Roadmap
A quickstart list of resources to get your service manager headed in the right direction.
Resource Library
Here you have access to all of Karl’s resources and training: books, checklists, SOPs, 3-part classes and more. Book handouts are added individually to make things more searchable.
If you don’t know exactly what you need, use the filters below to search by topic, department, type, or format. Mix and match as needed.
If you need help finding something, or aren’t sure exactly what you need (you just know you need *something*, send us a message and we’ll be happy to help!
A few examples to get you started
Select an option here, notice how the filters show up below, and customize as needed.
Note: filters within the same dropdown have an or operator. Filters in different dropdowns have an and operator. Or will broaden (increase) your results. And will narrow (decrease) your results.
For example: This setup shows results that are client facing or customer service topics and are a checklist.
Video
3-Part Class
The fundamental tool we’ve used to managed ongoing client relationships for almost twenty-five years.
Word
SOP
Draft instructions for introducing clients to your ticketing system.
Word
Sample
Four Goodbye Letters – easily edit for your voice and brand.
Word
Sample
Sample price increase memos – edit to fit your voice and brand.
Video
Seminar/Webinar
We use the terms all the time: High, Medium, and Low Priority. But does everyone on your team agree on what these mean and how they affect your service delivery?
Audio
Seminar/Webinar
A great introduction to the basics of managed services, recurring revenue, and getting started in a great business!
Audio
Seminar/Webinar
The core theme is that we are reaching the point of exponential growth for many technologies – and you need to have a different perspective on what will make you successful going forward.
Audio
Seminar/Webinar
Growing your business is fun — but it’s also difficult. One of the biggest challenges is maintaining profitability. That’s particularly true with projects. Matt Makowicz and Karl Palachuk explain.
Audio
Seminar/Webinar
With Agile, your technicians need a lot less hands-on guidance from the Service Manager because they assign tickets to themselves.
Audio
Seminar/Webinar
Branding is everything you do. Is what you’re doing consistent?
Video
3-Part Class
Just like a real garden, you have to get rid of clients who cannot grow with your company, as well as those who are difficult to work with, unprofitable, or don’t fit your culture. And no, you won’t lose money.
Video
3-Part Class
Curious about KPIs? Need some more ideas for what to track? Karl has your back with this 3-part class.
Video
3-Part Class
What could be better than adding a new client? Doing it consistently the same every time, building your culture, and setting a very high standard for your new relationship! That’s what an onboarding process does for your company.
Audio, Kindle, PDF
Book
Practical, click-by-click advice to build a bundled offering of services Karl calls the Cloud Five-Pack™. Learn how to combine Cloud Services with Managed Services for the ultimate Killer Combo.
Word
Workbook
Wondering where to start? Well, if you can identify areas that are extremely important and you know you’re not doing as well as you should, THAT’s the place to start.
Excel, PDF, Word
Whitepaper
An outline and example of all of the things to put into a contract for HaaS.
Word
Checklist
Dynamic ways to get prospective new clients in front of you.
Word
Checklist
Bring in your new clients right every time with a logical progression from sales to front office to service delivery. And it finished with client-facing training by a customer service rep or technician.
Video
Roundtable
Want to be successful? Get your company culture right.
Video
ITSPU Class
Learn how to create a great customer service system for your IT consulting business – and how to hire and train the people you need to make it work.
Video
Roundtable
Learn how the way you show up, and how others do, implicitly impacts your everyday interactions, sales opportunities, and more.
Video
Roundtable
A focus on customer service in the IT industry.
Video
Roundtable
Tune in for this 60-minute must watch conversation on bringing your business into the 21st century through flexibility, listening, and creating space – even for the nay-sayers.
Video
Roundtable
Agile promises faster (and more appropriate) response to problems without increasing paperwork and bureaucracy. And, at least in software development, it de-emphasizes process in favor of progress. We’ll explore what that means for running your service delivery department.
PDF
Book
These rules will help you align your personal and professional goals while creating “standard operating procedures” to automate successful habits. Notice that “The customer is always right” is not on the list…
Audio, Kindle, PDF
Book
Support and Service Delivery: SOPs for Client Relationships, Service Delivery, Scheduled Maintenance, and All about Backups
Audio, Kindle, PDF
Book
Running the Service Department: SOPs for Managing Technicians, Daily Operations, Service Boards, and Scheduling
PDF
Book
The first 250 pages are chapters on project design, management, and all the details of running a Zero Downtime Migration project. The final 220 pages are the super, monster, thorough checklist (which is really a series of nested checklists).
Word
SOP
Once you have the roles defined, you can begin hiring people. You will use your role definitions to define the daily, weekly, monthly, and annual goals.
