Not a Group, but a Team
Peer groups and communities are a well-established presence in the world of MSPs, but as the landscape continues to evolve, MSP leaders need more than a group or community. They need a team.
A peer team offers a much more targeted focus and, critically, common objectives that each member is striving towards. Team members possess a wide range of expertise in areas like financials, sales, operations, security, and numerous others. This array of knowledge and specialization creates an ideal environment for members to effectively support one another while working towards individual goals, as a collective team.
Rather than having to sift through the broad subject matter that a peer group or community may offer, peer team meetings are always targeted and germane to partners’ day-to-day operations.
While the reasons to join a peer team are myriad, here we detail the top four.
Accountability
Accountability within a peer team is critical. If you can’t rely on your teammates, who can you rely on?
We regularly hear from our members that this is exactly why they began seeking out a peer team, rather than a peer group or community – because accountability applies to and for all members.
For example, if you say, “I can do ‘x’ by ‘y’ date,” the rest of your team is going to hold you accountable. There’s no sliding, there’s no pushing the timeline–it has to be done. This level of accountability is one you only get within a peer team, and it’s a significant part of what makes them so valuable. With this accountability, you can rely on your teammates to deliver and work as a unit to ensure every member of the team is climbing to the next level of their business.
Simplified Clarity
A peer team offers simplicity. Why? Because the targeted, joint focus gets straight to the point to achieve common goals.
You get to know your fellow team members personally and gain a deep understanding of the common goals in the team. You’ll have ongoing, joint objectives that remain consistent and clear, unlike many community groups.
For example, our peer team members are equipped with a simplified list of 16 key financial goals that each person is working towards within their own business. Those metrics have been narrowed down by our experienced mentors to cover every angle our team members should focus on to effectively scale their MSP.
This clarity enables the team to target a small number of critical touch points, remain focused on the metrics that matter, and gain a more robust understanding of how their business is truly performing. If members are struggling to achieve these goals, their facilitators and fellow team members are ready to offer sound guidance based on their own experiences.
Education
One of the most valuable things a peer team offers is targeted education. As an MSP leader, education is an ongoing process that offers unlimited growth and benefits. But that education needs to be relevant, valuable, and rooted in real experience. The key is targeted education.
Rather than learning from experts in generic topics, a peer team offers access to speakers and educators that gives insight into the highly specific areas relevant to the team. So, rather than a general marketing guru or a generic MSP leader, peer teams seek out speakers on specific subjects, such as succession planning, declining recurring revenue, or other highly relevant issues to the team. The objective is always education around topics that will drive real growth and success.
No Vendor Agenda
It’s common for peer communities to allow vendors to come speak to the group about their products and encourage members to partner with them. However, peer teams do this differently. If a vendor is given the opportunity to talk to the peer team, all conversations are both vendor agnostic and product agnostic.
Additionally, the team and its leadership will never advocate for any one vendor or product. While vendors are, of course, an important part of a peer team’s universe, they and their products are never promoted by the peer team itself. They aren’t driven by vendor agendas or influence, which allows for more objective and transparent conversations.
These are just a few of the benefits of joining a peer team. For more insight into how a BMK peer team can bring value to your MSP, get in touch today or ask to be connected with some of our current members to hear about their experiences.