There is no proven five-step formula that separates top managed service providers (MSPs) from the rest. But survey findings point to a practical pattern: make referrals intentional, explain your value to a specific audience, build a manageable channel mix, work with partners deliberately, and measure results through customer retention—not just lead volume.
What the survey evidence does—and does not—show
Customer acquisition remains difficult for many providers. In Kaseya’s 2026 State of the MSP survey, 71% of more than 1,000 MSP respondents worldwide named acquiring new customers as their top challenge. Nearly one in five said they had difficulty quickly demonstrating value to prospective customers. These are survey findings, not proof that any particular marketing approach causes growth. Kaseya’s April 14, 2026 report announcement also quotes its executive vice president of channel, Dan Tomaszewski: “The strongest MSPs are tightening their operations, prioritizing efficiency and using data to clearly prove their value to customers.” That is his perspective, rather than an independent research conclusion.
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The five habits below are an editorial framework drawn from industry surveys and guidance. The samples differ in size and audience, and none establishes a universal ranking of marketing channels or validates a recipe for outperforming competitors.
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1. Turn referrals into a deliberate process
Referrals are often important to MSPs, but importance does not automatically mean there is a repeatable program. ConnectWise’s 2026 MSP Marketing Report, conducted by ChannelPro, found that 72% of surveyed MSPs cited referrals as a key business driver, while 43% said they had a formal referral program. One in three MSPs with a program reported that referrals generated more than half of their total revenue. The report’s sample was geographically concentrated in the US (98%) and mostly small to midsize providers (85% had 50 or fewer employees); treat the figures as findings from that survey, not population-wide rates. ConnectWise’s MSP Marketing Report
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A workable referral process answers practical questions before a request is made:
- Who asks? Assign the request to an account manager, service lead, or owner rather than leaving it to chance.
- When is it appropriate? Consider moments when a customer has seen a concrete benefit, such as a successful project or a resolved service issue.
- What qualifies? Define a useful introduction—for example, a conversation with a business that fits your service capabilities and target customer profile.
- How is it handled? Make the introduction simple, acknowledge it promptly, and track the source and next step in the same system used for other leads.
Incentives are optional, not a prerequisite or a guaranteed way to increase referrals. If used, they should be sustainable and clear. Testimonials can also help prospective buyers assess credibility, with the customer’s permission.
2. State who you serve and what value you can demonstrate
A broad list of technical services does not necessarily help a buyer understand why to choose an MSP. ConnectWise’s guidance recommends identifying a target audience, learning its preferences, setting goals, and tailoring communication. Kaseya’s 2026 survey finding that nearly one in five respondents struggled to demonstrate value quickly makes the buyer-facing explanation especially important.
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Build that explanation around three elements:
- Customer: Name the kinds of organizations you can serve well. A niche may make the message more specific, but the cited surveys do not show that specialists always outperform generalists.
- Problem and outcome: Describe the operational or security issue in the customer’s language, then explain the service outcome you can reasonably deliver.
- Evidence: Support claims with substantiated examples, service commitments, or documented risk-reduction processes. Avoid implying a result that your records cannot verify.
This positioning should be consistent across sales conversations, service pages, proposals, and partner materials. It gives prospects a clearer basis for deciding whether a conversation is relevant.
3. Build a channel mix around real buyer activity
There is no universal best channel. Audience fit, geographic reach, relationship depth, staff time, cash cost, time to a useful signal, lead quality, and attribution all affect whether an option makes sense for a particular MSP. A small, directional survey can suggest where to look, but not which channel will deliver the best return for your business.
