The clients that now come to MSPs expect more, in terms of value, than they used to. This means if MSPs want long-term growth, they must prioritize customer success. 

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However, as the need for customer success is exploding, many MSPs confuse the need with ensuring the quality of project execution. This often hampers the experience they deliver to clients, losing out on opportunities to upsell and cross-sell their services, or even being able to tap into the power of word of mouth promotions to grow. 

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In this guide, we dive deep into customer success and how MSPs can measure it. We’ll also provide you with some best practices to deliver the best experience to your clients. 

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Let’s dive right in! 

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What is MSP Customer Success? 

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Customer success for MSPs isn't just support — it's a strategic partnership. It’s about leveraging your services to propel your clients toward their goals while seamlessly aligning with your MSP’s objectives. Think of it as a symbiotic relationship where both parties thrive together. 

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This goes beyond mere satisfaction, and the focus is on thriving together. 

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Now, outstanding MSP customer success isn't solely about retention. It’s as much about driving advocacy, unlocking upselling opportunities, and creating a path for collective expansion. 

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This is MSP Customer Success — a compass guiding both you and your clients toward shared achievements. 

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Why is MSP Customer Success Important? 

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The importance of MSP customer success is amplified due to heightened competition and evolving revenue models. And this paradigm shift isn't motiveless – a North Highland study states that 87% of leaders now pinpoint customer experience as the engine driving growth. 

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Why this resonance? This connection aligns with the new norm where delivering better and improved customer experience is an area of competition. When your services bring client success, you get engagement, advocacy, and growth. 

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And as businesses increasingly battle based on improved customer experience, nurturing client accomplishments isn't just wise – it's essential. This synergy is a gateway to elevated engagement and exponential expansion. 

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Here are some more reasons why MSP customer success matters: 

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1. Enhancing the Renewal Process 

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Customer loyalty is no longer bound by rigid MSP contracts. Instead, customers have the power. 

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MSPs have shifted towards models like free trials and recurring revenue structures, which need immediate customer buy-in and sustained engagement to thrive.

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MSP customer success streamlines the renewal conversation by providing insight, organization, and team to set up meaningful renewal exchanges. It equips MSPs to expand efficiently and with fewer resource demands. 

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2. Tackling Churn Effectively 

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Reducing churn is vital, and MSP customer success excels in this arena. By consistently refining services based on user feedback, MSPs can reduce churn over time. 

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MSP customer success teams become adept at identifying churn signals and leveraging data to improve customer experience. These teams not only gather invaluable insights from clients but also integrate this with health data to drive proactive improvements. 

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This proactive approach ensures that your MSP solves clients' problems even before clients realize they exist, ultimately minimizing the urge to seek alternatives. 

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3. Driving Revenue Growth 

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MSP customer success not only retains revenue but also boosts it. There are many opportunities for upselling and cross-selling in service-driven models. Customer Success provides the platform to create and capitalize on these chances. 

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This isn't just about maintaining the status quo; it's about crafting a mechanism that generates more revenue at a lower cost. 

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Through nurtured relationships, timely interventions, and well-placed recommendations, MSPs can maximize revenue while delivering genuine value to clients.  

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How to Measure MSP Customer Success? 

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Measuring your MSP customer success program involves more than intuition—it requires data-driven insights that resonate within the MSP arena. 

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Here are some key metrics that MSPs should prioritize: 

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1. Churn Rate 

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The churn rate is a cardinal indicator of customer success, shedding light on your MSP's ability to retain clients. This is simply the number of customers who discontinue your services divided by the total you started with. 

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A low churn rate indicates client satisfaction and a strong customer success program, while a higher churn signifies room for improvement. 

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2. Net Promoter Score (NPS) 

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NPS quantifies client advocacy by asking them how likely they are to recommend your MSP. This scale-driven approach—promoters, passives, detractors—unveils client sentiment and overall satisfaction. A good NPS means successful customer success initiatives. 

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3. Average Revenue Per Client 

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The average revenue per client mirrors how your MSP's offerings resonate with clients. It's the ratio of total revenue from clients to the total number of clients. Higher figures mean that clients find substantial value in your services. 

