As an MSP, understanding your clients’ core needs and goals is not just beneficial—it’s imperative. In our MSP, vCIO services have been marked by a continuous evolution aimed at perfecting this. Here’s how we’ve refined our approach to exceed our clients’ expectations!
The Genesis of Strategic Alignment
In the early days of our MSP, our approach involved conducting an extensive audit of our clients’ infrastructures, ensuring compliance with our standards, and then proposing an annual roadmap and budget. However, we recognized that a crucial piece was missing: a deep, holistic understanding of our clients’ objectives and challenges.
To bridge this gap, we instituted what we now term the Strategic Alignment Meeting—a comprehensive discussion held annually with each client. These sessions, lasting between 60 to 90 minutes, are designed to foster an open dialogue, where our role shifts from speakers to listeners. By asking open-ended questions and encouraging uninterrupted responses, we’ve unlocked invaluable insights into our clients’ businesses, priorities, and forthcoming needs.
The Structure of Strategic Alignment Meetings
Our meetings aim to involve a range of stakeholders from the client’s side—from the CEO to department heads, depending on the organization’s size. This ensures we capture a 360-degree view of the client’s business, encompassing various departments’ unique needs and challenges.
We start with foundational questions about the client’s business model, revenue streams, organizational structure, and operational policies, including remote work. This sets the stage for a deeper dive into their growth strategies, encompassing plans for expansion, new hires, and exploring new business avenues.
Understanding the client’s current challenges and obstacles is next, followed by questions about their business applications and data management practices, including cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and business continuity planning.
Finally, we discuss their immediate IT needs, pain points, and overall concerns, concluding with a forward-looking question: “What does success with our partnership look like to you in the next 12 months?”
The Outcome: A Blueprint for Success
The insights gleaned from these sessions are goldmines—they allow us to craft a tailored, strategic plan that aligns perfectly with our clients’ goals and sets the stage for a successful partnership.
Integrating Strategic Alignment into Your vCIO Process
The benefits of conducting Strategic Alignment Meetings are immeasurable. They not only enhance your service delivery but also deepen your client relationships, leading to more impactful and lasting partnerships. I strongly advocate for incorporating this practice into your vCIO process—it’s a game-changer in true client alignment and satisfaction.
Simon is the President of S3 Technologies, a leading Canadian MSP he co-founded in 2003. He built and scaled the vCIO team which eventually lead to him co-founding Propel Your MSP in 2018 to help MSPs with their vCIO services.
