Hope Is Not a Sales Strategy (EP 1074)
Chris Miller’s path from sales outsider to MSP co-owner is a real reminder that growth takes more than referrals and good intentions. We talk about building a repeatable sales process, getting clear on your ideal customer, and learning enough about each other’s worlds for sales and technical teams to work together.
Chris Miller did not come into the MSP industry as a lifelong technologist. He came from telecom sales, thought he knew computers because he knew how to use them, and then got a quick education when he had to explain firewalls, switches, and backups to business owners. What I appreciated about Chris is that he did not pretend to know what he did not know. He sat down with an engineer, asked questions, learned the environment piece by piece, and then figured out how to translate technology into business value.
We also get practical about MSP growth. Chris helped grow one MSP from about $800,000 to $4 million, then joined ATB Technologies in 2018 when it was around $2 million and helped it reach $10 million, all organically. The conversation comes back to having a repeatable sales process, defining an ideal client profile, and recognizing that the strategy needed at $1 million is not necessarily the one needed at $10 million. Chris also shares why culture, customer relationships, and the willingness to learn outside your natural skill set matter just as much as the numbers on a revenue chart.
=== Chapters
- 00:22 Meet Chris Miller of ATB Technologies
- 01:32 From Telecom Sales to the MSP Industry
- 05:21 ATB Technologies’ Growth From $2M to $10M
- 07:52 Why MSP Sales Requires Technical Understanding
- 09:48 Building a Repeatable MSP Sales Process
- 12:01 Managed Services, Cybersecurity, and AI Strategy
- 13:35 Breaking Through MSP Growth Plateaus With ICP
- 18:40 Leadership Structure and Scaling Beyond $10M
- 22:08 Organic Growth, Client Expansion, and Culture
=== Guest: Christopher Miller, ATB Technologies
- Website: https://atb-tech.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millerchristopher
=== Resources / Companies / Products / Books / Podcasts
- IT Nation Evolve: https://itnation.connectwise.com/evolve
- ezCater: https://www.ezcater.com/
- Microsoft SharePoint: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration
- Microsoft Dynamics 365: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/products/business-central
=== Events
- TechCon Unplugged: https://techconunplugged.com
- Discount Code: TCUMarvin
=== SPONSORS:
- Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/
- Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip
- Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid
- Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready
=== SHOW MUSIC:
- Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo
- Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET
- Author Username: AlexanderRufire
- Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML
=== Connect with Uncle Marv
🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
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☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast
If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.
Co-Owner, Chief Revenue Officer
As Co-Owner and Chief Revenue Officer at ATB Technologies, Chris Miller helps businesses align their technology with their long-term goals for success. With more than 20 years of experience in the tech world, Chris partners with companies and nonprofits throughout St. Louis and the Midwest to build IT strategies that are secure, scalable, and designed to support growth.
Chris was recognized with a St. Louis Titan 100 Award which honors the region’s top business leaders who demonstrate exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. He was also a finalist for the MSP Titans of Industry Award for Community Impact.
With a passion for helping businesses succeed and a heart for volunteering for youth causes, Chris has worked side-by-side with his nonprofit customers over the years to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money to aid in their adoption of technology. He also serves on the board for several nonprofit organizations.
Chris attended Illinois College before earning a master's degree in international business with an emphasis in nonprofit management from Webster University.
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