The 5 Steps a Good MSP Should Take You Through as a Potential Client

Today we’re going to talk about the process that an MSP may take you through if you are looking to get some IT services from them.

1. The Introduction

The first thing that should happen is a quick first introduction or interaction. It may be as simple as an email or a short phone call. You’ll meet with your potential MSP provider, introduce yourselves - you’re looking for IT services, they can provide IT services - and learn a little bit of information about each other.

2. The First In-Person Meeting

After speaking with each other for the first time, you may go on to an in-person meeting. Expect to discuss the following:

• What your current IT situation looks like
• What IT changes you’re looking to make
• Your organization’s location(s)
• The number of employees in your organization
• Your field

3. The Network Discovery Phase

From there, your potential MSP partner is going to lead you through what a lot of people call a network discovery or network assessment - there are a lot of different terms for this process. This step is going to involve an engineer and a salesperson.

The network discovery phase is split into two parts

The Business Assessment

The salesperson will sit down with you as well as several other employees in the organization. You won’t talk bits and bytes, but rather how you use technology in your organization. They will ask you how you use email, computers, and applications.

The Technical Assessment

The engineer will look at the types of servers you have, your firewall, your antivirus, and all the other technical aspects of your network.

The network discovery phase is the longest step - the MSP will evaluate your organization, go back to their office and unpacking what they discovered, then return to your office to dig deeper and ask more questions. The network assessment process is lengthy to ensure that the MSP understands your environment and are able to tailor their solutions to fit your needs.

4. The Proposal Submission

At this step, an MSP will report:

• Their assessment findings
• Their understanding of your concerns
• Your needs
• Potential solutions

At this point, an MSP will also provide you with the cost of implementing their services.

5. The Onboarding Phase

If you accept the proposal and decide to partner with that MSP, you will go through an onboarding phase. The onboarding phase is a project phase and when properly executed should take a couple of weeks to fully finish.

These are the five steps you may find yourself going through when you’re dealing with a reputable MSP. If you reach out to a service provider, and are given a proposal after a single phone call, ask a lot of questions! It’s important to know that your MSP partner fully understands your organization and can deliver holistic solutions tailored to your needs.