What Is A Managed IT Service And Why Should You Get One For Your Business

Cheerful female support operator in headset

If you haven’t lived under a rock until now, most probably you use modern technology in your business. Today, computers and the internet rule the world, helping people and businesses cope better with the increased demand for attention we all have to face. Unfortunately, computers, networks and other infrastructure elements may stop working, leaving you puzzled and confused about the steps to take in order to restore their normal functioning. This is what IT specialists are for, so you’ll probably contact one to help you deal with your issue. Nonetheless, if you have to pay an emergency fee each and every time you have an urgent trouble to sort out, you’ll realize this isn’t the best way to handle such things.

A managed IT service is a company that you can outsource your IT management to, usually based on a monthly or yearly subscription plan. They would maintain your systems on an ongoing basis, and handle all problems that may occur. This type of agreement is much better than contacting emergency troubleshooting services, because it enables you to know from upfront what kind of budget you’d need for IT maintenance for each year. Predictable prices will help you develop more accurate business plans, as your IT expenses will be under control. Computers may occasionally stop operating, but most of the time the problems can be easily fixed. If you have a good subscription with a managed IT service, you’ll have someone to help you sort out such things without extra costs.

A good managed service is also proactive. This means you won’t have to wait until something breaks, as they would perform regular inspections and maintenance works, thus preventing most IT problems that may interfere with your normal workflow. By hiring these experts right off the bat, you can have the peace of mind that all your systems are properly installed and configured, and all your staff trained on using them. This alternative to the break-fix model is a true performance booster for any business.

Managed IT services hire expert technicians, which is yet another reason to choose this solution for your business. If you were to hire such specialists by yourself, you’d probably pay them huge salaries you may not afford. By getting a services subscription, you can benefit from the expertise and the skills of these highly qualified people, and pay only a fraction of their salary. Your systems will be more stable and more reliable, and you’ll be able to do your work in the best possible conditions, without having to search the web for troubleshooting ideas and solutions.

These are only a few reasons why you need a managed IT service for your business. You may add to this list that by paying a monthly fee, the technicians will be motivated to work faster to fix your systems. On the contrary, by calling someone only when something breaks, you risk to pay higher fees and to wait more, as these consultants are stimulated to choose longer resolutions.

Tips For Turning Your Quotes Into Sales

Portrait of a mechanic at work in his garage

Sales are the driving force behind your business and you need to find ways to increase the number of sales that you make. There are a lot of businesses that have quotes which do not turn into sales and you need to consider what can be done in these cases. We spoke to a quoting expert – Matt from Skilled Fencing, and he told us there are a number of steps that you can take to ensure that your quotes translate into sales and revenue for your business.

Address Leads Early

One of the most important steps that you need to take with your quotes is to get them to potential customers as soon as possible. If you wait too long, the potential customer may choose your competition because they communicate faster. A study published in the Harvard Business Review found that business leads which were provided with a quote within the first hour after the initial contact are more likely to develop into sales.

Taking too long to provide a quote will also affect the perception of your business. Taking too long will make the potential customer assume that you will always take long to communicate and that you will take a long time to complete the work they want. This is something that can easily be avoided by simply getting the quote to your potential customer quickly.

Have Standard Branding

Many people do not realise how important the branding on your quote is. If the branding on your quote is not consistent with the rest of your business, this can lead to customer confusion. Most customers will get quotes from up to 3 different businesses before they make a decision. If you do not have consistent branding, the customer may not be able to place which company provided them with the quote and could discard it.

Consistent branding is also a sign of a professional business. It is vital that you always give the impression that you are a professional business who is not going to disappear when the customer needs you.

Have A Call To Action

Your quote is a sales message and at this point, the customer has not agreed to anything. This is why you need to include a call to action in your quote. It will prompt the customer to take the next steps to turn the quote into a sale. You should also look at including other sales messages in your quote.

These other sales messages can include why they should choose your business instead of your competitions. You might offer the best price, but you still need to sell your company to the customer as price is not all they look at. Your quote is the best way to do this because it is something that your customer will look at more than once.

There are a number of ways that you can turn a quote into a sale. Being consistent in your branding is important because it instils trust and will make your business appear more professional. You also need to include a call to action in the quote which will prompt the potential customer to take the next steps.