MSP Mastery Podcast

Welcome to MSP Mastery Podcast, the podcast for IT leaders, MSP owners, and service delivery professionals who want to elevate performance, improve processes, and stay ahead in the fast-changing managed services landscape.

MSP Mastery Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Jeni Clift, Nick Clift, with 58 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Jeni Clift, Nick Clift hosts MSP Mastery Podcast, a business show with 58 episodes published.

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  Episode #58

  Melissa Hockenberry Reveals Why Client Retention Starts Inside Your MSP

  Sep 27, 202658 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail Welcome to MSP Mastery Podcast, the podcast for MSP owners and leaders who want to build a better MSP, one that actually works for them. I am Jeni Clift, joined by my husband and long time business partner, Nick Clift. Together, we unpack what is really working in thriving MSPs, including insights from the trusted partners and peers who support them. In this episode, we welcome back Melissa Hockenberry , a client retention and customer success expert who helps MSPs build stronger client relationships and lasting business value. With a background in marketing and more than 20 years of experience at Autotask, Melissa now leads First Things First Training and Consulting. She brings deep industry knowledge and practical experience to one of the most important challenges facing MSPs: how to retain clients, support employees and build a more profitable business. Melissa shares why client retention often begins by looking internally at your own team. We explore the connection between employee experience and customer experience, and why there is no hope for external retention if internal employee retention has not been addressed. We also discuss the conversations MSP owners often avoid, from billing problems and unclear expectations to difficult client relationships and unprofitable service agreements. As Melissa says, the moment you think you do not want to have a conversation is often the very conversation you need to have. Nick shares lessons from running an MSP, including what happened after losing a client worth half of the company’s revenue. Together, we explore why a large client is not always a profitable client and why MSP owners need to understand the true cost of delivering their services. Here is what we covered together: ✅ Finding friction in the client experience: How MSP owners can use the swim goggles analogy to look beneath the surface of their business and identify the issues clients may be experiencing. ✅ Billing and invoicing problems: Why incorrect invoices quickly damage trust and how simple billing mistakes can create unnecessary friction. ✅ The mystery shopper test: Why MSPs should ask someone who does not understand technology to review their invoices and explain whether they make sense. ✅ Clearer client expectations: Why contracts can be silent and how a simple user manual can help clients understand the services they receive. ✅ The difficult conversations: Why putting off an uncomfortable conversation can make the problem worse and why MSP owners need to eat the frog. ✅ Taking action before everything is perfect: How perfectionism can prevent progress and why testing improvements with a small group of trusted clients can be more effective than waiting for the perfect process. ✅ Empowering teams to fix problems: Why staff should have the authority to resolve small billing issues without creating unnecessary escalation or client frustration. ✅ Making better service decisions: Why MSP teams need to consider the cost of labour before spending hours repairing equipment that could be replaced more efficiently. ✅ Hiring for client success: The relationship building, listening, diplomacy and collaboration skills that matter most in a client success role. ✅ Looking beyond the technology industry: Why the right client success person may come from retail, banking, hospitality or another customer focused environment. ✅ Keeping client success separate from sales: Why client success should focus on long term relationships rather than being driven by a sales quota. ✅ Finding the right person inside your MSP: Why the team member who spends extra time listening, coaching and training clients may already have the skills needed for client success. ✅ Protecting the purpose of a new role: Why MSP leaders need to prevent every unfinished task from being placed on the client success manager. ✅ Understanding the roles of CSMs and TAMs: How client success managers, technical account managers and business technology advisors can work together within an MSP. ✅ Knowing the true profitability of each client: Why revenue does not equal profit and why MSPs need to track all the time involved in supporting a client. ✅ Learning from a whale client: How losing a major client can reveal that the relationship was consuming resources and producing less profit than expected. ✅ Improving time tracking: Why tracking time across technical, account management and leadership activities is essential for making good business decisions. ✅ Giving your team the why: Why employees are more likely to follow a process when leaders explain the reason behind it rather than simply issuing instructions. ✅ Internal retention before external retention: Why a strong client experience depends on creating a healthy and authentic employee experience. ✅ Leadership through transparency: How transparency, integrity, humility and authenticity can strengthen relationships with both employees and clients. ✅ Sharing difficult information with your team: Why withholding information can lead people to create their own explanations and spread unnecessary rumours. ✅ Building trust during change: How honest communication during the loss of a major client can help a team stay calm, focused and aligned. ✅ Consistency across every relationship: Why the same values should guide the way an MSP treats its employees, clients and suppliers. We created this podcast to share the real conversations and lessons we wish we had more of while running our own MSP, with practical insights from people who understand the challenges of this industry. Connect with Melissa Hockenberry on LinkedIn: Melissa Hockenberry Read more episode notes here: mspmastery.blog Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@MSPMastery Listen on YouTube: youtube.com/@MSPMasteryAudio Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4gftErFYrR8F80kthgvFbs Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-mastery-ctrl-alt-deliver/id1828105793

