The technical assessment is an incredible tool when it comes to closing deals—but it isn’t designed for you to show off your technical know-how. Instead, use it to connect back to the pain points the prospect revealed during the discovery meeting and present solutions that will win the sale.
The tech assessment presentation is the first element of the closing meeting, which is part 4 of the 5-Step Process to Closing an MSP Sale. Sitima Fowler and Ray Green, MSP sales experts who teach this process, explain how to open up the meeting and present your technical findings so that the meeting ends with a signed contract.
If you missed the previous installment on how to transition from the discovery meeting, see The Right (and Wrong) Way to Transition to the Tech Assessment in Your MSP Sales Process.
Best Practice Basics
The tech assessment presentation meeting has two critical purposes: Show the prospect your findings from the network assessment and close the sale. Many MSPs get swept up in sharing the technical findings and forget to leave enough time in the meeting to actually close the sale.
She Said: Some of these best practices seem like common sense, but we want to make sure you know them. First, never, ever send a proposal over email, no matter what they say. Ideally, you should do the closing meeting in person; if you can’t do that, do a video meeting, but never email a quote.
Your job is to close. If you cannot have a dialogue about the most important thing you’re sending them—your proposal—then you can’t close.
The ideal location for the proposal meeting is a staged office—where the prospect can meet your people and see your client testimonials and certifications on the wall. That way, they get to learn all the important things about your company as part of an office tour. Remember, you’re selling something intangible, not a widget they can touch and feel. Giving them insight into your company culture can help them decide if you’re a company they want to partner with.
If you can’t bring the prospect to your office, include slides in your presentation that showcase your culture and company.
He Said: The reason you never want to email a quote is because once you send that, you lose all your leverage. The prospect is going to go straight to the number at the bottom. You need to frame the information correctly—minimizing the perceived price and increasing the perceived value—to close the deal. When you just send over a piece of paper that has all the information, you don’t control the narrative of how they read it.
Another thing to keep in mind is that most MSPs are really technical. You understand the implications and impact of all the issues you found in the technical assessment. But while you may believe the prospect will logically have no reason not to buy your services after seeing the issues, that’s not necessarily the case.
The Reason You’re Presenting the Tech Assessment
Remember, the purpose of sharing the findings of the technology assessment is to connect back to the prospect’s pain points you already discovered. By stirring up those dissatisfied feelings and showing the prospect the gap between where they currently are and where they should be, you can remind them of the pain that made them start looking for a new provider in the first place.
He Said: You need to get the prospect emotionally connected to the consequences of inaction or ignoring the problems you’ve discovered. Remember, an undisturbed prospect will never buy. The real purpose of the technical assessment isn’t the information itself; it’s a sales tool. There’s a tendency in consultative sales processes with multiple steps to stay in the area where you’re most comfortable, but don’t fall into the trap of making everything about the assessment. You won’t leverage it to its full potential that way.
Here’s a soundbite you can use:
“As you know, we reviewed your situation and ran some diagnostic tests. The bad news is that we found a number of serious issues you’ll want to resolve ASAP. The good news is we solve these problems every day, and I’m confident in getting you the level of service you want and the security and protection you need. Let’s go over what we uncovered…”
You’re creating a gap here, between their current condition and where they should be.
She Said: A mistake I used to make when I first started doing sales was using the technical assessment to show our technical acumen. Many of us are so comfortable talking about the technical stuff, that we forget it’s a sales tool, needed to drive fear for the type of selling we do.
Most people will buy if you show them that things are not OK as they are; they’re in pain, and they cannot exist one more day doing business the way they are. We have to drive that pain home to close the deal, so don’t be afraid to let them know how bad things really are.
Make the Tech Assessment Accessible
It’s important to remember that your prospect doesn’t live and breathe technology like you do. Choose a few key issues to highlight and make your delivery understandable, not filled with tech jargon.
She Said: We want you to present a summary, not a comprehensive list of problems. Most C-level people are not technical, so use the technology assessment as a sales tool to point out what’s most severe and why the prospect should care. You need to be convincing; don’t gloss over or minimize the issues to try not to scare them.
He Said: As you’re explaining the major problems they’re facing, connect the problems you found in the assessment back to the challenges they’re facing in their business. Don’t pull your punches or be completely monotone; make sure you express the emotional part to help them understand the risk.
That said, you should only be going through the technical assessment for about 10 to 15 minutes. If you spend 40 minutes on the assessment, you won’t leave time at the end to ask questions, note objections, set next steps, and actually close the sale.
And remember, if you go into the conversation throwing around acronyms and technobabble, it’s never going to resonate with the prospect. It’s critical that they understand that the situation is dire, so it’s up to you to adjust the conversation so they can understand.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Story
When explaining complex problems, their solutions, and the consequences of inaction to your prospect, don’t underestimate the power of story. Giving them examples of problems you have solved can help them better understand what’s at stake—and make them more likely to buy.
She Said: As you go through each of your recommendations, explain why it’s a problem, and tell a story illustrating what the consequences could be if it goes unsolved.
For example, “I recommend we put a plan in place to get you up to our security standards because it will make you less vulnerable to a ransomware attack and avoid you getting a cyber insurance claim denied. For example, we had a new client get hit with ransomware while with their previous provider, and not only were they forced to pay the ransom, but their insurance claim was denied because they didn’t have cyber protections in place, such as two-factor authentication and proper backup. On top of that, they estimate it’s going to cost them over half a million dollars in lost sales and activity.”
Using examples like this drives your point home; otherwise, they won’t understand the consequences.
He Said: People remember stories. If you have an example in your back pocket for each of these common issues, it’ll help make sure your message is understood.
For the prospect, the technical assessment is like drinking out of a firehouse. They’ll only remember bits and pieces of it along the way. Being strategic and creative about how you structure the presentation and using techniques like storytelling can help the information stick.
Open Your Closing Meeting with a Bang
By reducing the time spent on your technical assessment presentation and focusing on only the most severe problems, you’ll be better equipped to make the sale at the end of the meeting. This is where all the effort put in during the discovery phase comes to fruition; now, you’ll know exactly what pain points to press to close the deal.
