Why Marketing Cybersecurity to MSPs and MSSPs Requires a Different Strategy

Engaging enterprise security leaders through traditional marketing efforts follows a well-established set of principles and expectations. However, when selling security technology to managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs), the dynamic shifts entirely, requiring a distinct approach grounded in the reality of how these providers operate.

This is not simply a matter of targeting a different audience. It represents a fundamental change in how value is defined, how decisions are made, and how success is measured. While enterprise buyers prioritize reducing internal risk and demonstrating return on security investments within a single environment, service providers must deliver secure, consistent, and profitable outcomes across dozens or even hundreds of client environments, each with its own context, constraints, and complexity. This operational reality introduces a new set of challenges that marketing and sales efforts must be prepared to address with precision.

The Business Model Changes the Buying Criteria: MSPs and MSSPs Don’t Buy Tools They Invest in Scalable Services

MSPs and MSSPs do not evaluate products in isolation. They assess solutions based on how well they support scalability, repeatability, and profitability across a multi-client environment. Because most MSPs and MSSPs operate with narrow margins and must manage operational overhead carefully, your solution must fit directly into their delivery model with minimal disruption and maximum leverage.

Marketing efforts must highlight the operational efficiency the product enables, the degree to which it supports automation, and its ability to reduce false positives, administrative burdens, and compliance gaps. Features such as centralized policy management, robust multi-tenancy support, integration with platforms like PSA, RMM, and SIEM tools, and the ability to standardize security operations across environments are not optional requirements, they are baseline expectations. If your technology cannot meet those criteria, it will be deprioritized regardless of its technical strengths.

They Are the Hero, Not You: MSPs want to Deliver Value, Not Resell your Product

One of the most common missteps vendors make when entering the MSP channel is developing messaging that speaks directly to end customers, rather than to the service provider delivering the value. MSPs and MSSPs must be empowered to position themselves as trusted security advisors and credible partners in their clients' success, and they are looking for technologies that help them strengthen that position.

Your product must enhance the provider’s ability to build differentiated offerings, expand recurring revenue streams, and deepen client relationships. This means making it clear how the solution can be bundled into an existing service, resold as part of a broader portfolio, or used to upsell premium protection, compliance, or response capabilities. Providers are evaluating not just whether the technology works, but whether it supports their brand, strengthens customer trust, and creates sustainable business value.

You Are Not Just Selling a Product. You Are Delivering a Partnership

When selling security solutions into the MSP or MSSP channel, it is important to understand that you are not simply offering access to a tool. You are being evaluated as a long-term partner who can help the provider build a service that is repeatable, defensible, and profitable over time. This expectation brings with it a need for comprehensive support that extends far beyond the product itself.

Providers expect access to co-branded marketing assets, technical documentation written for frontline support staff, structured training and certification paths for engineers and sellers, and onboarding programs designed to accelerate time to value. They also look for flexible licensing options that align with how they bill clients, whether by endpoint, user, or environment. Without this surrounding ecosystem of support, even a technically excellent solution will struggle to gain traction with service providers who are focused on delivery at scale.

The Sales Cycle Is Collaborative and Built on Trust

The sales process within the provider channel is often longer and more consultative than traditional enterprise deals, because it requires alignment not only on the technical fit but also on business model compatibility, operational readiness, and long-term partnership potential. Many MSP and MSSP leaders have deep technical backgrounds and will engage in rigorous evaluation of your architecture, deployment model, performance characteristics, and integration capabilities.

At the same time, they must also evaluate how your solution fits into their service design and delivery model. Smaller MSPs may look to you for guidance on how to package and position the solution as part of a security practice. Larger, more mature MSSPs may already have an established go-to-market strategy and require a clear understanding of how your offering complements, rather than competes with, what they already provide. In both cases, your marketing collateral must speak directly to provider needs, with messaging, use cases, and technical content built specifically for the MSP and MSSP context.

Your success will depend on your ability to understand their needs, demonstrate credibility, and invest in the relationship beyond the initial transaction.

Trust and Familiarity Often Win Over Novelty

MSPs and MSSPs are in the business of managing risk, which makes them highly cautious about introducing change to their security stack. Once a solution is proven to be stable, reliable, and supportable, it becomes deeply embedded in their operations. They will not replace it unless the value of switching is both clearly articulated and significant. MSPs are not persuaded by novelty alone; they prioritize solutions that reduce complexity, improve margins, and strengthen service quality. If the benefits are not immediate, measurable, and aligned with how they deliver value to clients, they will stay with what already works.

For this reason, marketing strategies must go beyond highlighting features and instead focus on demonstrating measurable value, operational efficiency, and economic benefit. Your messaging must clearly articulate why the solution deserves to be adopted now, what pain it alleviates better than existing alternatives, and how it improves the provider’s ability to deliver results for their clients. If those answers are not immediately evident or if the transition path appears complex or costly, the provider will default to maintaining the status quo.

How Merritt3 Consulting Helps Security Vendors Win in the MSP Channel

At Merritt3 Consulting, we understand what it takes to build lasting success in the provider ecosystem. Our team has helped dozens of B2B and cybersecurity companies move from early-stage growth to hundreds of millions in recurring revenue by developing tailored strategies for the MSP and MSSP channel.

We specialize in helping vendors position their products specifically for the MSP and MSSP market, develop scalable programs that support multi-client delivery, and build messaging that resonates with technical and business stakeholders alike. Our experience includes conducting hundreds of MSP interviews to inform messaging and packaging, designing end-to-end enablement frameworks that equip internal and partner teams, and creating full-funnel assets that speak the language of both technical and business stakeholders.

Whether your goal is to enter the MSP market, strengthen an existing channel, or build a partner-first go-to-market motion for a new security solution, we bring the expertise, execution support, and channel intelligence required to succeed. Our approach is grounded in a deep understanding of how service providers operate, what they expect from their vendors, and how to help them grow.

Looking for more insights on winning in the MSP and MSSP channel? Follow Merritt3 Consulting on LinkedIn for strategies, frameworks, and real-world lessons from helping security companies scale through providers.

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