How Skytide is Scaling with Fox and Crow Group’s MSP Sales Process and Fractional CRO Services
When two managed service providers (MSPs) merge, they bring together their strengths—customer bases, technical expertise, and operational efficiencies. However, one of the biggest challenges post-merger is aligning their sales approach.
In the case of Skytide, the merger combined two successful MSPs that had grown in completely different ways. One relied heavily on referrals and word-of-mouth, while the other had invested in marketing-driven lead generation. Their approaches to sales, metrics, and processes were not just different—they were fundamentally incompatible.
"We were at a place where we were going to decide what was next. We knew that to compete at this level, we needed a sales engine." – Rob Bruce, Skytide
The Challenges of a Disjointed Sales Strategy Post-Merger
- No Unified Sales Leadership – Each company had its own approach, but there was no single leader or process guiding sales in the new entity. The previous sales structures had been designed for smaller, separate businesses—not for a unified MSP looking to scale past $10 million in revenue.
- Two Conflicting Sales Philosophies – One company operated on relationship-driven sales, with business owners handling client acquisitions informally. The other had dedicated sales and marketing personnel, but without a clear framework for accountability. Neither approach could scale efficiently on its own.
- Lack of a Shared Sales Process – Without a common process, sales efforts were disorganized. The teams weren’t using the same CRM effectively, and sales reporting was inconsistent. The leadership team had no reliable way to forecast growth or track performance.
- Underperforming Sales Assets – The combined entity inherited a sales director, a marketing person, and a cold caller, but none of them were fully aligned with a scalable, data-driven sales strategy. When the sales director left, it created a vacuum that left the company scrambling for direction.
“All of a sudden, I had a marketing person and an underperforming salesperson with no clearly defined role. I needed help getting them effective—quickly and in a way that could scale.” – Rob Bruce
The newly merged Skytide needed a single, scalable sales system that could bring structure to the team, create accountability, and drive predictable revenue. Rather than trying to force one company's approach onto the other, they needed a proven system—one that could unify the sales team under a shared vision while allowing for sustainable growth.
The Sales Challenges MSPs Face When Trying to Scale
Scaling a managed IT services business beyond referrals is a challenge that many MSPs struggle with. While referrals can drive early growth, they are inherently unpredictable and unsustainable at scale. Many MSPs attempting to break past this phase encounter the same core problems:
- Unpredictable Growth from Referrals Alone – Without a structured sales process, MSPs find themselves at the mercy of inconsistent lead flow. One month may bring a handful of strong referrals, while the next brings none. This unpredictability makes long-term planning and investment difficult.
- Sales and Marketing Tactics Without a Strategy – Many MSPs invest in marketing efforts such as SEO, paid ads, or outsourced cold calling without an overarching strategy to tie them together. These efforts often produce leads that don’t convert, leading to frustration and wasted budgets.
- Unrealistic Growth Goals – Without historical data or a structured process, many MSPs set revenue targets based on hope rather than a predictable sales model. This lack of clarity makes it difficult to track progress, optimize sales efforts, or hold sales teams accountable.
The MSP Sales Process, developed by Fox and Crow Group, was designed to solve these challenges. Built by sales experts and backed by 5 million data points from over 1,000 outbound sales campaigns for MSP firms, this system provides MSPs with a structured, scalable approach to sales.
Skytide, a newly merged MSP aiming to scale past the $10 million revenue mark, faced all of these common challenges. They needed a sales engine that could deliver consistent pipeline growth, provide clear reporting, and allow them to hire and train sales professionals successfully.
“We knew that to compete at this level, we needed a sales engine. Not just referrals, but something that had a pipeline.”
The Challenge: Moving from Unstructured Sales to a Scalable System
Skytide’s leadership knew that growing beyond referrals required a shift in approach. The company had already tried working with sales and marketing partners in the past, but the results never lasted. Without a sales system they owned, these engagements became expensive and ineffective over time.
