Key takeaways
- Selling a tool an MSP uses and recruiting an MSP to resell are two different motions.
- Owners decide at small MSPs; technical directors and service delivery managers shape the choice.
- New service lines, acquisitions and vendor licensing changes reopen an MSP's stack.
- A tool used across many clients is a supply chain risk, so MSPs check vendor security closely.
Who are the MSP decision makers
At a small managed service provider the owner or managing director decides, often after the technical director has tested the product. As the firm grows, the service delivery manager gains a say on anything that touches tickets and service levels, and a head of security owns managed security services.
A partner or alliances manager handles vendor relationships where the MSP resells products. Distributors sit between many MSPs and vendors, so they can be a route to market as well as a supplier.
- Owner or managing director: the decision, margins and vendor strategy
- Technical director: evaluation, testing and fit with existing tools
- Service delivery manager: tickets, service levels and technician workload
- Head of security: managed security services and vendor risk
- Partner or alliances manager: resale terms and vendor programmes
Are you selling to MSPs or through them
Decide first whether the MSP is your customer or your channel, because the pitch changes completely. If you sell a tool the MSP uses to run its own service, such as monitoring, ticketing or backup, talk about technician time, service levels and managing many clients from one place.
If you want the MSP to resell your product, you are recruiting a partner. Lead with demand from their clients, the margin and billing model, training and support for their technicians, and how deals are protected from channel conflict. Features come later.
How do you find managed service provider prospects
Find managed service provider prospects by searching for service keywords such as managed IT services, IT support, managed security or cloud services, then filtering by region and headcount. Keywords matter because many MSPs trade under names that say nothing about IT.
Read each firm's service pages to confirm recurring managed services rather than one-off projects, and note the vendor partnerships and the sectors they serve. An MSP focused on legal or healthcare clients has different needs from one serving general small businesses.
Which changes make MSPs look for new vendors
MSPs look for new vendors when their service catalogue or their ownership changes. Launching a security operations or backup service needs new tools, and an acquisition by or of another MSP leads to tool rationalisation across the merged business.
A main vendor changing its licensing or partner terms sends MSPs shopping for alternatives, and clients asking for stronger security evidence push MSPs to add services. Hiring several technicians at once shows growth that strains existing tools.
What do MSPs check before adding a vendor
MSPs check how your product handles many separate client environments and how secure your own company is. A tool with access across all their clients is a supply chain risk: a breach at the vendor becomes a breach at every client, so expect detailed security questions and requests for evidence.
They also act as data processors for their clients, so they ask about data processing terms, where data is held and whether billing can follow each client month by month. Confirm contract and data terms with your adviser before you offer them.
How to find and approach MSP leads
Settle the motion first, direct or channel, then build the list.
- Decide whether MSPs are your customers, your resale partners or both, and write a separate pitch for each.
- Search for providers by managed service keyword, region and headcount.
- Confirm recurring managed services and note each firm's vendor partnerships and client sectors.
- Name the owner, technical director and service delivery manager at each.
- Time outreach to new service lines, acquisitions and vendor licensing changes.
- Prepare a security pack and multi-client answers before the first call.
Where Pebbles Ai fits
- CapabilityProspecting & customer recordsAsk an assistant for providers that match your ideal customer, such as managed security firms in one region, and it returns up to 50 companies a search; Find fresh leads then finds owners and technical directors at up to ten of them, with work emails where found.
- CapabilityResearch & analysisHave an assistant read each MSP's service pages and partner listings and summarise what it runs and for whom, with numbered citations.
- FoundationAgent memoryAgent memory carries facts you share, such as your partner programme terms, into later chats, so drafts for partner recruitment stay consistent.
Common questions
How do MSPs usually buy software?
Directly from vendors, through distributors or through vendor partner programmes. Ask each MSP which route it prefers before you quote.
Is it worth selling to very small MSPs?
Often, if your product is easy to adopt and priced per client. The owner decides quickly, though each deal is small.
How is channel partner outreach different from direct sales?
Partner outreach recruits a business to sell for you, so it leads with client demand, margin and support. Direct sales leads with the problem your tool solves for the MSP itself.
About this page. Written by the Pebbles Ai team for people who run sales, marketing and growth. Last updated .
