Stop Mining Clients for MSP Referrals: Recruit Their Vendors

How to MSP

How to MSP
Stop Mining Clients for MSP Referrals: Recruit Their Vendors
Jul 28, 2026 Season 1 Episode 12
Andrew Moore

Bill Poole did the math on referral-driven growth and found most MSPs need far fewer referral sources than they think. They are just asking the wrong people.

In this episode of How to MSP, Andrew Moore talks with Bill Poole, founder of Convergo and creator of the Strategic Connector System, about why the referrals that built your managed service provider eventually stall. Poole's answer is that MSPs mine their client base for introductions when the real network is the set of non-competing vendors already serving those same clients: the fractional CFO, the PEO rep, the insurance broker, the banker. He covers how to size that network, how to recruit into it, and why referrals received is the one metric worth taking off your scorecard.


What you'll learn

•      Why the referrals that built your MSP eventually dry up

•      Which vendors to recruit instead of asking clients

•      How to size the referral network you actually need

•      The leading metrics that belong on a sales scorecard

•      Why marketing is the slower fix for a referral problem


Mentioned in this episode

•      The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin P. Hardy: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58563697-the-gap-and-the-gain

•      Phish on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5wbIWUzTPuTxTyG6ouQKqz

•      Convergo: https://www.convergo.co/

•      HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/

•      Empath: https://empathmsp.com/


Read the full show notes: https://www.ridgeviewadvisors.com/blog/stop-mining-clients-msp-referrals-recruit-their-vendors

Connect with Bill Poole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billpoole3/

Schedule an MSP Growth Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/andrewpmo/htmsp_strategy_call


Key topics

MSP referrals, MSP referral partners, strategic connectors, centers of influence, MSP business development, ideal client profile, MSP sales scorecard, referral network, MSP growth

#MSP #ManagedServiceProvider #MSPGrowth #ReferralMarketing #MSPSales #StrategicPartnerships #BusinessDevelopment

About How to MSP

How to MSP is the weekly podcast for Managed Service Provider owners and operators who want to grow, scale, and exit on their terms. Host Andrew Moore — Founder of Ridgeview Advisors — interviews MSP operators, advisors, and investors on the topics that actually move the business: EOS implementation, valuation and exit strategy, sales and marketing, service delivery, M&A, financial benchmarks, and operational excellence.

Watch full episodes on the How to MSP YouTube channel.

How to MSP is produced by Ridgeview Advisors and hosted by Andrew Moore.