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/
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- 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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