Most MSPs build their business the same way: by doing great work, building a strong reputation, and relying on referrals to fuel steady growth. For many, that model works just fine – at least for a while.
Referrals are free. They’re usually qualified. They tend to convert quickly because they come with trust built in. But here’s the reality: referrals are a limited resource.
And for MSPs who haven’t invested in any other route to market, the day that stream dries up, which can be a real turning point – one that often comes too late.
A case study – when the well runs dry
We recently spoke to an MSP owner in Chicago, who told us that his referrals had stopped almost overnight. He admitted something he hadn’t expected to feel: embarrassment. His referral network – built over the last 15 years – had started to slow down, not because of anything he did, but because the people in it were starting to retire, sell up or sadly even pass away. His reliable source of leads had quite literally aged out. He hadn’t built anything to replace it. And now, for the first time in his career, at 62 years old, he was staring down the challenge of trying to grow without any leads.
His story isn’t unique. Many MSPs find themselves in the same position – highly skilled, with a solid track record, but no idea how to go out and get leads, let alone convert them.
It’s like joining the race halfway through the marathon, without any training.
The illusion of a full pipeline
Referrals create a false sense of pipeline security. You’re not generating leads – you’re receiving them. They come without warning, often through a quick intro email or a conversation over lunch. There’s rarely a need to persuade. No real marketing involved. No objection handling. You’re not chasing – you’re responding.
Over time, this builds a certain comfort. Sales feels easy. The business keeps growing. There’s no urgency to do more because, from the outside, everything looks healthy. But what’s really happening is that you’re relying on someone else’s network, not your own engine. You don’t have a repeatable sales or marketing process. You’ve just become very good at catching warm leads when they fall into your lap.
Cold sales aren’t the same game
One of the biggest challenges MSPs face when the referrals stop is realising just how different cold conversations are. With referrals, prospects already trust you. They’ve heard you’re good. They’re often already in the market. But when you’re approaching someone who’s never heard of you, you’re starting from zero. You have to take them through a process …
You need to prove your personal credibility, your business’s credibility, explain your value and give them a reason to care – and START TO BUILD TRUST, before you even get to the part about IT support, compliance, infrastructure or cybersecurity.
That’s why it often feels uncomfortable at first. It’s unfamiliar. There’s friction. Leads don’t convert the way referrals do, and that’s disheartening for MSPs who’ve never had to ‘sell’ before. But this isn’t a reason to avoid it – it’s a reason to learn it. Selling to strangers isn’t a different job; it’s the same job, just with the training wheels off.
Building before you need it
The best time to start building a marketing and sales engine is before you need it. Not when the referrals have stopped – but while they’re still coming in. Because you’ll have time to test things.
You can start to define your audience more clearly, clarify your message, build awareness beyond your immediate circle, and develop a rhythm that’s repeatable. It doesn’t need to be loud, pushy, or even expensive – it just needs to be consistent.
That could mean getting more active on LinkedIn, sharing helpful content, refining your website, running targeted email campaigns, or simply staying visible to people who aren’t quite ready to buy. It’s all about creating new doors for people to walk through – not just hoping the old ones stay open.
This is of course what Wingman does, all day every day, on behalf of MSPs around the world.
We are often referred to other MSPs within networks and we’re incredibly grateful for that. We also practice what we preach – we have a process to build trust which we continuously refine.
If you’d like to put us to the test and see how we do it, click one of the buttons below 
