Shock, Awe, and Closed Deals: The MSP Strategy No One’s Using (But Should Be)

When I was at my MSP, I got tired of the same old game.

We’d show up to meetings with basic brochures, follow up with generic proposals, and hope (fingers crossed) that something about us stood out. Spoiler alert: nothing did!

Prospects saw us as just another IT company.

That’s when everything changed. We launched our “Shock and Awe” kit. Just like that, deals started closing faster and way more consistently!

Why First Impressions Matter More Than Ever

Business owners are skeptical. Can you blame them?

They’ve been burned by MSPs who overpromise and underdeliver. A plain email? Not cutting it. A templated slide deck? Tossed in the mental trash.

We had to lead with impact. We needed something that said, “Whoa, this MSP is different.” So we built our kit to do just that!

What Was in the Shock and Awe Kit?

This kit was never about gimmicks: it was about trust acceleration. Every item was designed to establish authority and spark curiosity before the first meeting.

Here’s what we packed in:

1. A Personal Welcome Letter

From me, the owner. I thanked them for meeting with us, made it personal (mentioning their business by name), and set expectations for our upcoming meeting.

Then, I shared our story of why we started and what made us different. For us, it was our early adoption of the cloud. For you, maybe it’s a specialty in a specific vertical!

The key? Make it feel like you built your MSP for them specifically.

2. Educational Content That Sells (Without Selling)

We included genuinely helpful resources that would be valuable even if they never hired us. Things like:

1. “7 Signs Your Business is at Risk for a Cyber Attack”
2. “Cloud Readiness Checklist”
3. “10 Reasons to Move to the Cloud”
4. “25-Step Natural Disaster Preparedness Checklist”

No fluff, just collateral that made them think, “These people know what they’re talking about.”

3. Case Studies and Testimonials

You can say you’re amazing all day long. But when your clients say it? That’s power.

We included real stories showing the results we delivered. Bonus points if the case study matched the industry of the prospect!

4. High-Quality Branded Swag

Forget stress balls: give out Yeti mugs!

High-quality merchandise has a much lower chance of ending up in a drawer, never to be seen again. It also sends a clear message: your MSP invests in quality for your marketing and your clients.

5. A “Why Work With Us” One-Pager

This was our no-nonsense pitch!

We listed all our differentiators and everything that made us the no-brainer choice. We even had a 30-day satisfaction guarantee! The best part? No one ever used it. But it took risk off the table and showed just how confident we were in our service.

When to Send It?

Timing is everything.

Too early, and it gets forgotten. Too late, and it loses impact!

We aimed to have our Shock and Awe Kit land 1-2 days before the sales meeting. It put us in their mind right when it mattered.

We also used it for re-engaging old leads and following up after trade shows when interest was high!

Getting Started: Don’t Overthink It!

Look, you don’t need a $10,000 marketing budget to get rolling.

Start small:

1. Write your welcome letter.
2. Pick two killer educational pieces from your current content.
3. Design your “Why Work With Us” page.
4. Find sleek packaging that doesn’t scream “discount bin.”

The magic is in the thoughtfulness and the execution.

The Bottom Line

If you want premium clients, you’ve got to deliver a premium experience… before they even become clients!

This strategy helped us land better clients by making us stand out in a sea of sameness, and it can do the same for your MSP.

Today’s quote is from Will Rogers: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

Have a great week!