In MSP Global’s Summer 2025 report, 35 respondents could select up to three ways they considered effective for creating new conversations. Industry events led at 71%, followed by customer referrals at 51%, LinkedIn or social media at 43%, and webinars and vendor or distributor leads at 40% each. Website or SEO inbound was selected by 23%, email or newsletters by 9%, and telesales or cold calling by 6%. These are respondent selections—not measured conversion rates or ROI. MSP Global’s Summer 2025 State of the Industry Report
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The same report asked about go-to-market approach. In its sample, 37% described a partner or reseller-led model, 34% a combination of direct and indirect methods, 20% in-house direct sales, and 9% inbound or content-driven. Given the small sample, use these figures as context rather than a benchmark or prescription.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Choose a small number of channels that your team can maintain and that match how your intended buyers learn and make decisions. For a local provider, that might include referrals, local events, and useful location-specific service pages. For another audience, webinars, partner introductions, or social content may be more suitable. ConnectWise’s guidance on SEO includes creating useful service pages and question-answering content, maintaining technical accessibility, and optimizing local search where relevant; it also advises allowing time for SEO results.
4. Make vendors and partners part of the marketing plan
Partner relationships can extend an MSP’s reach, but a co-marketing activity needs clear responsibilities to produce a useful sales conversation. Ask vendors and distributors what practical support is available: co-branded campaign materials, speaker participation, event resources, access to relevant audiences, or marketing development funds. Before launching, agree on lead ownership, qualification, handoff, and follow-up timing.
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In The Channel Company/IPED’s 2025 partner marketing study, which surveyed 151 solution providers (44% MSPs), almost 90% said face-to-face events were very important to their marketing strategy. The study also found that smaller partners serving SMBs tended to favor local events and tradeshows. It is broader channel-partner research, not an MSP-only comparison of event returns. The Channel Company’s State of Partner Marketing 2025
MSP Global’s partner-led and blended go-to-market figures come from a different question and a different sample, so they should not be compared directly with the event-preference result. Together, they support considering partner and in-person activity—not assuming either will outperform another channel.
Available support varies by vendor and eligibility. For example, ConnectWise’s report describes its own partner resources, including event materials, training, possible marketing development funds, and subject-matter co-presenters for some approved events. Check the applicable program terms with the provider before building a plan around any specific resource.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. Measure the path from first contact to retained customer
Activity counts alone—such as impressions, event attendance, or email opens—do not show whether marketing is producing customers who fit the business. ConnectWise’s 2026 report identifies qualified leads, lead-to-customer conversion, cost per lead, and lead source as lead-generation measures. For retention, it discusses churn, customer satisfaction, repeat business, and customer lifetime value. The report also says 47% of respondents who used a success metric used customer acquisition as one. These are measures and survey findings from the report, not a standardized performance benchmark.
Use a compact scorecard that follows the economics of your own business:
- Source to opportunity: Which channels create qualified conversations, not merely responses?
- Opportunity to customer: What share of qualified opportunities becomes a customer, and how long does the sales process take?
- Acquisition cost: What staff time and cash did it take to win the customer? Compare consistently defined costs across channels.
- Customer contribution: Does the relationship produce recurring gross profit or contribution in line with your business model?
- Retention and expansion: Are customers staying, renewing, and adding services where there is a genuine fit?
Record the original source and subsequent touchpoints in a consistent way. Review results on a cadence your sales cycle supports; then continue, adjust, or stop activities based on qualified opportunities and customer outcomes rather than attention alone.
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How to put the five habits into practice
- Set the focus: Choose the customer profile and business problem your team can explain and support with evidence.
- Make referrals easy: Assign an owner, define a sensible moment to ask, and track introductions through follow-up.
- Select a manageable mix: Choose a few channels based on buyer activity, reach, team capacity, and the time needed to see meaningful results.
- Agree on partner mechanics: Confirm available support, lead ownership, qualification, and follow-up before a joint campaign or event.
- Review the funnel and customer base: Track source, qualification, conversion, acquisition cost, retention, and expansion; make the next decision from the results.
The evidence behind these habits comes chiefly from vendor-sponsored or industry self-report surveys: ConnectWise/ChannelPro’s 2026 report, MSP Global’s 2025 sample of 35, and The Channel Company/IPED’s 2025 survey of 151 providers. Kaseya’s 2026 report surveyed more than 1,000 MSPs worldwide. Differences in samples and questions matter; none proves that adopting these habits causes superior performance.
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