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4. Client Growth 

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The growth of your client's businesses is a testament to the efficacy of your MSP services. While attribution can be complex, close collaboration between your Customer Success Managers and client representatives can provide invaluable insights. 

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5. Client Engagement 

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Are your MSP clients actively leveraging your services? Client engagement gauges this vital aspect. Whether through interactions with your customer success team or other tailored measures, engagement metrics provide a window into the value your MSP delivers. 

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6. Contextual Metrics 

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Customize your metrics to align with your MSP's unique industry and business model. Avoid replicating measures from different contexts; instead, sculpt your metrics to mirror the dynamics and nuances of the MSP industry. 

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13 MSP Best Practices for Customer Success 

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Elevating customer success in the MSP business requires a tailored approach that resonates with the unique needs of your clients. 

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Here are thirteen MSP best practices for customer success: 

1. Precision in Metrics Selection 

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Delve beyond the surface of data and pinpoint the specific metrics that align with your MSP's goals. Avoid data overload by focusing on MSP key performance indicators (KPIs) that directly correlate with the outcomes you value. Rather than attempting to measure everything, channel your efforts into tracking the metrics that resonate with your MSP business. 

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By aligning your tracking efforts with your objectives, you can streamline decision-making, enhance customer satisfaction, and guide focused action plans. 

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2. Informed Decisions Through Data 

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MSPs should consider analyzing customer performance data to discover insights into usage patterns, feature preferences, and potential pain points. 

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These insights help you make informed decisions that drive service development, tailor support resources, and refine engagement strategies. 

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This data-driven approach empowers you to enhance satisfaction, proactively address issues, and ensure that your MSP offerings align with your client's evolving needs. 

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3. Provide Robust Support and Education 

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One of the cornerstones of MSP customer success is ensuring that your clients fully comprehend and harness the capabilities of your offerings. 

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Invest in comprehensive resources that equip your clients with support and education. A knowledge base, self-serve training courses, and attentive customer support can be instrumental in guiding clients through effective product usage. 

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When your MSP clients understand your service’s value and can employ it effectively in their operations, their satisfaction grows, leading to increased retention rates and more profound long-term relationships. 

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4. Make Product Adoption Easier 

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Leverage product adoption tools that serve as a guide for your clients throughout their journey. These tools offer a structured path, introducing clients to key features and functionalities of your services in a logical sequence. 

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By simplifying the discovery process and aiding clients in their navigation, you increase the likelihood of meaningful engagement. 

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As clients immerse themselves in your services, they comprehend its value more comprehensively. This heightened understanding leads to improved retention rates, increased customer loyalty, and valuable insights that can be employed for continuous product enhancement. 

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5. Embrace the "Aha" Moment 

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Identify the pivotal moment when your clients experience the true impact of your MSP services. This "aha" moment signifies a breakthrough where clients perceive the full potential of your offerings for their business needs. 

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Design your MSP onboarding and engagement strategies to guide clients toward this moment swiftly. 

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Through targeted communications, personalized guidance, and hands-on support, you can encourage clients to reach this point of realization early in their journey. 

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When you accelerate their connection with your product's value, you enhance adoption rates, fuel retention, and make way for sustained growth. 

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6. Tiered Success Strategies 

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MSPs must recognize the diversity within their customer base and tailor their success strategies accordingly. 

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Your high-touch customers will, more often than not, require more personalized guidance, while low-touch clients prefer a self-service approach. Therefore, you should create distinct strategies that align with these customer segments. Provide bespoke support, resources, and engagement pathways that cater to their unique preferences and requirements. 

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This tiered approach ensures that all clients receive the attention they need to thrive within your MSP ecosystem, ultimately leading to higher retention rates and a stronger foundation for growth. 

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7. Construct Trust-Based Relationships 

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Cultivating trust is paramount for MSP customer success. You should set clear, attainable goals and collaborate with clients to create a path toward their fulfillment. 

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Your customer success team should ensure that your MSP regularly reviews progress, communicates about challenges, and adapts plans as needed. 

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This collaborative approach fosters a sense of trust and partnership between your MSP and your clients. Such trust-based relationships translate into higher client loyalty, longer retention, and even opportunities for expansion and upselling. 

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When clients perceive your commitment to their success, they are more likely to remain loyal partners in the journey. 

