Why Reactive MSPs Stay Stuck

Is your MSP really proactive, or just staying one step ahead of the chaos?

I was catching up with a Referral Partner the other day when we found the conversation that every MSP leader should be having.

He said:

"Most MSPs say they're proactive, but they're just reacting a bit faster than the MSP down the street."

That one hits uncomfortably hard for some of my MSP friends!

It's tempting to blame your MSP's slow growth OR low CSAT scores on outdated tools or weak cybersecurity and legacy tech stacks.

But let's be real, the issue usually isn't the tech, it's that:

• ✅ There's no built-in place for strategic conversations between the MSP and the Client
• ✅ Our QBRs aren't being leveraged for demonstrating and giving value directly to Clients

At a QBR it's easier to skip questions for your clients about Cyber Security vs. Tight Budgets...

At a QBR it's easier to highlight Your Ticket Close Times than identify the client's Technology is outdated...

The good news? You don't need to overhaul your business to fix this...

Carve out some thinking space 🧠

A few small steps might work:

• 🧭 At the QBR talk less about your tools, more about their direction; ask the client, "What are 2 goals they are working on this year?"
• 🤝 Be the guide, not the fixer; ask yourself, "How can you enable the client to see gaps without the first suggestion being that they buy ANOTHER service?"

This is how you move from "proactive" in theory to proactive in action.

💬 I'd love to hear from other MSP leaders:

What's working for you when it comes to leveling up the QBR conversations with your clients?

Reply with your story or share your thoughts! 📧

- Kevin Hagemoser