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  Episode #57

  Revisiting Vivienne Winborne and Mitchell Colton: Marketing as Education, Incident Response and the Real Test of Client Trust

  Sep 20, 202640 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail Welcome to MSP Mastery Podcast, the podcast for MSP owners and leaders who want to build a better MSP, one that actually works for them. I am Jeni Clift, joined by my husband and long time business partner, Nick Clift. Together, we unpack what is really working in thriving MSPs, including insights from the trusted partners and peers who support them. In this episode, we step away from our regular guest format to revisit two previous conversations that stayed with us long after the recording ended: our episodes with Vivienne Winborne and Mitchell Colton. Together, these two conversations highlight how client trust is built through authentic, educational marketing and how that trust is tested when serious adversity strikes. We reflect on Vivienne Winborne’s insights about why marketing should feel like education rather than a sales pitch, why cold outreach rarely works and why MSP owners do not need to appeal to everyone. Nick shares why finding the right client fit and standing by your core values matters more than trying to win every prospect. Some clients are simply not compatible with you, and you are not compatible with them. We also revisit Mitchell Colton’s candid story of guiding his organisation through a serious cybersecurity incident. While the technical response is critical, clients are also focused on their business continuity, staff, reputation and what happens next. This conversation explores why incident response plans must be practical rather than theoretical, how regular communication can reduce panic and how navigating a crisis with honesty and empathy can strengthen client relationships. Here is what we covered together: ✅ Marketing as education: Why Vivienne Winborne believes marketing should help people understand the issues that affect them rather than push aggressive sales messages. ✅ Distinguishing marketing from sales: How marketing is about educating people on who you are, while sales is about solving a specific problem for a client. ✅ Escaping the cold outreach trap: Why cold calling and unsolicited LinkedIn messages rarely create genuine trust with business owners. ✅ Target market and client compatibility: Why MSPs do not need to attract everyone and should focus on working with clients who align with their values. ✅ Consistency over polish: Why showing up regularly and sharing real stories can be more effective than waiting for perfect production. ✅ Finding meaningful topics: How real client experiences, business challenges, mistakes and successful outcomes can create useful and authentic marketing content. ✅ Incident response plans in practice: Why an incident response plan cannot simply sit in a folder as a compliance exercise. ✅ Accountability during an incident: The importance of clearly assigning responsibility for technical remediation, client communication and the ongoing operation of the business. ✅ Empathy alongside technical fixes: Why understanding the human impact of an incident is just as important as restoring systems. ✅ Communication without panic: How regular and honest updates can prevent clients and team members from assuming the worst. ✅ Handling difficult truths: Why being transparent about what happened and acknowledging mistakes can build more credibility than trying to appear perfect. ✅ Crisis as the ultimate test of trust: How the way an MSP responds when things go wrong reveals its values, communication and commitment to its clients. ✅ Strengthening client relationships: Why managing a difficult situation with honesty, empathy and clear communication can deepen trust rather than damage it. We created this podcast to share the real conversations and lessons we wish we had more of while running our own MSP, with practical insights from people who understand the challenges of this industry. Connect with Vivienne Winborne on LinkedIn: Vivienne Winborne Connect with Mitchell Colton on LinkedIn: Mitchell Colton Read more episode notes here: mspmastery.blog Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@MSPMastery Listen on YouTube: youtube.com/@MSPMasteryAudio Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4gftErFYrR8F80kthgvFbs Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-mastery-ctrl-alt-deliver/id1828105793

