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Is Your CRM & Email Marketing Tool Collecting Dust? 

When I look back at all of the conversations that I have had with MSPs over the past few years, I can only recall a few that did not already have access to at least one CRM or marketing automation tool. Whether they have industry specific solutions (Growably, Glasshive, Mindmatrix, MSP Sites) or generic alternatives (Mailchimp, Keap, Active Campaign, Hubspot) most MSPs have at minimum created a free account and have uploaded some contact data. 

For many, that is about as far as they get until slowly abandoning the initiative and allowing the platform to simply collect dust. The small percentage that are sending a weekly or monthly newsletter are at least getting some value from this, however I would argue that even beyond that there is so much more value to be had. It is simply a matter of building out the campaigns and workflows and then allowing the data to flow freely through the system. 

Build An Existing Customer Segment

In some cases, you might not be using your CRM simply because you do not have the opt-in contact data to put into it. This is completely understandable, however there are still other ways to make use of these tools beyond nurturing prospects. In fact, I find it easier to come up with campaign ideas for existing customers, some of which you will find below. 

The most important step in getting more use out of your email marketing tool is to build a segment of your existing customer base. You can do this by uploading a spreadsheet on a routine basis, or by building a connection from your PSA (recommended). This way as new companies and their employees are added to the PSA, the contact information automatically flows into the marketing automation platform and gets tagged as a “customer.” From this point forward, you should no longer have the excuse that your tool lacks actionable data, as long as you have at least a few existing customers. 

Create A Customer Onboarding Series

Once you’ve transferred your existing customer base over and created a workflow to capture new customer contacts, you can create a campaign that welcomes any new customers that get created from that point forward. This helps you demonstrate your ability to communicate proactively and professionally from the very beginning of the relationship. While there is likely a way to do this from the PSA directly, I’ve found that CRMs offer a lot more flexibility and features.  

This series informs new users about important details, such as what to expect during the onboarding process, ways to create a support ticket, how to use your customer portal, what SLAs you will adhere to, and who their Account Manager or point-of-contact will be going forward. You may also create tailored series for each Account Manager, making it appear the emails are sent directly by them.

Automate Your QBR Scheduling

Once you’ve introduced your Account Manager and welcomed the new client, you want to schedule check-ins every few months in order to maintain the relationship. In the IT Industry these are typically referred to as Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs). One of the challenges of executing these meetings is getting the customer to actually commit to the meeting.This is where your marketing automation tool shines, handling much of the legwork for you.

Set up workflows that trigger QBR invitations based on predefined rules, such as three months from the client’s onboarding date or a certain number of weeks from their last QBR. Embed a scheduling link in the email using tools like Calendly or Bookings, ensuring clients can easily book their next business review. You can even personalize the workflow to remind Account Managers to follow up if the invite goes unanswered.

Request Feedback After Projects  

Most MSPs can’t wait to finish a project and as soon as it reaches a point of completion, they immediately move onto the next. In reality this is the perfect point to pause and request valuable feedback from your clients. Not only does it show that you are committed to making improvements, but also creates opportunities for testimonials and/or social proof that can be used to increase project revenue going forward.

Using your CRM, you can create an automated post-project workflow that sends a feedback survey once a project closes in your PSA. You can choose whether you want this feedback to be private (using SurveyMonkey or Typeform perhaps) or public, encouraging recipients to post a Google Review. By adding multiple project stakeholders to this campaign, you may even be able to generate several reviews for each project, which can really help your organic search rankings. 

Send Anniversary & Milestone Emails 

Your customers should feel appreciated, and small gestures can go a long way. Another way to use your email marketing tool is to send personalized emails celebrating client anniversaries  (such as their first year with your MSP) or milestones (like completing your first 100 tickets). These touchpoints remind clients of your partnership and give them a reason to celebrate with you. 

Another nice touch that you can add to campaigns is the offering of a redeemable gift, based on the milestone. Platforms such as Giftbit and Goody allow you to offer both physical and digital rewards for your clients which they can choose themselves (or you can choose for them). Since you are only charged when a gift is redeemed, it can greatly reduce the cost compared to manual gifting. 

Distribute Incident Reports For Major Events

When major outages or security events occur, SMBs often look to their MSP for guidance and/or reassurance. We saw a recent example of this in July of 2024 when a Crowdstrike update led to mass outages, especially across enterprises. With the event making headline news, most business decision makers were  looking for answers to determine if and why they were impacted.

While this was a unique circumstance, not a month goes by without some form of data breach, zero-day, or infrastructure outage that your clients should likely be aware of. Using your marketing automation platform, you can issue an “incident report” to your clients when these events occur. This may include details such as an executive summary of the event, the severity of its impact, and what actions are being taken for those who may have been affected. 

Increase Microsoft 365 / Cloud Adoption 

By now, most clients subscribe to a suite of cloud-based services such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Since MSPs often act as resellers for these products, it is in your best interest to drive as much adoption as possible for these solutions. This is because according to some reports, 44% of Microsoft 365 licenses are underutilized or oversized. If left unchecked, you could experience downgrades and churn that could impact your bottom line.

Your CRM offers the perfect opportunity to slow-drip educational resources that help users get the most value from their subscriptions. This can take the shape of quick tips, educational videos, blog articles etc. By helping clients get the most out of their investment, you foster stronger relationships and open doors for more upselling opportunities in the future. Increased adoption of these tools will also result in fewer support requests, making it a win-win for both you and your clients.

Incentivize Customers To Use Autopay 

We all know that chasing payments is a headache, and your clients likely don’t love the back-and-forth either. That’s where autopay comes in. If you offer a payment platform (such as Alternative Payments) your marketing automation tool can help drive awareness and increase the number of customers making automatic payments. These campaigns can be triggered leading up to their first billing cycle after onboarding, or across your entire customer base. You may even offer a small incentive, like a discount on their invoice, etc.

For clients who hesitate, you can set up a follow-up workflow addressing common concerns, like security or flexibility. You can even offer a link for them to schedule a walkthrough of the platform so that they may better understand how to use it (if that’s what is holding them back). By making it easy and enticing to sign up, you’ll streamline your billing process and free up time to focus on delivering actual value to your customers.

Ask For Referrals On A Routine Basis

Your happiest clients can be your best marketers (that is if you give them the opportunity). Using your CRM, you can create a recurring campaign to request referrals from your best customers. For example, you may send an email every 6-12 months, thanking clients for their business and inviting them to refer a friend or colleague. You may also choose to sweeten the deal with an incentive, such as a credit toward their next invoice or a donation to their favorite charity for every referral they provide.

To ensure your referral requests feel natural and not overbearing, make it appear as though it is coming from the CEO, or a team member that they interact with on a regular basis. This subtle reminder of your value can put your business top-of-mind and help to kick-start the referral process. Over time, a well-timed referral program can become a steady source of new leads without requiring a heavy lift from your sales team.

Conclusion

When it comes to getting the most out of your CRM or marketing automation tool, you shouldn’t be waiting for a flood of leads to come in before taking action. You can act right now utilizing the data you already have. By starting with your existing customers, you can build meaningful campaigns that strengthen relationships, and develop the skills and habits necessary for a successful nurturing program. Once these processes are in place, it becomes much easier to gradually expand your campaigns to nurture new leads and grow your pipeline. The journey for your MSP to leverage marketing automation doesn’t require perfection from day one. You simply have to take the first few steps and build momentum from there.