What’s the difference between MSPs that are standing still right now and those that are rocketing ahead? It’s a special episode today because there’s only three months left of 2026, and I’ve actually got one of my colleagues as a special guest. He’s spent 10 years talking to MSPs about how to grow their business, and he’s going to share all of his brain with you right now.

Welcome to Episode 359 of the MSP Marketing Podcast with me, Paul Green, powered by the MSP Marketing Edge.

Fast Growing MSPs Do Just TWO Things Differently

Featured guest: Ben Smith has been part of the MSP Marketing Edge journey from Day 1, he helps MSPs build simple, repeatable marketing systems that compound over time, generating consistent leads instead of chasing the latest trend.

Having spent over 15 years consulting with business owners he brings practical, real-world experience rather than marketing theory.

Away from work, you’ll usually find him outdoors with his family or working on his latest renovation project.

Hello, my name’s Ben Smith. I work with Paul at the MSP Marketing Edge.

And how has it taken so long to get you on the podcast? We’ve been doing this podcast, what, seven years or something like that?

Good question.

I know, it is a good question. And you and I have actually worked together a very long time, way longer than actually the MSP Marketing Edge has been around. We’ll explore that in a second. But it’s good to have you here today, Ben, because you talk to MSPs all day, every day, and you hear the good, the bad, sometimes you hear the ugly because your job of course is to help people with their growth, with their marketing. And that means you’ve got quite a unique insight into what’s happening with MSPs around the world right now. So do you want to just start by telling us a little bit about you and your background and how we came to work together and what exactly you do for us here in the MSP Marketing Edge?

Absolutely. So we’ve worked together for is it 15 years now, Paul?

Yeah, scary, isn’t it? You had hair when we started. You didn’t really. For those watching on YouTube, Ben has no hair whatsoever.

This is a personal choice. People often say when they find out we’ve worked together that long that I’m either good at what I do or that I’ve got some secret information on you. So they don’t know that it’s both at this stage.

Thank you.

But yeah, we worked together in the previous business working with healthcare sector and opticians, veterinary practices and dentists. And then of course we’ve been working together with the MSP Marketing Edge where you do the podcast and all the fun, crazy stuff. And I speak with MSP owners all over the world and find out what they’re looking to do with their business and if we can help them.

Exactly that. In fact, if anything, I have the fun and you do the hard work.

I enjoy it just as much. So it’s all good.

I’m sure you do. Well, I know you do for a fact. And actually you are talking to our existing members as well as new members who are looking to join us because you do all the one-to-one consultations with our members, you do all of our onboarding. So essentially Ben is pretty much the only member of our team who loves being on a Zoom call all day long. I don’t like being on Zooms, I prefer doing stuff like this. And actually it was just you and me if we go back 10 years to when we first started this business. And so you and I have been here right from the beginning.

And that actually leads onto my first question, which is what have you seen change since 2016 to 2026 in terms of how MSPs grow their business? So I don’t mean from a tech point...