By now, you already know the end-user benefits of AI—boosted productivity, amplified creativity and time saved. But, for managed service providers (MSPs), there are different considerations. Most importantly, how can you make money and grow your business with AI tools like Copilot for Microsoft 365?
So, let’s explore the opportunity that comes with AI, how MSPs can leverage Copilot for Microsoft 365 to strengthen their partnerships with their clients and how to build and position a profitable Copilot for Microsoft 365 offer.
Is using AI good for your business?
AI is not a future trend. It’s a powerful technology already changing the way businesses work.
According to Microsoft, AI adoption is accelerating faster than ever with tools like ChatGPT reaching 100 million users in just three months (it took Facebook over four years to reach that number and cell phones took 16 years). Beyond the sheer number of users, 87% of organizations believe AI will give them a competitive edge and 70% of people would delegate as much as possible to AI to lessen their workload.
This demand and curiosity around AI present a real opportunity for MSPs. While SMBs want to use AI tools, they might not know where to start. That’s where you come in. Investing in AI expertise now and starting to build your practice will establish you as a trusted guide and partner who can confidently lead their clients through AI adoption. It also gives you a competitive edge over other MSPs who are hesitant or unaware of the opportunity. It’s a win-win situation.
Prepare your organization for Microsoft 365 Copilot
For many SMBs, Copilot for Microsoft 365 will be their entry point into AI. Microsoft’s AI companion seamlessly integrates with the Microsoft 365 apps so many of us already know and use daily—Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more. This familiarity and functionality, combined with enterprise-grade security, position Copilot as the AI tool of choice for SMBs.
When it comes to selling Copilot, however, it goes beyond just selling a license. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to Copilot, so this is a real opportunity for MSPs to step into an advisory role and guide their customers through the AI adoption process. This gives you a prime opportunity to build trust and strengthen your partnership while helping them get the most from this tool.
This advisory mindset is also key to bridging the gap between selling licenses and creating a unique and profitable offer that adds value for your clients and boosts your profits. Let’s explore how to do that.
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How to build a profitable Copilot offer
One of the top ways to make Copilot profitable is to leverage your advisory skills and create your own unique offer by packaging services that complement Copilot for Microsoft 365. These services can help you differentiate your offer, increase your margins, and enhance customer satisfaction with AI and your MSP.
One way of building your service offering is to align with the Copilot deployment journey: getting clients AI ready, selling and deploying Copilot, and post-adoption management.
Don’t worry—you don’t have to offer services in each of these categories. Focus on your strengths and areas of expertise and identify where most of your clients are in their AI journey. This will help you decide which services to offer and show their value-add.
You also don’t have to start from scratch. You may already offer similar professional services that can be tailored specifically to the Copilot journey. Leverage Microsoft and Sherweb resources to start building your service offering.
Top 10 services to package with Copilot for Microsoft 365
Pre-deployment: Getting your clients AI ready
This is one of the most important steps in the process. Before adopting Copilot, there’s some legwork that needs to be done—proper licensing, security considerations, data management and more. That’s why this stage is the perfect opportunity to develop services that will help your clients get AI ready. Also, since Copilot is new to everyone, this is the stage that will be most relevant to clients right now.
- Migration services: One of the foundational prerequisites of using an AI tool like Copilot is having your data in the Microsoft cloud. That means any clients still using on-premises servers will have to migrate to the cloud before adopting Copilot. Offering migration services to help them in this transition is a great way to add value at a foundational stage of their AI journey.
- AI readiness assessment: Before adopting Copilot, there are certain things to consider—proper licensing, security and data management and identifying business needs. Leverage this helpful AI readiness assessment template from Microsoft to determine where your clients stand and what next steps look like for them.
- Security assessment: If there’s one area that needs to be rock solid before rolling out Copilot, security is it. Understanding the security and compliance implications of AI is crucial for successful Copilot adoption and, therefore, is a great area to focus on developing services around.
As a starting point, in the Microsoft Defender portal, you can access a tenant’s Secure Score. This provides a good snapshot of where clients are starting out and will help you determine next steps.
