Marc Bartholomew, Integritechs
A classic and highly debated Star Wars scene where Han Solo shoots Greedo is an unlikely thing an MSP business can actually learn from. In the movie, Greedo is a bounty hunter out to get the head of Solo. Greedo corners Solo in a bar and forces him to take a seat at gunpoint. And we all know what happens next – the “Han shot first” controversy! But aside from the argument of who shot first, Star Wars fans can all agree that Greedo was arrogant and off-guard as he thought he had the upper-hand just before Han shot him with a blaster under the table.
So exactly what valuable lessons can MSPs learn from Greedo’s demise? Simple: A good, old-time message of humility. Now, in the world of modern business, confidence is a good thing. We need people who are willing to take the lead and direct the organization to greater heights. However, confidence (and having too much of it) may bring a company to its downfall. Before this happens to your MSP business, take the humble path and learn what it really means to manage a business with humility.
Do not put all your eggs in one basket
Never put all your MSP eggs in one basket or complete the deal that’ll make or break you if you can avoid it. Being an IT service provider, you should not concentrate all efforts and resources in one area of the business, as you could easily lose everything you have worked for. In today’s fast-changing business environment, it takes humility to recognize this, and if you do not, your business will be at stake.
Scrutinize your plans and strategies for flaws
Greedo underestimated Han Solo and did not think through his plan for capturing Han. If only he was humble enough to acknowledge Han’s shrewdness, then we could have witnessed a different scene. In the same way, when you are launching marketing campaigns, you should make it a point to really look for flaws in your design or analyze it inexhaustibly with a different perspective to cover flaws you may have missed or not even thought of.
Make tests before launching anything
Before you run a major program or product in front of all your customers, make a small scale test first and verify if it works. This will increase the probability of success and ensure the quality of IT services you provide to your clients.
Think of how your actions affect others
Doing live updates on your customers is an example that can create massive downtime for them. So, before doing anything drastic, even if it is for your client’s sake, find out the direct and indirect effects of such actions and from there, you can make adjustments.
Be the bigger person
In the IT business, you can have lurking enemies who are spreading bad word or gossip of your company. The key is not to become angry but be the bigger person. Ultimately, the example you set will show in your work and any prospect will see that the hearsays are not true by simply having a conversation with you. Just like in the original cut, Han just shot Greedo through the table, but in the newer one, you can see Greedo shoot first and miss, followed by Han’s shot. This was to make Han seem more ethical. This teaches that you can have unknown and hidden enemies and only by resisting the urge to go to the dark side, you can ultimately prevail.
Greedo paid the price of his arrogance and his story should serve as a caution to any MSP business. Having too much confidence could easily backfire and damage your company’s reputation. Hence, practice a humbler and smarter way of managing your business by applying the lessons above in your management and marketing plan. They will certainly help you avoid being a Greedo in the IT industry.
