Are You Winning New Clients, or Are You Still "Practicing?"
Even if you knew everything there is to know about sales, you'd still only be half way there. Next you have to try doing it. And while you're trying to turn that knowledge into skill you're wasting time, money, and opportunities.
Come practice with us instead, so you're never practicing on a prospect.
"The MSP Dojo is such a great training ground. It's great being able to examine different real world scenarios, and condition myself so that sales meetings feel normal, simple and manageable. Being able to get rid of all that head trash."
—Nick Brady, Sunpoint IT
Study and Practice
Study and Practice are two sides of the same coin. You have to learn the tools of the trade (sometimes called your sales craft), but you also need the practical experience. The only way to really get that practice is to do it over and over again in a setting that's as close as possible to the real thing.
Think of it like becoming a master sculptor. You can learn the theory, and study the most popular works of art. You can even sit at the feet of the masters and watch how they do it. But at some point you have to pick up the chisel and hammer, and start chipping away at the stone.
Swinging the hammer is when you learn, for the first time, the difference between theory and experience.
You will inevitably make mistakes, that is part of learning. Mistakes in sales meetings are very much like mistakes in sculpting. They are nearly impossible to undo. There is no going back to before.
If you're practicing with your prospects, you're wasting a lot of great opportunities.
Even Blackbelts Roll
Have you ever noticed that in every sport, the most experienced practitioners still practice? In fact, the people who are at the top of their game tend to increase their practice as they grow into their fame. Even in a martial arts studio, the blackbelts tend to get on the mat and "roll" with the students... because they know the only way to stay good is to keep on rolling.
The MSP Dojo exists because practice continues to be the most important and effective part of developing a sales person, and keeping the experienced sales professional at the top of their game. It’s the one thing everyone needs.
It doesn’t matter if you're the Owner who does the selling, or if you're in sales full-time. It doesn’t matter how many opportunities you get, your annual revenue, or where your opportunities come from:
The best sales person in the room will always be the one that has the most practice.
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Why is it called the MSP Dojo?Every sport, art, science, martial art, branch of the military, etc. has a time and place for practice. One of those places (in Judo) is called a Dojo. It's a place where students and masters alike can come and test their knowledge. In the same way, every martial art has some form of “Kata.” A Kata is a series of movements practiced over and over until they become habit, second nature. Only after the movement becomes habit, can the practitioner focus on the fight, and not just the movement. It works the same way in sales. Practicing the tactics is what makes them habit. Then, you’re no longer focusing on what to say when, or which question to ask. This is how we can become excellent sales people who are proud of what we do, instead of desperate sales people with “commission breath” that lose, and lose painfully.
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How much does this cost?$500 per month, per person.
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Exactly how much TIME is this going to take?The absolute bare minimum is that you do nothing, but keep in mind that the results tend to match the effort. For the rest of us, the learning component should only take about 20 minutes per week. The drill is about 60 minutes, and the open office hours are optional. If you skip a week here and there and won’t be a big deal either. We all get busy. I would however, recommend that you make the effort to attend the Office Hours if you have the time. The Q&A typically covers a wide range of sales and marketing advice, and if no one else shows up you get 2 hours of free consulting.
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Is this for MSP Owners or Salespeople?Every MSP needs to have a black belt in sales. The best salesperson is the one that wins, not the best company. The Dojo is meant for whoever is responsible for consistently bringing in new client revenue. New Client MRR is the only thing that truly grows an MSP. It’s the hardest part of the job. The difference between a “pretty good” and “great” can be pretty small in terms of actual skill and experience; but people who are just a little better at sales win a lot more business.
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What if I don't want to participate in the drills?That would make you normal. No one wants to do that. It’s the “eating your vegetables” of sales. Drilling, role play, practice, sparring…. whatever you call it. It’s never fun. It is however the best (and probably only) way to get really good. If you never practice outside of selling to a potential client, that means you are practicing ON your potential clients. That is expensive, inefficient, and usually embarrassing.
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If I can't make it to a drill, can I watch the video?No, not a chance. If you miss a day at the gym can you watch it on YouTube later? The learning happens in the room, working with others. Mike Tyson famously quotes, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” You can't know if your plan sucks (or if you even have one) until you test it, in the room. Plus, sparring with others is vulnerable, and no one wants to have a permanent record of that.
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Why do I need this? I already pay for coaching, a program, training, boot camp, etc.The MSP Dojo is not meant to replace any of that. The Dojo is meant to be a safe place where you can turn that knowledge into actual skill by trying it yourself. All that stuff you learn is incredibly valuable, but it's useless to you until you make it yours. If you suck at sales, how will you know? Who will tell you?