#42 – From the Trenches: People-First Account Management & Smart Prospecting (Trever Jennings)

Most MSPs think “account management” is a reporting problem: build the deck, pull the ticket stats, show the charts, call it a QBR, and hope the client feels “managed.” The reality is harsher and simpler. Clients don’t churn because your slide deck was missing a widget. They churn because, over time, they stopped feeling understood—and the MSP stopped behaving like a confident, human partner. That is why people-first account management is not a soft skill add-on; it is a retention and margin strategy. This episode of From the Trenches is a practical look at what happens when an MSP account manager treats relationship, clarity, and follow-through as operational standards—especially in the post-COVID environment where responsiveness and communication are judged as harshly as technical competence. If you want a structured way to turn this into a repeatable cadence, BMK’s perspective on client engagement from onboarding to QBRs is a strong complement to this conversation.

The second layer is growth. Prospecting has become noisy, automated, and increasingly distrustful—especially as AI-driven outbound calling and “spray-and-pray” sequences train buyers to ignore anything that smells like volume. Trever Jennings’ approach is a quiet counter-move: separate hunting from farming, treat peers like peers, lean into respectful door-knocking and networking, and use personal touchpoints (yes, even mailers) to get past the digital clutter. For MSP owners, the point is not that everyone should knock on doors; the point is that your go-to-market must match your operating identity. If you want to be seen as a partner, you cannot market like a commodity. Done well, this aligns account management, sales, and service into one coherent system—where the “client experience” is designed, measured, and owned. If you’re formalizing that structure, BMK’s thinking on MSP sales consulting for durable revenue growth ties directly into the same leadership shift. And if you want to see how this kind of execution discipline fits into a single operating framework, start with Vision.

What does “people-first account management” actually mean in an MSP?

It means you stop treating the client relationship as a quarterly presentation—and start treating it as an ongoing leadership function. The account manager’s job is not to “deliver reports.” The job is to take the temperature: listen for friction, translate technical complexity into plain language, and maintain trust before small issues become emotional issues.

In practice, this requires a mindset shift:

• Clients want clarity more than they want dashboards.
• Trust is built in conversations, not in ticket counts.
• Communication prevents churn long before the technology “fails.”

Why QBR reporting often fails (even when the reports are “good”)

Because most MSPs default to what is easy to produce, not what the client actually values. Some clients love data. Many do not. And when you lead with a heavy report to a client who only wants, “Tell me if something’s wrong,” you’re communicating a subtle message: we’re going to do this our way, not yours.

A strong account management program is adaptive:

• For data-hungry clients: concise, digestible metrics tied to outcomes
• For relationship-first clients: informal check-ins, lunches, and short planning conversations
• For anxious clients: calm translation and reassurance that isn’t salesy or alarmist

Account manager vs. client success manager: what’s the real difference?

Titles vary, but the tension is consistent: one role is typically expected to grow revenue and prevent churn; the other is expected to protect experience and trust, especially when service friction occurs. The best MSPs don’t argue about labels—they define ownership and expectations clearly, then build a cadence that makes the work repeatable.

In this episode, the takeaway is straightforward: you can’t grow accounts you don’t understand. “Selling” should be the natural byproduct of listening well, identifying real problems, and guiding the client toward solutions that reduce risk and increase performance.

The “hunter vs. farmer” problem: why most MSPs burn out in sales

When one person is responsible for both net-new logos and ongoing account management, the work becomes reactive and chaotic—unless you impose structure. A practical move discussed here is separating the calendar:

• Farming days: client meetings, check-ins, renewal health, relationship maintenance
• Hunting days: prospecting outreach, networking, targeted follow-ups, pipeline activity

This is not about being “busy.” It’s about being deliberate—so growth doesn’t depend on mood, emergencies, or whatever fire started that morning.

Smart prospecting in 2025: why personal touch beats automation

Prospecting is getting harder because buyers are getting trained to ignore volume. AI-driven outbound calling may be “efficient,” but it often damages trust—especially when it feels impersonal or deceptive. The episode draws a useful contrast:

• Inbound service: AI can be excellent when the caller wants a task completed quickly.
• Outbound sales: AI often fails because the buyer is deciding whether you are worth attention.

That is why “old” tactics are resurfacing: door knocking (respectfully), local networking, and even handwritten mailers that cut through flooded inboxes. The point is not nostalgia—the point is differentiation through humanity.

For MSPs building a stronger client experience and a healthier revenue engine, explore these related articles: how to build profitable service agreements, supporting your team with the right service roles, and improving MSP financial operations through better data.

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Episode Highlights

• 00:00:11 – Trever reacts to AI-powered calling agents, contrasting impersonal outbound with genuinely helpful AI for inbound service tasks.
• 00:02:01 – How he transitioned from help desk technician into sales and client account management by leaning into people skills.
• 00:04:15 – Why great account managers manage people and expectations—not just tickets and hardware.
• 00:08:07 – The staying power of informal touchpoints (lunches, check-ins) versus data-dense quarterly decks.
• 00:18:40 – Door knocking and networking as respectful alternatives to high-volume, automated prospecting.
• 00:26:11 – Why AI-driven outbound calls often damage trust instead of creating opportunity.
• 00:33:47 – Oklahoma City’s evolving business landscape and how MSPs can position as trusted partners across diverse verticals.

About the Guest

Trever Jennings is a sales and client account manager at a managed service provider based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Starting his career on the help desk, he built a strong understanding of day-to-day IT realities before moving into a client-facing leadership role—where curiosity, empathy, and clear communication are the real tools that shape client trust.

Alongside account leadership, Trever actively prospects for new business through respectful, peer-to-peer outreach—combining door knocking, networking, and thoughtful mailers rather than relying on high-volume automation. His approach emphasizes partnership over pressure, helping organizations make better IT decisions without feeling sold to.

🌐 Connect with Trever on LinkedIn →

About the Host

Josh Peterson is the CEO of Bering McKinley and host of the BMK Vision Podcast. Through the From the Trenches series, Josh highlights MSP leaders who redefine growth through creativity, resilience, and genuine client connection.

🌐 Connect with Josh on LinkedIn →

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is people-first account management in an MSP?
It’s an account management approach that prioritizes trust, communication, and understanding the client’s pressures—using reports and QBRs only as tools, not as the relationship itself.

Do MSP clients actually want QBR reports?
Some do. Many don’t. The best approach is to tailor your cadence: provide digestible, outcome-based reporting for clients who value data, and lead with conversation and clarity for clients who value trust and simplicity.

How should MSPs separate account management and new sales?
A practical method is to schedule distinct “farming” days for existing accounts and “hunting” days for prospecting, so both functions get consistent attention without constant context switching.

Is AI outbound calling effective for MSP sales?
It can create volume, but it often damages trust when it feels impersonal. Inbound AI can work well for task completion; outbound still benefits most from human credibility and peer-to-peer conversation.

What are effective alternatives to automated prospecting?
Respectful door knocking, networking with genuine curiosity, and personalized outreach (including mailers) can cut through email and phone fatigue—especially when your message is built on partnership, not pressure.