EPISODE · Sep 23, 2025 · 50 MIN
#23 – From the Trenches - MSP Sales Leadership (Rafi Cohn)
from The BMK Vision Podcast · host Josh Peterson
In this candid “From the Trenches” chat, Josh Peterson and guest Rafi Cohn unpack what MSP sales really looks like day-to-day—no pitch decks, just shop talk. You’ll hear why most MSPs don’t have a true salesperson, how that shapes pipeline strategy, and practical ways to prospect without burning cash. ✅ Enjoyed this episode? Like, subscribe, and share your biggest takeaway below. https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog Guest Highlight: Rafi Cohn, head of sales & marketing at IntelliComp, joins Josh for a frank conversation about building an MSP sales motion when you’re a team of one. From conference ROI to cold-calling lists and ABM-style outreach, they break down what’s working, what isn’t, and how to avoid common traps that stall growth. 👉 The reality check: typical MSP size, why “no dedicated sales rep” is the norm, and what that means for targets and activity 👉 Conferences without regret: when to go, when to speak, and how to leverage customer intros on the floor 👉 Pipeline to miracles: simple, accountable opportunity stages and why a lightweight CRM setup (e.g., HubSpot) beats scattered notes 👉 Prospecting that fits your market: niche vs. broad ICP, building usable lists, and balancing long-cycle enterprise with near-term wins 👉 Creative outreach that opens doors: 3-touch mailers, pattern interrupts (yes, donuts), and follow-up cadences that actually get callbacks You’ll come away with concrete ideas to fill the top of the funnel, lead the sale instead of trailing prospects, and set up systems today that you can scale into a real team tomorrow. Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources. 🔗 Resources & Links • Rafi Cohn - Intellicomp: https://intellicomp.net Intellicomp Technologies • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Why “From the Trenches” (no pitch, just real talk) 00:34 – Rafi’s path: customer → MSP sales lead (IntelliComp) 03:25 – The size myth & why most MSPs have zero salespeople 09:35 – Should you even go to that conference? ROI & speaking slots 13:44 – Why IT sales feels harder than other industries 16:50 – Long sales cycles: don’t tell reps that on day one 20:13 – Pipeline hygiene, stages, and using HubSpot simply 29:40 – Cold calling that fits your style (and your list) 32:59 – List building: niche focus vs. multi-industry spread 43:11 – Pattern interrupts: coffee mailers, donut boxes, and callbacks 50:35 – Wrap & takeaways 🔍 Primary Keywords msp sales, managed service provider sales, msp prospecting, msp pipeline stages 🔍 Secondary Keywords cold calling for msps, account based marketing msp, conference roi msp, hubspot for msps #️⃣ Hashtags #beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #mspsales #managedservices #mspmarketing #salesprospecting #coldcalling #accountbasedmarketing #salespipeline #hubspot #msplife #itservices #mspleadgen #fromthetrenches
What this episode covers
In this candid “From the Trenches” chat, Josh Peterson and guest Rafi Cohn unpack what MSP sales really looks like day-to-day—no pitch decks, just shop talk. You’ll hear why most MSPs don’t have a true salesperson, how that shapes pipeline strategy, and practical ways to prospect without burning cash. ✅ Enjoyed this episode? Like, subscribe, and share your biggest takeaway below. https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog Guest Highlight: Rafi Cohn, head of sales & marketing at IntelliComp, joins Josh for a frank conversation about building an MSP sales motion when you’re a team of one. From conference ROI to cold-calling lists and ABM-style outreach, they break down what’s working, what isn’t, and how to avoid common traps that stall growth. 👉 The reality check: typical MSP size, why “no dedicated sales rep” is the norm, and what that means for targets and activity👉 Conferences without regret: when to go, when to speak, and how to leverage customer intros on the floor👉 Pipeline to miracles: simple, accountable opportunity stages and why a lightweight CRM setup (e.g., HubSpot) beats scattered notes👉 Prospecting that fits your market: niche vs. broad ICP, building usable lists, and balancing long-cycle enterprise with near-term wins👉 Creative outreach that opens doors: 3-touch mailers, pattern interrupts (yes, donuts), and follow-up cadences that actually get callbacks You’ll come away with concrete ideas to fill the top of the funnel, lead the sale instead of trailing prospects, and set up systems today that you can scale into a real team tomorrow.Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources. 🔗 Resources & Links• Rafi Cohn - Intellicomp: https://intellicomp.net Intellicomp Technologies• Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com ⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Why “From the Trenches” (no pitch, just real talk)00:34 – Rafi’s path: customer → MSP sales lead (IntelliComp)03:25 – The size myth & why most MSPs have zero salespeople09:35 – Should you even go to that conference? ROI & speaking slots13:44 – Why IT sales feels harder than other industries16:50 – Long sales cycles: don’t tell reps that on day one20:13 – Pipeline hygiene, stages, and using HubSpot simply29:40 – Cold calling that fits your style (and your list)32:59 – List building: niche focus vs. multi-industry spread43:11 – Pattern interrupts: coffee mailers, donut boxes, and callbacks50:35 – Wrap & takeaways 🔍 Primary Keywordsmsp sales, managed service provider sales, msp prospecting, msp pipeline stages 🔍 Secondary Keywordscold calling for msps, account based marketing msp, conference roi msp, hubspot for msps #️⃣ Hashtags#beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #mspsales #managedservices #mspmarketing #salesprospecting #coldcalling #accountbasedmarketing #salespipeline #hubspot #msplife #itservices #mspleadgen #fromthetrenches
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#23 – From the Trenches - MSP Sales Leadership (Rafi Cohn)
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