Another great tool is Microsoft 365 Lighthouse. Get a holistic view of your clients’ security posture with the ability to drill down into specific devices without having to navigate multiple portals or tenants.
Supplement these tools and resources with your own expertise to build a security assessment that really works for you and your clients.
- Gap analysis: This is another area where Microsoft provides a good starting point. Check out your Microsoft tenant for lots of good data points that can help you assess where your clients are in their AI journey and help you create an individualized roadmap for their Copilot adoption. If you’ve helped clients make the move from on-prem to the cloud or to Azure, you may already have a document you can adapt and use for Copilot as it’s a similar journey.
- CSP briefings: This Microsoft program is a one-to-many partner-led event available through Sherweb. It provides you with the content you need to deliver a workshop about Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Copilot for Microsoft 365. Besides being a great way to get the Copilot conversation started with your clients, it’s also an incentivized program with Microsoft. Reach out to the Sherweb team to learn more about CSP briefings.
Adoption: Sell and deploy Copilot for Microsoft 365
At this stage, focus on services that will help your clients see the value of Copilot, understand how it can help them based on their business needs, get them to use it for themselves and start rolling it out to their users.
- Demos and use cases: There is no one-size-fits-all approach to Copilot. That’s why it’s helpful to show your clients Copilot for M365 in action and how it applies to them with specific use cases for their industry, role, and business goals. Get started with Microsoft’s demo content or demo it based on experience and show them how you use it. You can also work with them to prepare specific use cases based on their business needs.
- Pilot programs: Help clients organize and run a pilot program. Identify users in different functions to try out Copilot with a limited number of licenses. This is a good way for your clients to see the value for themselves before committing to full adoption.
- Deployment and configuration assistance: This is a natural next step to any pre-deployment services you offer. When your clients are ready to start using Copilot, work with them to set up policies and preferences so Copilot is properly configured for their needs. This also gives you the opportunity to identify and resolve issues prior to deployment.
- Training sessions: Ongoing training not only helps your clients get the most out of Copilot, but it also establishes your role as an expert and advisor. Whether it’s one-on-one or one-to-many, a training component will give your clients confidence that they have a reliable partner as they get up and running with Copilot.
Post-adoption: Managing and improving results
This stage is all about evolving your offer and continuing to provide value even after a successful Copilot rollout.
- Monitoring and improvement sessions: Another perfect opportunity to step into that advisory role, regular business reviews—whether quarterly or annually—give you the opportunity to connect with your clients, share your expertise and help them get the most from Copilot.
Leverage the Copilot dashboard for actionable insights that you can share with your clients regarding Copilot usage in their organization and ways they can improve outcomes. This technology continues to evolve so this will ensure your clients continue to get the most from Copilot.
Beyond services, another way to boost the profitability of your Copilot offer is through Microsoft incentives. These incentives are designed to reward MSPs for adopting Copilot for themselves (a crucial element of successful reselling) and for rolling it out to their clients. Contact the Sherweb team today to learn more about what incentives are available to you.
Get more from Copilot for Microsoft 365 with Sherweb
Getting started with Copilot doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Sherweb’s team of experts is here to help you every step of the way. We’ve been mastering the Microsoft ecosystem since 2005 and we have the expertise and the resources to help you get more from Microsoft and Copilot for Microsoft 365.
If you’re looking for an experienced partner you’ve come to the right place!
Want to stay on top of Microsoft Copilot developments? Ready to experience the future of work? Copilot is now available for MSPs to offer to their clients via Sherweb’s portal. Not yet a Sherweb partner? Getting started is easy, learn more about the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider Program at Sherweb.
Sherweb is committed to helping MSPs not only make the most of their Microsoft relationship but capitalize on opportunities that will drive growth for their business as well. As Copilot for M365 rolls out and evolves, we’ll continue to provide updates and assist partners and their clients in leveraging this AI technology for their benefit. Our expert team will guide you through the implementation process and help you unlock the full potential of this revolutionary tool.
Don’t wait to unleash the power of AI in your organization. Discover how AI can transform your business.
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