Wes Spencer asks ChatGPT how MSPs should sell cybersecurity to cost-conscious clients. ChatGPT suggests education, ROI proof, trial periods, and tiered pricing. Spencer agrees with the basics but pushes back on the details, warning that trial periods create overhead and cheap tiers can leave clients under-protected.
So let's try something, shall we? Hey ChatGPT, I've got a question for you. Here it is. As an MSP, how do I deal with a client who doesn't want to pay for good cybersecurity? That's a great question, right? We'll see what ChatGPT says. But first, before I hit submit, what do you think it's going to say? You think it's going to be right? You think it's going to be wrong? You think it's going to be totally wacky? I don't know. Let's find out. I've literally never asked the question before, so we're going to switch back and we're going to ask it the question and we'll see just how smart this AI is. You ready? Here we go. I'm really excited. It can be challenging to convince clients to invest in good cybersecurity measures, especially if they don't see the value in it or if it's not a top priority for them. Here are a few approaches you could take. Educate your clients about the risk of poor cybersecurity. I love it. Start with education. Help your client understand the potential consequences of not having good cybersecurity in place. Such as data breaches, loss of confidential information, and financial losses. I mean, hold up the train, my friends. Time out. Like, that's good enough. We could just stop there. Let's see what it says for the rest. Show your client the potential return on investment. All right. Explain to your client how implementing good cybersecurity measures can actually save them money in the long run by preventing costly security incidents. Okay. I think that's good, right? I do think there's that challenge of like, how do you actually show a good actual, like, true ROI. But I do think it's right. I mean, we know the cost of a breach is now over a million dollars all told. We just, we just, we see this over and over. So there is an ROI there. I think that's, that's good. Let's see what number 3, uh, offer a trial period. Okay, considering offering a trial period during which your client can test out your cybersecurity services and see the value for themselves. This can help build trust and make it easier for them to justify The investment. Hmm. I mean, I think that can work. The challenge with trialing is the amount of work that it takes for you as an MSP to get everything going. So maybe it's not so much a trial period as it is, you know, maybe something that's contract-free or first 3 months you can cancel at any time. I'm curious what you guys think about that one. I don't think it's totally wrong in its approach, but it's easier said than done. I think it's probably the best way to say it. Number 4, highlight the importance of cybersecurity to your client's industry. I love that. You guys know I talk about this a lot. If your client is in a heavily regulated industry, they may be more likely to see the importance of cybersecurity if you can show them how it's required by industry standards or laws. Holy crap. Yep. I mean, yes, totally agree with this. That is absolutely the right answer there. You guys know when we talk about tying things into regulations and making sure you address it in such a way, not only do you pick up more clients of a— birds of a feather stick together, but you'll notice that you can command higher seat prices. Places when you go after regulated industries that know they have to do the right thing. And that paying for that confidence and peace of mind from you as an MSP that can help them match that, meet it, it's a, it's a no-brainer. All right, we're up for number 5. I haven't seen it yet, so let's take a peek at what number 5 is. Look for ways to make cybersecurity more affordable. If cost is a major barrier for your client, try to find ways to make your cybersecurity services more affordable for them. This could include offering a tiered pricing model— interesting— or finding ways to streamline your services to make them more cost-effective. Now I agree with that and I disagree with that. So where I do agree is I think it makes sense to have more than one package. I think that is okay. I don't think a good, better, best, gold, silver, bronze is a really good approach. I'll explain why in a minute. But I do think it makes sense to have your basic standard security package and then one for regulated clients and those that need more, right? So for example, maybe a SIEM with a year of log retention and 24/7 overwatch, and, you know, I don't know, a 30-minute SLA makes sense for your premium clients, but your smaller clients, maybe you you, you pull a little bit of that off, right? Maybe it's only 60 days of log retention, just as an example. So I, I think that makes some sense. You have to be careful though, because if you offer these whole three-tiered packages, clients always pick the middle, or if they're cheap, they just pick the worst. They should not dictate to you what goes into their security any more than I go to a doctor and I tell them how I want to be treated for whatever condition I have. It doesn't work that way. It should never work that way. So, but I understand affordability, and I'm going to pay for this one versus that one. I get that perspective. So, you Making it more affordable. Yes, it makes a lot of sense and you do need to have one that is affordable, but you shouldn't be afraid of price and you need to push back to clients when, when they have concerns around that so that they understand why they need it. And this goes back to, I think, the first 4 points before. So let's see what it finishes on. Ultimately, the key is to be patient and persistent in your efforts. I agree. To convince your client of the importance of good cybersecurity. If you can show them the value and help them understand the risks, they may be more likely to see the importance of investing in these measures. Fair. So there you have it. Those were the 5. I'm curious what you think in the comments down below. Give me some feedback. Do you agree with them? Do you disagree with them? Remember, you're arguing with the almighty AI. But I actually think for the most part it's pretty good. If I were grading this as a professor, I'd probably give it a 90%, maybe, maybe just a little bit lower. I don't know. It's Friday, so 90%. Curious what you guys think. Leave me some comments down below on what you think about ChatGPT and you think about its answers to how you help a client deal with not wanting to see the value or pay for good cybersecurity. Thanks.