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  Episode #56

  From Backpacker to Cybersecurity Specialist: Philipp Rieth on Attitude, Initiative and Building an IT Career

  Sep 13, 202644 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail Welcome to MSP Mastery Podcast, the podcast for MSP owners and leaders who want to build a better MSP, one that actually works for them. I am Jeni Clift , joined by my husband and long time business partner, Nick Clift. Together, we unpack what is really working in thriving MSPs, including insights from the trusted partners and peers who support them. In this episode, we are joined by Philipp Rieth, Cybersecurity Specialist at Emerging IT in Melbourne. Philipp shares his remarkable journey from a young IT trainee in Germany to working in Australia, travelling across the country in his beloved Toyota Troop Carrier, Brutus, and eventually building a career in cybersecurity. Philipp first came to Australia on a working holiday visa and joined the team at DWM Solutions in Echuca through a trusted connection. What began as a short working adventure became a much bigger story of persistence, resilience and finding a place to call home. Along the way, Philipp and his partner travelled throughout Australia and New Zealand, taking on jobs in bricklaying, landscaping, painting, potato packing, scaffolding and tourism to keep their journey going. He shares how these experiences gave him a deeper respect for people at every level of an organisation and shaped the work ethic he brings to his career today. After visa setbacks, changing requirements and border closures delayed his plans to return to Australia, Philipp chose to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in cybersecurity. He then built experience as a penetration tester in Germany before finally returning to Melbourne and joining Emerging IT. This conversation is full of practical lessons for MSP leaders hiring their next team member, as well as emerging IT professionals who want to grow their confidence, capability and career. Here is what we covered together: ✅ Philipp’s pathway into IT: How an apprenticeship in Germany provided a practical foundation in service desk, technical support and project work. ✅ The value of trusted relationships: How a recommendation from a former manager created Philipp’s first opportunity to work with DWM Solutions in regional Victoria. ✅ The Brutus adventure: How Philipp purchased, rebuilt and travelled Australia in a Toyota Troop Carrier that became central to his journey. ✅ Learning through unexpected work: What bricklaying, landscaping, potato packing, painting and other labouring jobs taught Philipp about resilience, humility and effort. ✅ Respect across every role: Why working in entry level and physically demanding roles helped Philipp value every person within an organisation. ✅ Overcoming setbacks: How Philipp navigated visa challenges, changing migration requirements and the disruption of international border closures. ✅ Choosing education to create opportunity: Why Philipp completed a cybersecurity degree when formal qualifications became necessary for his pathway back to Australia. ✅ Building a cybersecurity career: How Philipp moved into penetration testing and incident response, helping organisations stay ahead of an evolving threat landscape. ✅ Hiring for attitude: Why Philipp believes technical skills can be taught, but willingness to learn, energy and a positive attitude are much harder to develop. ✅ Being coachable: Why emerging IT professionals who actively seek feedback, learning and improvement can progress quickly. ✅ Taking responsibility before being asked: How identifying and solving problems before a manager notices can build trust and create career opportunities. ✅ Adding value to the business: Why promotion and career growth come from consistently making a meaningful contribution to your organisation and its clients. ✅ Creating space for emerging talent: Why flexible, supportive workplaces can give people the confidence to take ownership and develop beyond their current role. ✅ Finding your own path: Why Philipp’s story is a reminder that careers do not always follow a straight line, and persistence can lead to opportunities worth waiting for. We created this podcast to share the real conversations and lessons we wish we had more of while running our own MSP, with practical insights from people who understand the challenges of this industry. Connect with Philipp Rieth on LinkedIn and learn more about Emerging IT: Philipp Rieth Linkedin. Read more episode notes here: mspmastery.blog Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@MSPMastery Listen on YouTube: youtube.com/@MSPMasteryAudio Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4gftErFYrR8F80kthgvFbs Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-mastery-ctrl-alt-deliver/id1828105793

