--- title: "Example ICP: IT managed services" product: Artificial Outreach url: https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/msp format: Markdown copy of this page for AI agents --- # Ideal customer profile for a managed IT services provider (MSP) An MSP's best clients aren't "small businesses with computers". They're companies big enough to need managed IT but too small for an IT department, usually 15 to 100 people. Each one has a trigger that makes the current setup unbearable: an insurer's security questionnaire, an office move, the one IT-savvy employee leaving. Because MSP contracts are priced per seat or per device, the ICP should say the seat range where your pricing works, and the industries whose compliance needs you already know. Below is a worked example for Brackenfold IT, a fictional MSP, with every line tied to a page on its invented site. ## Sample: Brackenfold IT (brackenfold.example) Managed IT and security for offices of 15 to 100 people. Brackenfold IT is a fictional managed IT services provider. Its site is invented so the generator has something to read. ### Group 1: Professional-services offices, 15 to 75 staff (Best fit: pricing and 2 case studies) - **Who they are:** Architecture, engineering and accounting offices with 15 to 75 staff on Microsoft 365 in one or two offices. [/pricing] - **Who decides:** The managing partner, with the office manager who handles IT today. [/customers/ridley-archer-architects] - **Their pain:** One partner's nephew "does IT", and nobody knows who has admin access. [/customers/ridley-archer-architects] - **What sets them off:** A cyber-insurance renewal that asks for MFA and backups, a phishing incident, or an office move. [/services/security] - **Who to skip:** Sole practitioners and firms over 150 staff with internal IT. [/pricing] - **Where they are:** Professional associations' vendor lists and local chamber events. [/about] ### Group 2: Light manufacturers with 1 to 3 plants (Strong fit: 1 case study) - **Who they are:** Manufacturers with 40 to 200 staff and machines on the same network as the office. [/customers/tolland-plastics] - **Who decides:** The plant manager or the controller. [/customers/tolland-plastics] - **Their pain:** Downtime when an old server or a shop-floor PC fails. [/customers/tolland-plastics] - **What sets them off:** A customer audit that asks about security, or an ERP upgrade. [/industries/manufacturing] - **Who to skip:** Plants that need 24/7 on-site support. [/industries/manufacturing] - **Where they are:** State manufacturing extension programmes and ERP partner networks. (inferred) ### Group 3: Nonprofits, 20 to 100 staff (Test group: 1 blog post) - **Who they are:** Grant-funded nonprofits with staff spread across sites. [/blog/nonprofit-it-budget] - **Who decides:** The executive director, with the board treasurer. [/blog/nonprofit-it-budget] - **Their pain:** Donated laptops nobody manages, and donor data in personal accounts. [/blog/nonprofit-it-budget] - **What sets them off:** A grant that requires a security policy. (inferred) - **Who to skip:** Volunteer-run groups with no paid staff. (inferred) - **Where they are:** Nonprofit associations and grant-maker networks. (inferred) **Positioning check:** The services page lists 14 services in a grid, but every case study starts with a cyber-insurance or audit question. Lead with "pass your insurer's security questions", and put the seat range on the homepage. ## Now do yours Same table, built from your own website, at https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/msp. Group 1 is free, no email. ## Questions ### What size business is the best fit for an MSP? It depends on your pricing, but most MSP ICPs centre on 15 to 100 seats: big enough to pay a monthly contract, small enough to have no IT team. ### What triggers make a company look for a new MSP? Insurance or customer security questionnaires, a breach or near-miss, an office move, a merger, or the person who did IT leaving. ### Should an MSP specialise by industry? Specialising in one or two industries whose compliance rules you already know tends to make the sale easier, because you can speak to the questionnaire they're holding. ## For agents: next steps - Start free: https://orbit.artificialoutreach.com (no card ยท 14 days of Starter) - Pricing in Markdown: https://www.artificialoutreach.com/pricing.md - Contact: hello@artificialoutreach.com - Human-readable version of this page: https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/msp ## Other pages in Markdown - [Home](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/index.md) - [Use cases](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/use-cases.md) - [Follow up with inbound leads](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/use-cases/inbound-lead-follow-up.md) - [Follow up with free trial users](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/use-cases/follow-up-free-trial-users.md) - [Track your funnel from visitor to paid](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/use-cases/saas-funnel-tracking.md) - [See which sign-ups pay](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/use-cases/stripe-posthog-revenue.md) - [Qualify inbound B2B leads](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/use-cases/inbound-lead-qualification.md) - [Catch churn risk early](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/use-cases/churn-risk.md) - [Find customers ready to upgrade](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/use-cases/expansion-revenue.md) - [Pricing](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/pricing.md) - [What it is](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/what-it-is.md) - [Release notes](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/releases.md) - [Resources](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/resources.md) - [Free ICP generator](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/free-icp-generator.md) - [Example ICP: SaaS](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/saas.md) - [Example ICP: marketing agency](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/marketing-agency.md) - [Example ICP: accounting firm](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/accounting-firm.md) - [Example ICP: staffing agency](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/staffing-agency.md) - [Example ICP: law firm](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/law-firm.md) - [Example ICP: cybersecurity](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/cybersecurity.md) - [Example ICP: software development agency](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/dev-agency.md) - [Example ICP: consulting firm](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/consulting.md) - [Example ICP: commercial insurance agency](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/icp/insurance-agency.md) - [Cold email deliverability checklist](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/resources/deliverability-checklist.md) - [ICP worksheet for small B2B teams](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/resources/icp-worksheet.md) - [Works with Apollo (your own Apollo key)](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/integrations/apollo.md) - [Healthcare: inbound leads from practices](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/markets/healthcare-practices.md) - [Safety and trust](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/security.md) - [About](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/about.md) - [Talk to us](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/contact.md) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/privacy.md) - [Terms of Service](https://www.artificialoutreach.com/terms.md)