Let’s get something straight—selling isn’t manipulation. But if you’re an MSP who’s ever felt weird about pushing security, you’ve probably asked yourself:
Am I just trying to scare them into buying something?
Am I being pushy?
Do they really need this, or am I just making my quota?
Good questions. Here’s how you know:
If your client found out everything you already know about cybersecurity, compliance, and liability, would they be grateful you sold them the right solutions?
Or would they feel duped?
If it’s the first one, you’re doing your job. If it’s the second? Well, congratulations—you’re a sleazeball. But I’m guessing that’s not you.
The Client Who Didn’t Want to Hear It
I had a client once. An absolute nightmare. You know the type.
Every quarter, I’d sit down with my MSP clients and ask, What’s coming next? What are your goals for the next three months?
Because if I knew what they were planning, I could help them avoid disaster. If they were expanding, I’d make sure their security scaled with them. If they were hiring, I’d lock down their onboarding and offboarding. If they were investing in new software, I’d make sure it wasn’t some unpatched, unsupported, data-leaking garbage.
So I asked her:
“What’s coming next for your business?”
Her response?
“That’s none of your business.”
Except… it was my business.
Because if she made big changes and I didn’t know about them? She was the one who was going to get hacked.
She didn’t get it. She thought I was just trying to upsell her. She thought I was manipulating her.
I wasn’t.
I was trying to protect her from herself.
Selling Isn’t Manipulation—It’s Helping People Avoid Disaster
Every MSP has a moment where they hesitate. A client pushes back. Do I really need this?
You start second-guessing yourself.
Maybe they’ll be fine. Maybe they’ll never get breached. Maybe they won’t get sued. Maybe they’ll be the one business that never has a security event, never gets audited, never has to defend itself in court.
Maybe.
But the real question isn’t if a disaster will happen.
It’s when.
And when it does, do you want to be the MSP that tried to warn them?
Or the one that stayed quiet, let them cheap out on security, and now has to explain why they’re completely screwed?
Show the Truth, Not the Fear
This isn’t about scaring clients into buying more. It’s about giving them the facts so they can make the right decisions.
- They think compliance is optional. Tell them about the lawsuits.
- They think cyber insurance will cover them. Show them the denied claims.
- They think you’re just selling them something. Prove to them that you’re trying to protect them.
Because here’s the deal:
If your clients knew what you knew about risk, liability, and cybersecurity—they’d buy.
The only reason they don’t?
You haven’t made them understand it yet.
So do your job. Sell them the protection they actually need.
Because if you don’t?
They’ll find out what you knew after the breach. After the lawsuit. After the damage is done.
And by then, it’s too late.
