When it comes to productization and documentation of MSP offerings, there are two different variations for companies to consider. One option is the traditional channel partners, agents and I.T. consultants. These trusted advisors work with clients and help them through their journey. NETRIO does a significant amount of business with Channel Partners. 

However, NETRIO is also an MSP (Managed Service Provider) meaning we can enable a company to become a white label partner (WLP). In this scenario, NETRIO makes it possible for a company to deliver its products and services as their own.

What is the difference between a WLP and an agent?

The Admin Bar defines a White Label Partner as an individual or team who do work on your client’s project but appear to be part of your core team. A WLP partner of NETRIO would sell our services as an MSP under their brand. NETRIO would be delivering MSP services under our WLP alias. When NETRIO works with an WLP,  we are an extension to their team and the customer does not know the difference. 

White Label Services are a great fit for MSPs or Service Providers that are looking for after-hours helpdesk coverage; assistance with overnight patching and maintenance; staff augmentation (Tier 1/Tier 2 Support); or those looking to expand their portfolio of services. 

An agent is a trusted advisor who works with clients to help them through their journey to finding a solution. For example, an agent would be selling NETRIO services to a client as a way to outsource Managed IT Services. The agent would guide the customer through their journey of signing a contract with NETRIO. NETRIO would then be aligned with your business requirements and help your company meet its strategic goals. 

Now that we have covered the difference between WLP and an agent, we can move on to tips if your company is looking into their options as a MSP. Enabling partners to sell is critical to the success of the company.

Productization of Your Service Offerings

The goal of a service offering is to create something easy for the end-user to utilize and manage. That can include:

1. What the product looks like
2. How the customer is going to consume
3. The scope of that service that you’ve turned into a product and made it into a subscription. 

Pricing Strategy & Documentation

In order to come up with a pricing strategy that makes sense, you will need to evaluate the marketplace. The goal is to remain competitive but fair. After nailing down a pricing strategy, it is time to put together your collateral. Things like documentation, brochures and PowerPoint presentations you can walk through with the client will really make your company stand out as the right choice. 

Enabling Partners to Sell

It is critical that your documentation and collateral is in a good place when it comes to enabling partners to sell your products and subscriptions. Your documentation will accurately explain what the service is and what it provides, and what the scope is. This information is incredibly critical in the customer’s decision-making process. Making sure this step is polished will also allow you to educate the white label partner or the agent (whichever model your company runs off of) so they can take the product into the market.

At NETRIO, we are always fine-tuning our product documentation on a regular basis as our products evolve. We place importance on it and it provides our Channel Partners with exactly what they need to sell our products and services. Documentation is the distinguishing factor between companies that will be successful in implementing their strategy and the ones that will struggle.

This blog post is part of NETRIO’s weekly White Board Wednesday series. Follow along on Linkedin and YouTube each week as Brian and Mike discuss use cases, new technology, and trends. The goal is to provide insights for enterprise customers and channel partners, trying to solve complex problems using technology.