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  Episode #55

  From Products to Outcomes: How MSPs Build Trust That Lasts with Moheb Moses

  Sep 6, 202646 minS1

  Welcome to MSP Mastery Podcast, the podcast for MSP owners and leaders who want to build a better MSP, one that actually works for them. I am Jeni Clift, joined by my husband and long time business partner, Nick Clift. Together, we unpack what is really working in thriving MSPs, including insights from the trusted partners and peers who support them. In this episode, we are joined by Moheb Moses, founder of Channel Dynamics, ARN ICT Hall of Fame inductee and long standing leader across the technology channel. Drawing on 42 years of experience across vendors, distributors and solution providers, Moheb brings a wealth of practical wisdom on how the channel operates and how MSPs can build stronger, more profitable businesses. Moheb shares stories and insights from his book, Everything I Know About Selling I Learned from a Tennis Racket, exploring the fundamentals of genuine sales discipline, effective negotiation, specialisation and what it really means to be a trusted adviser. We unpack the essential role of the channel in bridging the gap between what a vendor creates and the outcome a customer needs. Moheb explains why distributors remain one of the least understood yet most valuable tiers in the industry when leveraged for consolidation, licensing expertise, training and technical support. The conversation also looks closely at how MSPs can stand out in a market where technology is increasingly accessible directly to the end user. Moheb explains why deep customer discovery, industry specialisation and understanding what a client defines as a win will always outperform basic product knowledge. Here is what we covered together: ✅ The fundamental purpose of the channel: Why the channel exists to fill the gap between vendor products and customer outcomes. ✅ The true value of distribution: How distributors create efficiency through consolidation, inventory scale, licensing expertise, partner training and technical support. ✅ Treating vendors and distributors as customers: Why understanding their targets, commission structures and incentives unlocks far greater support and opportunities. ✅ Moving beyond price shopping: Why consolidating business with a preferred distributor delivers better commercial relationships, rebates and tier status. ✅ The evolution of customer expectations: Why clients now expect business insights and end to end outcomes rather than basic IT maintenance. ✅ The four levels of a trusted adviser: Why product knowledge is only the entry level, followed by understanding the problem, understanding the customer and mastering the customer’s industry. ✅ Asking better discovery questions: How staying curious and asking thoughtful questions demonstrates real expertise and builds client confidence. ✅ The used car salesperson trap: Why jumping straight to a technical solution makes clients withhold information, and why staying in discovery longer creates trust. ✅ Redefining the win win negotiation: Why true negotiation requires asking what the other side genuinely wants, rather than settling for compromise. ✅ The power of specialisation: Why trying to serve every market makes an MSP forgettable, while specialising in a vertical or niche makes you the first choice. ✅ Sharing real stories and failures: Why being transparent about mistakes and lessons learned connects far more effectively with prospects and peers than polished perfection. ✅ Using AI with human judgement: Why AI tools are brilliant for refining, amplifying and accelerating ideas, but need human experience and authenticity to truly resonate. ✅ Helping clients win with their customers: Why the most valuable MSPs focus on helping their clients deliver a superior experience to the people they serve. We created this podcast to share the real conversations and lessons we wish we had more of while running our own MSP, with practical insights from people who understand the challenges of this industry. Learn more about Moheb Moses and Channel Dynamics, and connect with him on LinkedIn. Read more episode notes here: mspmastery.blog Listen on YouTube: youtube.com/@MSPMasteryAudio Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4gftErFYrR8F80kthgvFbs Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-mastery-ctrl-alt-deliver/id1828105793

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  Episode #54

  Losing a Whale Client: Turning Business Risk into a Wake Up Call with Abhishek Bhargava

