So, you’ve been told time and time again to read They Ask, You Answer but just haven’t made the time? No worries—I’ve read it more than two dozen times and decided to translate it specifically for MSPs.

They Ask, You Answer (TAYA) is more than a book; it’s a mindset shift that helps you focus on educating your prospects, building trust, and turning transparency into your secret weapon. And for MSPs, who are often selling complex services to skeptical buyers, it’s a game-changer.

Here’s how to take the core principles of TAYA and apply them directly to your MSP.

Step 1: Identify What Your Prospects Want to Know

The foundation of TAYA is simple: Answer the questions your prospects are already asking.

Here’s how MSPs can uncover those questions:

• Talk to your team. Interview your sales team and account managers to compile a list of the most common questions prospects and clients ask.
• Check online forums. Platforms like Reddit, MSPGeek, and LinkedIn are gold mines for seeing what your audience is curious about.
• Segment questions by the buyer’s journey. Organize them into stages like awareness (general education), consideration (weighing options), and decision (ready to buy).

Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to address the “hard questions,” like pricing, risks, or competitors. These are the questions that build trust when you tackle them head-on.

Step 2: Create Content That Answers These Questions

Once you have the questions, it’s time to answer them in formats that resonate with your audience.

• Blogs: Write posts like “What is an MSP?” or “How Much Does IT Support Cost for Small Businesses?”
• Videos: Create engaging videos explaining complex topics like “Ransomware Protection 101” or “How to Choose an MSP.”
• Guides & Whitepapers: Offer resources like “21 Questions to Ask Your IT Provider” to generate leads while educating prospects.
• FAQs: Build a detailed FAQ section on your website addressing topics like pricing, onboarding, and SLAs.

Your goal is to position your MSP as the trusted authority, offering value before asking for anything in return.

Step 3: Be Radically Transparent

Transparency is at the heart of TAYA, but let’s be honest—it can feel uncomfortable. Still, it’s worth it.

Here’s what radical transparency looks like for MSPs:

• Share pricing ranges. Even if you can’t be exact, give a ballpark. Write content like “How Much Does Managed IT Cost?”
• Compare competitors. Respectfully highlight how your services stack up to alternatives like internal IT teams or other MSPs.
• Address risks and challenges. Educate prospects on potential pitfalls, like “Why Some IT Projects Fail and How to Avoid It.”

Being upfront doesn’t scare away prospects—it builds trust and positions you as a partner, not just a vendor.

Step 4: Use Content in the Sales Process

Your TAYA content isn’t just for blogs or social media. It should actively support your sales process.

• Pre-meeting resources: Send blogs like “What to Expect in Your First MSP Consultation” to set the stage.
• Sales enablement tools: Equip your team with guides, videos, and FAQs to answer common objections during calls.
• Follow-ups: After a discovery call, share content like “How to Prepare for an IT Assessment” to keep prospects engaged.

When sales and marketing align around educational content, you shorten sales cycles and close deals faster.

Step 5: Optimize for SEO and Thought Leadership

Your content is only as good as its reach. Make sure your ideal customers can find it.

• Focus on long-tail keywords. Use terms like “Do I need a cybersecurity plan for my small business?” to capture search traffic.
• Post regularly on LinkedIn. Share snippets of your content to spark conversations and build credibility.
• Share in niche communities. Engage in forums or local business groups to distribute your content where your ICP is active.

Step 6: Make It Interactive

TAYA isn’t a one-way street. Encourage interaction to deepen engagement.

• Host Q&A sessions or webinars. Answer burning questions in real time, like “How Do I Know If My IT Provider is Doing a Good Job?”
• Use live chat or chatbots. Address visitor questions instantly to build trust right from your website.

Step 7: Build Social Proof

Prospects trust what others say about you more than what you say about yourself. Use that to your advantage.

• Encourage reviews and testimonials. Showcase client success stories, like “How [Client Name] Reduced Downtime by 50% with Our Managed IT Services.”
• Create case studies. Turn your best client wins into shareable stories that answer common questions.

Step 8: Leverage Data to Iterate

TAYA isn’t a “set it and forget it” approach.

• Use tools like HubSpot, GlassHive, or Google Analytics to track which pieces of content are driving the most engagement or leads.
• Continuously refine and expand your content based on new trends, client feedback, and updated pain points.

Step 9: Align Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing alignment is critical for TAYA to succeed.

• Use TAYA content in outbound campaigns like cold emails or LinkedIn outreach.
• Train your sales team to leverage your content for overcoming objections during meetings.

When both teams work together, your prospects get a seamless, value-driven experience.

Step 10: Foster Long-Term Trust

TAYA is a long game. The more consistently you educate and empower your audience, the more trust you build over time.

• Create evergreen content like “Why Cybersecurity is Essential for Financial Services.”
• Develop niche resources tailored to your verticals, like “IT Challenges in Manufacturing and How MSPs Solve Them.”

Trust isn’t built overnight, but with TAYA, it’s built to last.

If you’ve been putting off They Ask, You Answer, this blog is your shortcut to getting started—and seeing results. For MSPs, adopting TAYA means becoming an educator, a trusted advisor, and ultimately, the go-to partner for your ideal clients.

What’s the first question you’ll answer for your audience? Let me know in the comments – or reach out if you want to brainstorm!