“I had worked with sales and marketing partners before, but there was no intellectual property that we owned—nothing that carried on. It was just another monthly engagement, and I never felt we got value.”
Additionally, their existing sales function was struggling. The company had a sales director, a marketing person, and an internal cold caller, but their efforts lacked structure. When the sales director unexpectedly left, the team was left without leadership, and their sales process stalled.
The company needed a proven sales process—one that was structured, repeatable, and backed by data—rather than starting from scratch or relying on gut instincts.
The Solution: Implementing the MSP Sales Process and Fractional CRO Services
Skytide discovered Fox and Crow Group’s MSP Sales Process through an industry peer. Unlike generic sales training programs, this approach was designed specifically for MSPs and built on a foundation of real-world sales data.
“I wanted to find someone who was a sales expert first, and then an MSP expert second. Sales best practices were more important to me than just seeing what other MSPs were doing.”
Fox and Crow Group started by installing the MSP Sales Process into Skytide’s operations. This involved:
- Training the sales and marketing team on a structured, repeatable process.
- Supporting underperforming sales staff and optimizing their roles.
- Providing ongoing coaching and sales leadership to ensure execution.
When Skytide’s sales director left, Fox and Crow Group stepped in with Fractional CRO services, effectively acting as Skytide’s outsourced sales leadership team. This allowed Skytide to maintain momentum while refining its long-term sales strategy.
“We needed a system that scaled, offered results, and helped me—someone who’s not a salesperson—understand what good looks like and what ROI should be.”
The Impact: A Predictable, Scalable Sales Process
With Fox and Crow Group’s support, Skytide transformed its sales function into a structured, results-driven engine. Key benefits included:
- A True Sales System: Skytide no longer relied on individual personalities or ad hoc efforts. Instead, they had a documented, repeatable process that worked regardless of who was executing it.
- Accountability and Data-Driven Decision Making: The leadership team now had visibility into performance metrics, allowing them to track progress, identify issues early, and make informed decisions.
- Confident Hiring and Training: Fox and Crow Group helped Skytide refine its hiring process, ensuring that new sales hires had the right mindset and skill set to succeed.
- Ongoing Coaching and Leadership: Instead of just providing initial training and leaving Skytide to figure things out, Fox and Crow Group remained engaged, acting as an extension of the leadership team.
“The commitment and attention to detail you guys bring to the table is something I hadn’t seen before. Other engagements started strong but fell off. This was different.”
A Smarter Approach to Hiring and Sales Leadership
Beyond installing a structured sales process, Fox and Crow Group helped Skytide navigate one of the toughest aspects of sales leadership: hiring the right people.
“I struggled to staff this role successfully in the past. Ian helped us create job offers, interview candidates, and identify red flags. That was invaluable.”
With expert guidance, Skytide brought on its first dedicated sales executive and is now preparing to add a second. Having a structured system in place has given them the confidence to hire, train, and manage sales professionals effectively.
“I used to get coaching on how to manage salespeople. Now, I get C-level decision-making support. You guys bring best practices around management and results.”
Looking Ahead: A Scalable Partnership for Growth
Skytide’s experience with Fox and Crow Group has fundamentally changed how they approach sales. Rather than seeing sales as a problem to be solved once, they now view it as an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement and investment.
“This isn’t something we have to outgrow. If you guys can scale with us and deliver the same consistency, I think this is a partnership that can grow with us for the foreseeable future.”
What started as a short-term engagement has evolved into a long-term partnership. By implementing a structured MSP Sales Process and leveraging Fractional CRO services, Skytide has not only built a reliable sales engine but also positioned itself for sustained, scalable growth.
“I see the logic behind everything. I see the steps being built, holding people accountable, feeding the pipeline, and generating the results we want. I have more confidence in what we’re doing now than in anything I’ve ever done in 20 years in IT.”
With a system in place and the right leadership guiding it, Skytide is no longer just reacting to sales challenges—it’s proactively driving its future success.
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