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8. Client-Centric Support 

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More than convenience, customer-oriented support is a pillar of MSP's customer success. Extend your assistance beyond troubleshooting and cultivate a proactive, customer-centric support environment. Weekly webinars, training sessions, and personalized assistance contribute to the overall success of your clients. 

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Empower them to harness your services to their full potential and continuously educate them on novel use cases and features. By actively supporting their journey, you enhance satisfaction, promote retention, and transform clients into evangelists for your MSP services. 

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9. Accelerate Time to Value 

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One of the MSP best practices is to minimize the time it takes for clients to experience the value of your MSP services. For this, you should streamline the onboarding process, offering guided pathways that swiftly connect clients to the features most relevant to their objectives. 

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By expediting value realization, you enhance engagement, create a sense of satisfaction, and lay the foundation for long-lasting customer relationships. 

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An efficient client or vendor onboarding experience reduces the risk of churn and increases the likelihood of them advocating for your MSP offerings. 

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10. Vigilant Follow-Ups 

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You must also craft a meticulous follow-up and quality business review (QBR) process for your MSP that encompasses thoughtful gestures such as handwritten thank-you notes and periodic check-in calls. 

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This personal touch demonstrates your commitment to your clients' prosperity and solidifies the bond between your MSP and your clients. 

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Regular check-ins allow clients to voice concerns, ask questions, and share feedback. Through these interactions, you not only foster loyalty and trust but also gain valuable insights that can shape future improvements and offerings. 

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11. Fall in Love With Tech Support Feedback  

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The MSP client feedback is something that stands as a potent but often underutilized resource. While support ticket feedback offers a glimpse, its value goes beyond issue resolution. You must realize the potential of mining tech support interactions for insights that extend across your business spectrum. 

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Tech support feedback proves invaluable in many ways:

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• Attracting New Clients: Leverage positive feedback as a trust-building asset to entice potential customers. 
• Optimizing Sales: Insights from feedback tailor sales strategies to address concerns and resonate with prospects.
• Streamlining Onboarding: Identify pain points for smoother transitions and improved customer experiences.
• Increasing Customer Success: Feedback-driven improvements elevate satisfaction and nurture loyalty.
• Elevating NPS: Address detractor concerns to boost Net Promoter Scores.
• Reducing Staff Churn: Internal issues impacting staff morale are exposed, aiding retention.
• Driving Holistic Growth: Feedback guides product enhancement, marketing, and process refinement, aligning with client needs. 

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12. Monitor Service Usage 

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Your MSP should keep a close eye on client usage patterns throughout their journey with your MSP. Regularly assess usage data to detect deviations and trends that may indicate challenges or underutilization of services. Ensure that you proactively address these issues by offering targeted support, resources, or overall improved customer experience. 

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By intervening promptly, you reinforce your commitment to client success. Results? High retention rates and a loyal client base. 

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13. Active Client Participation 

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Another MSP best practice is to create a dynamic relationship with your clients by making them active participants in their success journey. 

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Try to simplify product/service messaging, create a friendly and approachable atmosphere, and offer channels for clients to contribute feedback. By treating clients as active collaborators, you deepen their sense of ownership and investment in your MSP services. Engaged clients are more likely to advocate for your offerings, contribute ideas for improvements, and stay committed to your solutions for the long haul. 

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This approach nurtures loyalty, amplifies retention, and establishes a thriving ecosystem of mutually beneficial partnerships. 

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Zomentum: An All-In-One MSP Platform for Improved Customer Success 

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There’s competition out there, and your MSP can go out of business if your clients are not fighting for you. You must drive growth and engagement by aligning goals, building trust, and leveraging feedback. It’s not easy. But there are no shortcuts either. There, however, is a tool to help you make sure that you run the show better — Zomentum. 

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Zomentum is an all-in-one MSP platform that ensures that everything from MSP proposals and contracts to MSP document management and automation is taken care of. It ensures that the communication is done right from day to for effective collaboration. 

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And when the show is running perfectly for your end of the business, you’ll be more equipped with resources to deliver an improved customer experience. This results in improved customer success. 

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Want to see how Zomentum enables you to deliver better client experiences? 

‍Book a demo today!