Do you know the myth of Sisyphus? You know, the guy in ancient Greek literature who was doomed to keep rolling a rock up a hill? Every day, he struggled to roll a huge rock up a hill. No matter how successful he thought he was, the next morning he had to roll the same rock up the hill.
You might be offering your clients a comprehensive security solution as a core part of their offerings and feeling pretty good about this accomplishment. While this proactive approach is great, if you don’t have proper client involvement and communication, you’re rolling a rock up a hill that’s going to tumble down on you every day. It’s going to have unintended consequences, both for client relationships and your business liability.
Involving Clients in Key Security Decisions = SUCCESS
Imagine visiting a dentist for a routine check-up. She performs a new anticavity treatment on you without any prior discussion or information. Maybe you’ll appreciate the proactive care, or maybe you’ll feel uneasy about not being consulted on an important health decision.
The same is true in the cybersecurity landscape. By implementing security solutions without client input, you effectively make critical decisions on their behalf, which can lead to discomfort and distrust if things go awry.
Security isn’t just a technical requirement. It’s a strategic business decision that impacts the entire organization. When clients are excluded from these decisions, they miss the opportunity to understand the value of the services they are receiving. This can lead to a lack of appreciation for the MSP's efforts and potentially erode trust if the client perceives that their needs and opinions are not being considered.
Want to be successful getting client adoption of security upgrades? Try an education-first approach to security discussions. MSPs who do this have an 80% adoption rate for advanced security measures. Their clients were not only more likely to agree to the services but also were willing to pay retail prices. Why? They recognized the value these protections offered.
Contrast this with MSPs that included security solutions without client involvement. They face challenges in justifying the costs and retaining clients, especially when clients did not perceive a direct benefit. In other words, they struggled to get the rock up the hill day after day after day.
Your Solution: Educate and Involve
The key to successful client relationships is transparency and involvement. Every client has unique risks and a different appetite for how those risks are managed. By educating clients about the risks and the necessary security measures, MSPs can better align their services with client expectations and business objectives.
How do you do this?
By employing a Level One Galactic Penetration Test as a standard part of the client engagement process.
This helps you demonstrate potential vulnerabilities and the importance of addressing them. You’re not only educating the client about the risks but also involving them in the decision-making process. And guess what? This makes them more likely to invest in advanced security solutions.
Hesitant about charging directly for these services?
Consider showing clients the retail cost and the value they receive, even if you choose to absorb some or all of the cost initially. This transparency can help build trust and demonstrate the value of your services, making clients more likely to see the benefits and continue the partnership.
Shift from a model where security services are simply included to one where each service is discussed, explained, and agreed upon. Using this approach you can easily transform your client relationships. This approach mitigates liability and enhances client satisfaction and retention. It’s about making security a shared responsibility – one that clients understand, value, and are willing to invest in, so you’re not pushing the same rock uphill every day.
Remember, your role isn't just to provide services but to help your clients thrive. That’s an easier task when clients appreciate and agree with the security strategies being implemented on their behalf.
