MSPs that offer Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) as an add-on in their IT marketing plan need to realize that when prospects are given a choice to upgrade, they often decline. Many times, business owners feel they’ve already agreed on spending a lot of money and view add-ons as attempts to take advantage of them. That’s why BDR should be included as part of a basic package, since it’s a necessity. If you’ve already put yourself in a position to sell BDR separately, consider having prospects sign a waiver that spells out all the consequences.
Protecting Your MSP Reputation
As an MSP, businesses look up to you as a provider of technology solutions that enable them to run their operations as smoothly as possible. But it they don’t have a data backup and recovery system in place, it could mean their business is headed for disaster in the event of a breach. Instead of them holding your company responsible for data loss, you need to be clear from the beginning that they’re the ones taking the risk. Be very clear that businesses that avoid BDR may not be in business eventually because of it.
Not even the best security systems can prevent an attack. But a well thought out plan to protect data will reduce the effects of a disaster, since the copies of the data will help resume continuity. Make sure you explain to the prospect of the consequences and have them sign a waiver that they understand these warnings.
Why BDR Is Becoming Increasingly More Important
The reason BDR has become a top priority in IT marketing is because of the increasing threats of cyberattacks. Ransomware has become the latest type of infection that’s costing businesses billions of dollars each year. If an employee clicks on an infected attachment it can cause malware to enter and lock up your system. The cybercriminal will then demand ransom money within a certain time frame. If you don’t comply, the attacker may then start to destroy data.
One way to minimize a ransomware attack is to already have fresh copies of your data available in your backup system. The BDR plan lays out the steps the business takes to recover data as quickly as possible. The most modern plans use more than one backup server in multiple locations. If a company knows they have a strong BDR plan in place, the attacker can’t destroy their business and they don’t have to follow their instructions.
MSPs Need to Emphasize BDR More
Due to the uptick in cybercrime in recent years, MSPs need to make BDR a top-of-mind issue for business clients. Whether businesses want to spend money on BDR or not, they need to understand that they could face several lawsuits if customer data is compromised in any way. Such legal action can tie them up in court for years and might even lead to the company’s collapse. Even if the data breach doesn’t topple the company, it can still damage its reputation among customers, colleagues, and the industry.
Steps Toward a BDR Agreement
• Create an MSP package and present it to prospects
• Inform prospects about the importance of data backup and recovery
• Explain the damages that can result from avoiding BDR
• Provide a waiver for prospect to sign that they are responsible for data loss
• Pitch them on BDR as an add-on
Conclusion
If an MSP customer refuses to BDR as an add-on to their IT marketing plan because they want to save money, remind them how much money they stand to lose without it. Presenting prospects with a waiver to sign that spells out all the risks of avoiding BDR will help convince them why it’s worth the expense. Let them know the value, as opposed to the cost, that it brings their company.
