In business, you’re either moving forward or falling behind—there’s no in-between. Even if you run your operation flawlessly (which, let’s face it, no one does), customer attrition is inevitable. Companies get acquired, they shut down, or key decision-makers leave. If you’ve been in business for more than a few years, you’ve likely experienced all of the above.
That’s why consistent revenue and customer growth are not just nice to have—they’re essential for survival.
But what if you’re not a natural salesperson? How do you grow revenue without a sales background?
Here are three effective paths forward:
- Referrals – The gold standard of leads
- Marketing – Drives inbound interest
- Outsourced Appointment Setting – Brings leads directly to you
The most successful strategy? A mix of all three.
Referrals: The Best, But Limited
Referrals are hands-down the easiest to close. The trust is already built, and you’re often walking into a conversation with credibility. But there’s a limitation: your clients aren’t actively selling your services—they’re focused on their own businesses. Your reach is constrained by the number of clients you have and the size of their networks.
Take this example: if you’re an attorney and a business client asks who handles your IT, you’ll recommend your trusted MSP. But you’re not sitting in client meetings hoping to bring up IT support out of the blue. That’s the reality of referral-based growth—it’s reactive, not proactive.
Marketing: Cost-Effective and Scalable (With Effort)
Marketing is more cost-effective than outsourcing sales and offers scale, but it requires your time and involvement to succeed. The marketing landscape has evolved rapidly—search is increasingly dominated by AI-powered answers rather than traditional lists of results. That means your website needs to be optimized for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) in addition to SEO.
You’ll also need visibility into how prospects engage with your content. If someone in your email sequence clicks through to your site, you should know what pages they visited and how long they stayed. That kind of insight allows you to tailor your follow-up and move prospects further down the funnel.
Outsourced Appointment Setting: Direct and (Hopefully) Effective
Outsourced lead generation can get you in front of decision-makers fast—if done well. And that “if” is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Many firms fail to deliver quality appointments. You’re not looking for a warm body on a call; you’re looking for a qualified decision-maker with a real need.
When evaluating firms, focus on those that employ true sales professionals—not just cold callers. One high-quality appointment is worth more than five weak ones. With a solid sales process, five qualified meetings could lead to one new customer—a 20% close rate is a realistic benchmark.
Bottom Line: If you’re not growing, you’re shrinking. Referrals, marketing, and outsourced sales each play a role in driving revenue—but the right combination and execution are key. There’s no treading water in business, so choose a path that propels you forward.
By Tom Callinan, President, Revity Sales
The Revity Solution
At Revity, our Business Development as a Service (BDaaS) solution delivers everything you need to drive growth—from targeted lead generation and appointment setting to full-scale marketing campaigns. If you’re ready to stop relying on referrals and start building a repeatable, scalable sales engine for your MSP, we’re here to help. Let’s turn your growth goals into reality—partner with Revity and take the next step forward.
