleused to think I was crazy
because remember, back in theday, it was that castle
mentality I can't give up my, Ican't give up my secret sauce or
(12:30):
they're going to steal my stuff.
And it's like no, what we callit nowadays and Bob Coppedge
coined the phrase it's co-oppetition.
It's not competition.
You know it's what it's.
We're friendly, we help eachother.
There's plenty of business togo around and we should be
connecting with the vendorsespecially, and also other MSPs.
When you go to an event, youshould be meeting other MSPs.
(12:52):
You should put it on a plan.
You should write a plan anytimeyou go to an event.
By the way, you know whathappens when you go to an event
Ah, you end up over here, youend up over there, you're at a
bar somewhere over here, andthat's all cool if you have a
plan.
But you should always write aplan going to an event.
(13:13):
If I hit these things, all therest of the stuff is gravy.
I'm going to be okay and I'vemade some great connections over
the years.
People always talk to me aboutoh, you know everybody.
Well, yeah, because I took thetime to do it.
I stopped at a conversation,had a conversation with people,
then I got to make my owndecision.
Let them make their owndecision of whether or not they
like me, right, and you can moveon.
But these relationships are soimportant and I got to be honest
(13:38):
.
I think our community, as crazyand messed up as it is, it's
still the best community in theworld.
I don't see communities pullingtogether the way we do.
You know, we have a friend inneed.
We come together as a communityand pull and pull together and
make stuff happen and it's.
That part is really cool.
But you can't do that if youhaven't made those connections
(13:58):
if you're not connecting withpeople.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Hi, I'm Mark Thomas, founder and CEO of Current Tech
Solutions and CyberGuardians.
We know business owners likeyou want to focus on growing
your company, not worrying aboutIT problems or security threats
.
That's where we come in.
Our team uses AI to protectyour business from cyber risks
and keep everything runningsmoothly.
If you're ready for peace ofmind and a stronger future,
(14:24):
reach out to us today.
Let's secure and elevate yourbusiness together.
Oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
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