MKLINK MSP Marketing : The Best Bits of Byte-Sized Brilliance !

Hosted by Mike Knight - MKLINK

Business Management

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Episodes

101

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-GB

About the show

Here's where you can download and digest your best bits of MSP marketing in simple steps for sustainable success. Presented by Mike Knight MBA FCIM (an elected Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing with over 25 years of experience owning a marketing business) who has helped thousands of businesses and MSPs all over the world since 1998. As well as helping MSP owners grow via referral marketing, MKLINK have helped many MSP owners scale rapidly via with mergers and acquisitions as well.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 22, 202613 min

Persuasion Driver #29 : Survivorship Bias

In this episode, we explore Survivorship Bias, the tendency to focus on successful people, businesses and outcomes while overlooking those that failed or disappeared. We examine why success stories, customer testimonials and impressive case studies can create a misleading picture when they are treated as representative of typical results. For MSPs, this bias can influence everything from evaluating technology suppliers and assessing cyber security to understanding customer satisfaction and deciding which business strategies to adopt. A successful outcome demonstrates what is possible, but it doesn’t necessarily tell us how likely that outcome is or what important information might be missing. We also look at how MSPs can avoid Survivorship Bias by examining failed projects, lost sales, departing customers and near misses alongside their successes. The episode explores how to evaluate supplier claims more critically, make case studies more credible by explaining the circumstances behind results, and learn from both positive and negative experiences. By looking beyond the winners and considering the wider evidence, MSPs can make better-informed decisions, set more realistic client expectations and build trust through honest, evidence-based communication. Ultimately, the goal is to understand not just what works, but why it works, when it might not work and what can be learned from the outcomes that are often overlooked. Mike Knight MBA FCIM Director, MKLINK Ltd

October 16, 202611 min

Persuasion Driver #28 : Recency & Availability Bias

In this episode, we explore Recency Bias and Availability Bias, two psychological tendencies that influence how people assess risks, interpret experiences and make decisions. We look at why recent events can disproportionately shape our opinions, and why memorable stories or dramatic headlines can make certain risks seem more common or important than they really are. For MSPs, these biases have significant implications for cyber security, sales, marketing and client relationships, from how businesses respond to the latest cyber attack to how a single bad support experience can overshadow years of good service. We also explore how MSPs can use these principles responsibly to communicate risks more effectively, make case studies more relevant and improve client conversations without resorting to fear or artificial urgency. The episode examines how to balance memorable examples with reliable evidence, assess performance over time and avoid letting individual successes or failures dictate business decisions. Ultimately, the goal is to make important information easier to understand and act upon, while helping clients distinguish between what is simply memorable and what genuinely matters. Mike Knight MBA FCIM Director, MKLINK Ltd

October 8, 202611 min

Persuasion Driver #27 : The Mere Exposure Effect

In this episode, we explore the Mere Exposure Effect, the idea that repeated exposure to something can gradually influence how positively we perceive it. We look at why familiarity matters, how repeated encounters can make something feel less unfamiliar, and why this is particularly relevant to MSPs, where businesses may go months or even years without actively looking for a new technology provider. The episode explores how useful content, events, social media, referrals and recognisable people can help an MSP become familiar before a buying need ever arises. We also look at the important distinction between familiarity and trust. Simply being seen repeatedly isn't enough, an MSP needs to consistently give prospects useful reasons to remember and associate with the business. The episode explores how to build familiarity through consistent positioning, varied content, multiple touchpoints and positive experiences, while avoiding overexposure, repetition and unwanted marketing. Ultimately, the goal isn't to be everywhere; it's to become usefully familiar before somebody needs you. Mike Knight MBA FCIM Director, MKLINK Ltd

September 30, 202614 min

Persuasion Driver #26 : The Endowment Effect

In this episode, we explore the Endowment Effect, the behavioural tendency for people to place greater value on something once it feels like it belongs to them. We look at the psychology behind ownership and why giving something up can feel very different from deciding whether to acquire it in the first place. We also explore how psychological ownership can develop before a purchase through personalisation, involvement, hands-on experiences and co-creation. For MSPs, the episode examines how the Endowment Effect can shape sales, trials, onboarding, client retention and technology change. Rather than using ownership to make clients feel trapped, we look at how MSPs can make their services feel genuinely relevant and valuable by allowing prospects and clients to experience outcomes, contribute to decisions and build solutions together. We also consider how the same effect can explain resistance to replacing familiar technology, and why understanding what clients feel they might lose can lead to better conversations about change. Mike Knight MBA FCIM Director, MKLINK Ltd

