Managed service providers (MSPs) are often expected to be the Swiss Army Knife of their clients’ technology space, offering solutions to every problem. From cybersecurity to data management, MSPs often pride themselves on their ability to support diverse technological ecosystems.
But even the best MSPs often have at least a handful of blindspots - areas of their clients’ technology suite that create problems and inefficiencies.
For many, that blind spot is print.
MSPs often HATE dealing with copiers and printers. These devices are complex and often archaic, with troubleshooting protocols that no IT technician can reasonably be expected to keep up with. And despite their many issues, MSPs won’t earn any revenue from them.
And worst of all, because print-related tickets take a while to resolve, they make your MSP look bad, potentially causing irreversible brand damage for products you have little control over.
To shore up this glaring issue, we recommend that your MSP has a partner in the Managed Print Services (MPS) industry - a company you trust to handle your clients' printers and copiers, so you don’t have to! We’re talking about a strategic collaboration that can elevate your service portfolio, enhance customer satisfaction, and even open doors to new revenue streams.
For national MSPs with a sprawling network of clients, Print Partner is here for you. Our parent company, Green Office Partner, offers MPS and document solutions to clients across the US and Canada. When your MSP refers a print client to us, we pay you for the referral, collaborate with you on support tickets, and offer a buffet of additional benefits.
While we’ve positioned ourselves as the go-to resource for MSPs operating on a national scale, many smaller MSPs may elect to work with a print vendor on their scale, keeping all operations in their close-knit community. We think that for specific organizations, this is an entirely viable option.
This article will explore the numerous benefits of having a local print partnership and how it can help you broaden your MSP business offerings while creating a more holistic service environment for your clients.
1. Control and Efficiency in Service Delivery
Are your clients complaining about how long it takes to get their printer or copier fixed? We’ve found that many MSPs are used to hearing angry rants from their clients about printing equipment that just won’t give them a break.
Working with the wrong print vendor can nosedive any print-reliant business’ efficiency. And those inefficiencies will undoubtedly affect your MSP’s productivity as well.
However, by partnering with a nearby print vendor, you can work with a community member you trust to improve the quality and speed of print service delivery significantly.
Out-of-state print vendors can sometimes struggle to meet their clients’ expected turnaround times. That’s because they need to connect with local service providers or fly someone out to their location. This could result in days or weeks of downtime, which is devastating to clients that rely heavily on copying and printing workflow.
When your MSP works with a regional partner, you benefit from quicker onsite response times and a more direct communication line. Whether it’s troubleshooting print issues, setting up new devices, or managing ongoing maintenance, a local print vendor can offer faster resolutions compared to a vendor located out of state.
Local vendors will have a more intimate understanding of regional market dynamics and can respond quickly to service requests. After all, they are often only a few blocks away from the client!
This proximity also fosters stronger collaboration between your team and the print vendors. With larger organizations, you might get the runaround, bounced back and forth between random helpdesk technicians who transfer you to five other people before you speak with a decision-maker. But for smaller, local organizations, you always know exactly who to call and how to reach them.
But just because they're local doesn’t make them trustworthy. Luckily, a local vendor is very easy to get a read on. Rather than sifting through hundreds of online Yelp reviews like you would with a national company, you can easily talk to their current clients and see testimonials of other local businesses you are likely familiar with.
2. Enhanced Security and Compliance
MSPs know that security and compliance are at the top of most businesses’ list of priorities. That’s because when businesses fail to comply with regulations, they open themselves up to lawsuits, heavy fines, and irreparable damage to their credibility. Failing to comply with SEC regulations, or violating HIPAA could destroy a business, as well as your MSP’s reputation.
As an MSP, the last thing you’d want is a partner jeopardizing a client’s security.
One of the major perks of working with a local print vendor is that you can clearly communicate with them on their security protocols. Talk to them directly about their procedures over lunch, or talk to their clients about their experience working with the print vendor.
When you work with a local print vendor, you can even team up with them to visit clients onsite together and inspect security and compliance protocols first-hand, ensuring that all parties are always aligned.
When dealing with sensitive or confidential information, local vendors can also ensure quicker response times in case of a security breach or system failure. A hands-on approach to security is exactly what every business needs and is something that global vendors may struggle to deliver.
3. Build Trust With Your Local Community
In the world of IT services, building lasting relationships with clients is paramount.
There are many ways to build trust and support within your community of clients. One easy way is by supporting local vendors. Being a local business advocate adds to your company’s credibility and demonstrates your commitment to your community. For example, if you operate in Chicago, you may want to brand your team as a supporter of Chicago businesses.
Partnering with a local print vendor keeps your dollars circulating within your community, supporting local jobs and boosting the local economy. It will play well to your other regional clients, especially those passionate about attending community business and networking events.
Partnering with local vendors makes networking with them much smoother - these are fellow entrepreneurs with whom you can easily run local networking events, team up on sales visits, or even just grab dinner and discuss upcoming projects. You’ll have a nearby friend in the industry that you can trust to have your back!
Choosing the Right Print Vendor
Providing exceptional customer experience should always be your main focus as an MSP. Even though print might not be your specialty, it’s still an essential piece of the bigger picture.
Partnering with a dependable print service provider can help things run more smoothly and strengthen your client relationships. Connecting them with a quality-managed print service vendor adds real value—and they’ll appreciate it.
It’s a simple way to go from being just the ‘IT guy’ to becoming their go-to trusted technology advisor.
The value of partnering with a print vendor is clear. The question is, what kind of print vendor should you work with?
If your MSP operates within a local community, consider working with a local vendor. A small regional MPS provider will have fast service compliant with industry regulations. Plus, partnering locally is a great way to build community.
However, consider working with Print Partner for MSPs operating across the US and Canada. We provide the resources of a national partner, thanks to our relationship with Xerox, but we pair this with the attention to detail offered by local vendors.
Unlike many other print vendors, we do NOT sell services that compete with MSPs, and we never will. While many print vendors look to poach clients from MSPs during QBRs, we elect to support your team by collaborating with you on support issues and getting as close to first-call resolution as possible!
We offer partners collaborative print support, protection from competition, and generous referral bonuses, along with a robust partnership benefits package that includes things like marketing support, co-sponsored events, and access to MDF
For each deal we close, we’ll pay the person who registers the opportunity at least $500 for the introduction and an additional $250 per $25K in revenue the deal brings us. For the MSP, we’ll pay $1,000 per 11x17 MFP sold, $100 per printer sold, and 5% recurring revenue on the client’s print allotment. And we’ll provide exceptional client service while we’re at it.
If your MSP is looking for a dedicated, high-quality managed print services provider that will always have your back, consider partnering with us, a Print Partner you can trust.
