16 September 2026
Mind the Margin: The Financial Metrics That Decide Where Your MSP Goes Next
Growth & Strategy
The problem is what comes next. Growth stalls at whatever the owner has time for, and the pressure to hire builds before anyone's clear on what they'd actually be hiring for.
We heard from MSP sales and marketing leaders on what they built first, what they'd do differently, and what has to be in place before anything moves off the owner's plate.
Key Takeaways
The Owner's Story Is a Sales Asset No Hire Can Copy
James pointed out that clients buy from the owner because of what the owner built, and that director-to-director relationship is hard to hand over. Kristal added that a lot of owner selling doesn't feel like selling at all. Before moving anything off your plate, be honest about your gaps, whether that's numbers, follow-up or admin, because that tells you what should go first.
Deals Leak at the Top of the Funnel, Not in the Room
Most owners convert well once they're in front of a prospect. The problem is not enough of those conversations. Work backwards from the last few clients you won and do more of whatever got you in the door. And when someone fills out a contact form, call them within 24 hours. That's the highest-intent lead you'll get.
Build the Process Before You Hire the Person
James' first move is a basic sales process inside the CRM you already use, so follow-up stops living in the owner's head. Four stages is enough, discovery, technical, value and ROI, then proposal, and the value stage is the one most MSPs skip. If admin isn't your strength, a VA or sales ops person who keeps you accountable can do more than a new salesperson.
The Easiest Revenue Is Already in Your Client Base
A simple whitespace map, clients down the side and products across the top, coloured by what they have, takes about 30 minutes and shows where the gaps are. Kristal's test is blunt. If you can't sell to your own clients with a process, a new hire won't either. Lead with adding value rather than a sales push, and AI is the obvious conversation to open right now.
For Most MSPs, a BDM Isn't the First Sales Hire
A decent BDM costs $140K to $150K base and up to $300K OTE, and James has seen more MSP BDM hires fail than succeed. You need a documented process, a clear value proposition, a fair comp plan, capacity to deliver and more leads than the owner can work before it makes sense. Kristal warned that a true hunter can break an MSP in the $2 to $5 million range that can only onboard a few new clients a month.