September 23, 202612 min

Persuasion Driver #25 : The Zeigarnik Effect

In this episode, we explore The Zeigarnik Effect, the idea that unfinished tasks can remain psychologically active and influence what we return to, even after we have stopped working on them. We look at the original research by Bluma Zeigarnik, as well as later evidence showing that the science is more nuanced than the popular claim that unfinished tasks are simply remembered better. The more useful insight is that people who have already started something may be more likely to return to it, particularly when the path to completion is clear. We explore how unfinished goals, restarting friction and the need for closure can all affect whether something gets completed or quietly abandoned. For MSPs, the Zeigarnik Effect provides a practical way to improve follow-ups, onboarding, sales opportunities, projects and client actions. Rather than sending vague reminders, the episode explores how to preserve the context of what has already happened, clearly identify what remains unfinished, define the next action and explain what completion will enable. From stalled proposals and cybersecurity recommendations to meetings, training and paused projects, the goal is to make it easy for people to pick up where they left off rather than forcing them to start again. But there is an important ethical boundary: MSPs should help people complete genuine unfinished journeys, not deliberately create open loops or withhold information simply to keep attention. The real opportunity is to manage existing unfinished business better, and make completion remarkably easy. Mike Knight MBA FCIM Director, MKLINK Ltd

September 16, 202613 min

Persuasion Driver #24 : Progress Indicators

In this episode, we explore Progress Indicators and why making progress visible can change the way people experience a task or journey. From progress bars and percentages to milestones, checklists and roadmaps, we look at how visible advancement can encourage people to keep going, reduce uncertainty and make long or complex projects feel more achievable. We explore ideas including the Endowed Progress Effect and Goal-Gradient Effect, and why people can respond differently when they can see not just what remains, but how far they have already come. For MSPs, Progress Indicators offer a practical way to make otherwise invisible work and value visible to clients. From onboarding and cloud migrations to cybersecurity programmes, training and long-term technology roadmaps, the episode explores how showing where we started, where we are now and what happens next can transform the client experience. The key is to keep progress specific, meaningful and truthful, never manufacturing progress or hiding outstanding issues. Done well, progress becomes more than a persuasion tool; it becomes a powerful way to demonstrate the ongoing value an MSP delivers. Mike Knight MBA FCIM Director, MKLINK Ltd

September 10, 202613 min

Persuasion Driver #23 : Choice Architecture

In this episode, we explore Choice Architecture, the idea that the way a decision is designed can influence the outcome just as much as the options themselves. We look at how the number, order and presentation of choices can affect decision-making, including concepts such as choice overload, the compromise effect, decoy effect and anchoring. Rather than assuming clients simply need more information, we explore why they may sometimes need a clearer structure that makes the decision easier to understand. For MSPs, Choice Architecture provides a powerful way to turn technical complexity into manageable, meaningful choices. From structuring proposals and pricing packages to improving client conversations and internal processes, the episode explores how good choice design can reduce friction without removing genuine freedom. But there is an important ethical distinction: the goal is to simplify and clarify, not manipulate. The best Choice Architecture feels like good service, making the options, trade-offs and recommended route clear enough for clients to make confident decisions. Mike Knight MBA FCIM Director, MKLINK Ltd

September 3, 202613 min

Persuasion Driver #22 : The Default Effect

In this episode, we explore The Default Effect, the powerful tendency for people to stick with whatever option is already selected, even when they are free to choose something else. We look at why defaults work, from effort and decision fatigue to status quo bias and the way people often interpret a default as a recommendation from someone with expertise. Through examples including organ donation and automatic pension enrolment, we see how simply changing the structure of a choice can have a significant impact on behaviour. For MSPs, the Default Effect offers a practical way to make better decisions easier for clients and improve the consistency of service delivery. From secure configurations, MFA and backup testing to recommended service packages and renewal processes, the episode explores how deliberately designed defaults can build professional expertise into the service itself. But there is an important ethical line: good defaults genuinely serve the client's interests, remain transparent and are easy to override. The goal isn't to remove choice, it's to make the safest, most sensible option the easiest place to start. Mike Knight MBA FCIM Director, MKLINK Ltd

August 26, 202614 min

Persuasion Driver #21 : Framing

This episode explores the power of framing, how presenting exactly the same facts in different ways can dramatically influence how people interpret and respond to them. Using examples from cybersecurity, pricing, project disruption and technical recommendations, the episode explains how framing helps MSPs turn complex information into something clearer and more meaningful for non-technical decision-makers. It also distinguishes framing from Pain vs Pleasure, anchoring and other persuasion techniques, while exploring risky-choice, attribute and goal framing. The episode focuses particularly on ethical framing: helping clients understand what information means without hiding risks or distorting the truth. Listeners will learn how to frame technology around business outcomes rather than technical activity, explain security controls in terms of the protection they provide, put costs into meaningful context, and turn support data into actionable insights. Ultimately, the episode argues that the best frame is not the one that makes something easiest to sell, but the one that helps clients understand the truth more clearly and make better decisions. Mike Knight MBA FCIM Director, MKLINK Ltd

August 19, 202614 min

Persuasion Driver #20 : Anchoring And Contrast

How do you decide whether something is expensive, good value, or worth choosing? In this episode, we explore how anchoring and contrast shape the way people judge value, particularly when they're making complex technology decisions. We look at how the first number, option or reference point can influence everything that follows, and why presenting meaningful alternatives can make unfamiliar services much easier to evaluate. For MSPs, these principles can transform the way proposals and pricing are presented. Rather than simply defending a price, the focus shifts towards creating context, demonstrating value and giving clients credible choices. The episode explores how effective contrast can clarify decisions without becoming manipulative, helping prospects understand not just what they're paying, but what they're getting in return. Mike Knight MBA FCIM Director, MKLINK Ltd