  Aug 30, 202649 minS1

  Welcome to MSP Mastery: Ctrl Alt Deliver Podcast, the podcast for MSP owners and leaders who want to build a better MSP, one that actually works for them. I am Jeni Clift , joined by my husband and long time business partner, Nick Clift. Together, we unpack what is really working in thriving MSPs, including insights from the trusted partners and peers who support them. In this episode, we are joined by Abhishek Bhargava , Sales Director at Telco ICT in Melbourne. With more than 16 years of experience across telecommunications and managed services, Abhishek has helped guide the transition of Telco ICT from a telecommunications business into a business focused primarily on managed IT services. Abhishek shares the story of losing a major client and the impact it had on the business. Rather than allowing the situation to take over, he and his leadership team focused on understanding the financial impact, communicating honestly with their team and creating a plan to bring in new business. We discuss why losing a large client can become a wake up call for an MSP, particularly when one client represents a significant percentage of revenue. Abhishek explains why MSP owners should work towards dispersing their client base, with no single client representing more than 20 per cent of revenue. We also explore the importance of stepping away from daily operations, empowering the team and creating the time to focus on business development. The conversation covers client referrals, LinkedIn outreach, local search engine optimisation, email marketing and the importance of maintaining a consistent sales pipeline. Here is what we covered together: ✅ The risk of relying on a whale client: Why having one client represent too much of your revenue can put the entire business at risk. ✅ Keeping client concentration under control: Why MSP owners should aim to ensure no single client represents more than 20 per cent of revenue. ✅ Turning a setback into a wake up call: How losing a major client can force an MSP owner to focus on the work that needs to be done to grow the business. ✅ Communicating with your team: Why leaders need to be truthful and open when explaining the financial impact of losing a major client. ✅ Moving out of daily operations: How separating from the operational side of the business gave Abhishek and his business partner more time to focus on new business. ✅ Empowering the team: Why trusting the team to take ownership of service delivery can create the space needed for business development. ✅ Creating new conversations: Why MSP owners need to consistently speak with existing contacts, clients and potential clients before they urgently need new business. ✅ Asking existing clients for referrals: Why referrals can be one of the strongest ways to find new clients who are likely to be a good fit for your business. ✅ Finding opportunities within existing clients: How reviewing current relationships can reveal opportunities to support clients with additional services or projects. ✅ LinkedIn outreach: Why personal and thoughtful LinkedIn conversations can be effective, and why automated outreach should be approached carefully. ✅ Local search engine optimisation: How a strong Google Business Profile, genuine reviews and a useful website can help local businesses find an MSP. ✅ The importance of a fast response: Why responding quickly to a new enquiry can make a significant difference when a potential client is comparing several MSPs. ✅ Cold outbound activity: Why outbound marketing is a long term process that requires regular follow up rather than a single phone call. ✅ Delivering client happiness: Why MSPs should focus first on delivering an awesome outcome for the client before focusing on tools and automation. ✅ Reviewing software costs: Why MSP owners should regularly audit their software subscriptions and remove applications that are no longer required or being used. ✅ Making difficult decisions: Why business owners sometimes need to make tough decisions about costs, staffing and client relationships. ✅ Understanding the client relationship: Why MSP owners need to consider the personality, expectations and working relationship of the people they support. ✅ Building a healthier business: How losing a large client can create an opportunity to review the business, improve the pipeline and build a more sustainable client base. ✅ Continuing to innovate: Why MSPs need to keep improving and helping clients understand how technology can support their business. We created this podcast to share the real conversations and lessons we wish we had more of while running our own MSP, with practical insights from people who understand the challenges of this industry. Learn more about Abhishek and Telco ICT, or connect with him on LinkedIn . Read more episode notes here: mspmastery.blog Listen on YouTube: youtube.com/@MSPMastery Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4gftErFYrR8F80kthgvFbs Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-mastery-ctrl-alt-deliver/id1828105793 Follow on Instagram: instagram.com/mspmastery

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